MadMax Fluval 13.5

[05XRunner]

So I started a new tank.

I bought myself a RedSea Reefer350 back in May because of Covid and being bored at home. I thought I was going to really enjoy it and I made a man cave out of the storage room. behind the garage. 

Come August I ended up selling it all off because I didnt have enough time and being down in the other room I barely even went to look at it anymore.

So here I am today I was itching for a saltwater fix and didnt want to put alot of money into a tank and just wanted something small I can enjoy.

So about 2week ago I got the Fluval 13.5

AS of right now it has about 10lb of reef saver dry rock.

6-7lb of Live sand

Was started with Fritz Zyme 9 to get the bacteria cycle going 

Mods so far. 

I have 3D Printed a 1st chamber rack for it.

Also printed a Plug for that small hole that is in the middle of the back wall.

And printed 2 Random flow return nozzles as well.

 

I made my own mesh lid and inlaid it with Plexi to keep evap down and cats out as well.

I am running an Aquakinght LED with a frosted piece of acrylic on it to cut down the shimmer trying to soften it up as stock was to rapid for me.

Main flow pump is a Jebao SW2

Hater is a Finnex 50w titanium digital controller HMS

 

My other big mod is all the spike strips on the tank and light to keep the cats from trying to mess with the tank

 

Livestock so far is a Yellow watchman and a Cleaner shrimp. 

Waiting on my LFS order from sustainable aquatics to get a pair of Onyx Picasso clowns and that might be all the livestock I have other then a few crabs and snails.

I hope to keep this long term since its at my desk and I can enjoy it all the time and minimal maintenance it will need

 

 

Here was my Reefer 350 before it was taken down. It never even got off the ground with anything due to short lifespan I had with it.

 

Here is the Fluval 13 as of now

 

[DevilDuck]

The anti-cat spikes makes your tank so metal!

[05XRunner]

So it seems the perimeter spikes didn't protect enough. The cats decided to push the mesh in. I upped the game on lid protection. 

[05XRunner]

picked up a pair of clowns today

 

[05XRunner]

I couldnt pass up the 50% off sale so I got these 2 frags for $29

 

[05XRunner]

added the AutoAqua micro ATO lastnight

[paulsz]

how fast was the cycle for this tank? Three weeks seems pretty fast for the stocking that is in right now. But i've never tried bacteria in a bottle. How fast did it work? 

Nice frags! Pretty big polyps for a zoa frag. They're usually tiny from what i've seen. 

[05XRunner]

I always use bacteria in a bottle.

Every tank I have setup I usually let it run for a week after I added my bottle and good to go. Never had a problem over the years doing it that way. Doesnt change the ugly stage or anything but never had any livestock issues

[geekreef_05]

lol, that top is heavy metal for sure! 

 

Whats the next step? Have you considered a mini-electric cat fence, haha? 

[05XRunner]

haha I actually line my desk with the spike strips at night till the novelty wears off from trying to jump up on the hutch of my desk.

 

[05XRunner]

I haven't posted anything in a while. Here are the corals in the tank

 

[05XRunner]

guess FTS needed