First Aquarium - Fluval Evo

[DevilDuck]

i think your stocking list is good. I would not add a wrasse as they need more space than the evo  provides. No starfish as they tend to in even the largest tanks. 

 

For inverts you can add a cleaner shrimp. For coral my go to would be duncan’s, cheap zoas, acans and blasts. Once you can keep those alive move up to lps and rock flower and anemones.

[Tboss11]

Thanks DevilDuck!

 

I will forgo the Wrasse and Starfish. Now considering the Firefish but depends on options in my LFS. Is there a particular order I should add the fish?

 

Also, can somebody recommend a light timer I can use for the Fluval Evo Stock light. A link to purchase on Amazon would be super useful. Any other modification suggestions I'm all ears.

 

Thanks!

[mipster]

20 hours ago, Tboss11 said:

I will forgo the Wrasse and Starfish. Now considering the Firefish but depends on options in my LFS. Is there a particular order I should add the fish?

 

Also, can somebody recommend a light timer I can use for the Fluval Evo Stock light. A link to purchase on Amazon would be super useful. Any other modification suggestions I'm all ears.

So to the order of fish, you add the more timid fish first and then the bullies last. I would add your clown towards the end of the line up.

 

I used to use this timer with my evo and now use it on my bonsai grow light system and it works really well!

 

Other easy corals that add alot of movement are leather corals such as kenya trees and sinulara. They are also fast growing. I have a bunch and totally adore them. I also recommend rainbow clove polyps. They are really stunning and easy to keep.

[emmysnewtank]

Get the nicrew pro timer on Amazon. You can ramp light up and down over the day. Been great on my evo and it’s like $11. 
 

I added a cheap submersible blue led strip under the evo hood to boost blue light and that’s been great as well. I think helpful to growing corals w a bit of extra light as the blue in the stock light not that strong. 
 

did you get a wave maker?

[emmysnewtank]

Just read past thread. If you haven’t already bail the stock filtration. Grab an intank media basket for chamber 1 and get a bag of bio max or something similar for chamber 2. Throw filter floss / carbon / more biomedia into media basket. You can replace that floss easily. I change 2x week because I feed heavy…

Lots of you tube videos of peoples mods for this tank. 

 

[Tboss11]

Hello All,

 

Thanks for the suggestions, the timer has been purchased. Getting fish in a few days too! Will add pics then.

 

I was hesitant to change the filter system, as the tank is already cycled and didn't want changing it to impact this. Also the heater that came with the tank is very large and takes up all of chamber 1.

 

I also don't have a wavemaker, they are very large and in a small tank I don't think they look great. Are they really necessary right now, and if so is there a small less intrusive looking one I could use?

 

Thanks!

 

[Tboss11]

Any ideas guys?

Also what food do I need for the fish / coral?

[Maas101]

For a powerhead I'm a fan of the AI Nero's they're low profile and very controllable, not the cheapest though. Strictly speaking you don't need food for coral however some LPS will benefit from target feeding. For the fish you've listed any marine pellet food will do however I prefer to feed frozen mysis. It is personal preference though.

[Tboss11]

Thanks Maas101!

 

I'll check that one out. Would you definitely recommend I get a wavemaker, or could I get by for now without one and maybe just put a random flow nozzle on the return pump instead? 

[Maas101]

It depends upon the corals you wish to grow. Many of the LPS and soft corals are lagoon species which do not require a high flow, if you're looking towards the reef builders like acropora then you'll need a powerhead to keep them happy. 

[Tboss11]

Finally got my first fish and coral! Went to the LFS and they recommended I pick up a cute clownfish and a green star polyp (I thinv it was called this but looked cool)

 

The clownfish keeps swimming behind the pump nozzle where there's no flow. Is that normal. He ate one flake when I fed him.

 

Photo below 🙂

[emmysnewtank]

 Nice. Congrats on gsp and the clown. 
 

looking back on your question re wave maker. I went without for a bit, but once I added one the other benefit is that all the detritus doesn’t settle and gets swept up into the water column to get sucked up by the filtration. 
 

I upgraded my pump and had rfg nozzle but it’s still hot that strong. You will be shocked at how much shit gets blown up when you toss a small wave maker in. I got a jebao sow-3 that has a random mode on it and it’s great…and cheap on Amazon. 

[Tboss11]

Hello,

 

Unfortunately there has been an algae outbreak in my tank! See pictures below 😞

 

is this brown diatoms, and how do I get rid of it?

 

protein skimmer/ more snails?

open to ideas guys, love the help from you all

[Maas101]

Looks like diatoms, they will burn themselves out in a few weeks. Virtually all new reef tanks go through the 'uglies' there's little to be done about it other than time and stability.

[DevilDuck]

1 hour ago, Tboss11 said:

Hello,

 

Unfortunately there has been an algae outbreak in my tank! See pictures below 😞

 

is this brown diatoms, and how do I get rid of it?

 

protein skimmer/ more snails?

 

open to ideas guys, love the help from you all

This is part of the new tank uglies. There's going to be a bunch of other types of "outbreaks" so prepare yourself.

Test your nitrates and phosphates often, they will rollercoaster between very high and near 0. Just keep them out of the 0 range as best you can. 

Take it slow, don't start tossing in chemicals and skimmers etc. until things start to stabilize months from now. Enjoy the ride!

 

 

[Tboss11]

Hi guys, 

 

Thanks for the input, super useful. Will be patient and test the water. How do I keep them out of the 0 range?

 

 

[Tboss11]

Tank has been completely taken over by the diatoms. Glass is fairly clean, but the sandbed is ridden with it! Hopefully it automatically corrects itself 🙂

 

[DevilDuck]

On 1/7/2022 at 4:33 PM, Tboss11 said:

Hi guys, 

 

Thanks for the input, super useful. Will be patient and test the water. How do I keep them out of the 0 range?

 

 

Dose nitrate or phosphate as needed. I use Brightwell NeoNitrate and NeoPhos. You can also increase feedings, decaying organics will increase nitrate/phosphates but it's takes longer and is not as precise.

[Tboss11]

Ohh no, the tank is looking so ugly right now. Algae all over. (See pictures)

 

Should I still wait for it to automatically disappear?

 

Can I do a water change / clean gravel. Looking to get a small RO/DI unit and wavemaker soon.

 

Water is tao with dechlorinator (I know I know, my bad)

 

Thanks!

[DNR88]

If you don't have patience, don't start and keep a reef tank. And I should know given my multiple failed attempts. But now that I've found the peace and patience it all goes much better.

 

I would advise waiting with a water change until the diatoms decreases and not touching the sand in the meantime.

[DevilDuck]

The tap water is the issue here, it contains a lot of minerals that will feed algae. On a small tank like the Fluval, your better off purchasing premixed saltwater from your local fish store for your water changes. It's the simplest way if you don't want to clutter your flat with equipment and boxes of salt.

 

[Tboss11]

I don't have a car so can't pick up water from LFS unfortunately. I'll purchase an RO/DI unit as figured in the long run will be a good investment!

 

FINERFILTERS 4 Stage Compact Reverse Osmosis Filter With DI Resin Tropical/Marine/Discus 50/75/100/GPD (100 GPD) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N6DV59S/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_6NW77NCQYSMGQ546PNKN

[DevilDuck]

That looks just like a re-labeled RO Buddie. Get the 50 GPH version.  I have one and love it. 

100 GPH seems very optimistic for such a small unit, you probably will not get 0 TDS with any of the larger GPH units.

[Maas101]

Get yourself a TDS meter and a bucket of DI resin as well, you'll be replacing the resin more than the other filters and it's much cheaper to refill the resin cartridge than buy pre-filled.

[Tboss11]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/VYAIR-Reverse-Osmosis-Filter-System/dp/B0862D81JZ?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1

 

Hi Devilduck! Great name btw 🙂

 

is this the one you reffering too? If so I will purchase.