32.5 Modified Fluval Upgrade - Bigger is Better?

[kitti-fish]

Oh man I feel like it’s been forever. Fun news! I’m finally moving away from freshwater to fully focus on saltwater! What does that mean? Well..new tank is needed. I’m going back to doing a nano as I feel 1000x more confident but my main tank will continue. I’m planning to FINALLY get another light and add more coral. Still sticking to my two clowns only although im craving some more life.

 

[kitti-fish]

Finally have two lights! Finicky as one is the old version and the other is new so setting up was a pain. Also have a wave maker. This tank is finally finished just need to add lots more coral!

 

[kitti-fish]

Few new additions to the tank my local store even threw in a free coral for my birthday (the green one that’s spread out on the rock scape). Also got a ton of hermits. Hoping to go back again and get some more things but very happy with my little haul!

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

All your micro feather dusters are a great thing. Mine can only live in the sump.

 

[kitti-fish]

All your micro feather dusters are a great thing. Mine can only live in the sump.

They are everywhere in the tank. The only thing in my sump are actually sponges!

 

[kitti-fish]

Canister Filter Update:
I still stand by my initial thought. Canister filtration is amazing. I will never go back to a tank with a built in filtration system again. Canister has been easy and maintenance has been a breeze. I’ve been doing water changes every 2 weeks and doing large canister cleans once a month. So far, I have no issue with clogs and my tank is always pristine. Coral are growing, fish are still thriving, and everything else is doing well. Sponges have enjoyed living in the canister which is just a plus for me. If I ever upgrade (once this tank does give out) I would definitely consider a sump but canister is no1 choice for me at the moment. I think it also matters what canister you get. Of course, I wanted more surface agitation as well and achieved that with a dual head circulation pump. I give it a solid 10/10 for setup and works well for me!

 

[Reefer Brent]

Awesome! The accessibility of all your filtration media seems like a huge plus over AIO.

 

[kitti-fish]

I am so heartbroken. My female clownfish has jumped out and shriveled up outside on the grown!! Even with a lid she squeezed out a small opening. Can I try to get my male a new mate??

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

I am so heartbroken. My female clownfish has jumped out and shriveled up outside on the grown!! Even with a lid she squeezed out a small opening. Can I try to get my male a new mate??

So it can be tricky, The female is typically the larger one. So if you get another you will not know if it is a male or female. The best bet would be to get a smaller one than you have now, so in all likelihood it would be a male and the old one will change to a female. It is also best to keep the new one in an acclimation box while this is going on to reduce friction. The only down side is if you named the old male Ralph...

 

[kitti-fish]

So it can be tricky, The female is typically the larger one. So if you get another you will not know if it is a male or female. The best bet would be to get a smaller one than you have now, so in all likelihood it would be a male and the old one will change to a female. It is also best to keep the new one in an acclimation box while this is going on to reduce friction. The only down side is if you named the old male Ralph...

Thank you!! Yea I’ll go down this route. My male was getting beaten up by the female so they must have been squabbling

 

[kitti-fish]

It’s been a hot minute. Between planning a wedding and preparing for our next steps in adulthood, I didn’t even notice my anemone split!!! I thought I needed a male/female. Big gal is in the back anchored to a rock and baby is on the ground.

 

[kitti-fish]

Update. My nano tank has come to a quick close as I had an unforeseen accident. My pump and water reservoir shut off overnight, causing my anemone to die and disintegrate. I did not catch this error till almost 24 hours have passed (I am not feeding every day just due to the ugly stage). I wasn’t sure the anemone had died but the tank has a horrible smell of decay. I relocated the residents from the nano into the large main tank and searched but nothing. I did find pieces of the anemone stuck in the overhang filter but overturned every rock and every crevice just to make sure. The crevices in the rock are way too small and shallow to house a hiding anemone. I’m devastated and broke down the tank as this isn’t the first time the filter failed on me and I no longer trust the entire nano. For now, I’m going back to focusing on my large tank and my anemone saga is also over. Truly ticking time bombs. 2/10 recommend to watch in the pet store but that’s about it. The worst part of this was the anemone was doing amazing in my tank and I enjoyed watching it open fully..large tank is still the same I’m hoping to add more coral in the coming year. As of now, everyone is growing and doing well.

 

[kitti-fish]

Small changes! Added two new residents (firefish goby and six line wrasse) and refilled my CUC. And also..really considering upgrading to a 50 gallons..talk me out of it

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Small changes! Added two new residents (firefish goby and six line wrasse) and refilled my CUC. And also..really considering upgrading to a 50 gallons..talk me out of it

Please describe the 50g upgrade... AIO, INT, EXT...?
So we can talk you out of it....
Also what would be your goals with the tank?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Small changes! Added two new residents (firefish goby and six line wrasse) and refilled my CUC. And also..really considering upgrading to a 50 gallons..talk me out of it

Those are two good additions for livestock!

 

[kitti-fish]

Please describe the 50g upgrade... AIO, INT, EXT...?
So we can talk you out of it....
Also what would be your goals with the tank?

Thinking of doing a sump rimless tank. My LFS had a nice once and they do set it up. Main goal is to get critters I can’t get in my main tank. Every time I want to add something I’m pretty much talked out of it due to size so adding anything has been a slow process. Tank is still understocked in my opinion (5 fish plus coral, sexy shrimp, snails, and multiple crabs), but the clowns can get big eventually. I’m in no rush right now but I’m thinking of doing this in the next 5 years if possible. I need to do more research on sumps since they are intimidating.

 

[kitti-fish]

Those are two good additions for livestock!

They’re so fun to watch! And they are doing well. The wrasse loves to swim in the tunnels it’s such a joy to see a flash of color.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Thinking of doing a sump rimless tank. My LFS had a nice once and they do set it up. Main goal is to get critters I can’t get in my main tank. Every time I want to add something I’m pretty much talked out of it due to size so adding anything has been a slow process. Tank is still understocked in my opinion (5 fish plus coral, sexy shrimp, snails, and multiple crabs), but the clowns can get big eventually. I’m in no rush right now but I’m thinking of doing this in the next 5 years if possible. I need to do more research on sumps since they are intimidating.

Sumps are easy... Sumps are a way to add more tools to help make your husbandry easier. Adding a sump is adding more canvas to your painting. Also unless your limited by space a 50g is not that much bigger than what you have, you may want to think about a 75g to 125g...

 

[kitti-fish]

Sumps are easy... Sumps are a way to add more tools to help make your husbandry easier. Adding a sump is adding more canvas to your painting. Also unless your limited by space a 50g is not that much bigger than what you have, you may want to think about a 75g to 125g...

Sadly I’ll have to limit my space since our home isn’t too big and we plan to have a child in the next few years. I did make a plan that if we do move I’m going to do a 75gallon for sure so I’m not sure if I should hold out with 32 for now and wait till we move or just upgrade to a 50 and then upgrade to 75.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

I think you would be happy with a sump system. Anything bigger than a 20g I am not a fan of AIO's. Your future plans will bring change and a bigger tank might become unmanageable. The goal would be to stick with the hobby no matter what the future brings. So finding that balance is important.