FL-FL-FL Fillory's Reef - SPS Evo 13

[Sipec]

Congrats on the new tank

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Congrats on the new tank

Thanks! Looking forward to having more choices for aquascape, filling it with corals and adding a few more fish.

I've started a build thread for the 55 gallon as well, even though it'll be a bit before it's actually seeing water: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/fillorys-55.453454/page-2#post-5157687

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Little update - picked up a few frags from someone local who's moving and sold off what they'd collected to this point.

Tank is still reading 0.00 phosphate [Hanna]. I'm feeding more and more trying to raise that number [haven't checked nitrates in a while - phosphates are 0 and my chaeto is growing so i'm assuming that the nitrates are there in high enough concentration to consume any phosphate]

The Randall's goby that I added with the pistol shrimp was [probably] killed by my firefish. Sand continues to be moved which makes me believe that the shrimp is still alive - but the firefish is now living in the burrows with the shrimp. I'd never heard of firefish living in/making burrows under the rocks, but it's kind of cool.

With that said, I did not go searching for the goby's body, and have not checked ammonia. I see no negative signs in any of my corals. It's possible that my clam and chaeto has taken up all/most of the ammonia.

Had the thought to sell my corals and turn the 55 gallon into a fish only system with an eel rather than a reef, but haven't yet made a decision.

Thanks for reading!

 

[sm32589g]

How's the clam holding up?

 

[Reef of Fillory]

How's the clam holding up?

Clam is doing great - it keeps the water crystal clear and has new shell growth and mantle growth. It's always wide open even with the high flow I have going in the tank.

If I stick with a reef, i'll probably grab a couple more clams from @CherryCorals for the bigger tank.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

I think I'm going to get my first clam for my Evo 13.5 soon. Local LFS said it should do good, even with the stock light.

 

[Reef of Fillory]

I think I'm going to get my first clam for my Evo 13.5 soon. Local LFS said it should do good, even with the stock light.

I've got a TON of light in my tank - if you're using stock light, i'd go for a lower light clam, and find it a nice place with as much direct light as possible.

 

[sm32589g]

I've got a TON of light in my tank - if you're using stock light, i'd go for a lower light clam, and find it a nice place with as much direct light as possible.

Do you have a 13.5 also or are you talking about the lighting in your 55gal?

 

[Reef of Fillory]

I'm talking about the evo, I've got the 150w 14k metal halide on it. The 55 will have two sbreef 16" and a 150w metal halide

 

[Reef of Fillory]

I saw something in the back chambers of the tank today when I got home from work - it was the Randall's goby in the return chamber of the tank!

The only way this guy got back there would have been when I had the lid off to feed/test...

Got him out and back into the main tank - i'm hoping that him and the firefish can come to some sort of agreement regarding the burrow(s).

Not sure how the goby survived in the return compartment. There was a little bit of shrimp/detritus and algae in the compartment, but not nearly enough for me to think that he's been eating much... i'll have to feed heavy for the next few weeks to assure he gets his strength back..



=O

 

[AquascapeNY]

This EVO will be transferring over to a 55 gallon acrylic in November, 2018. Here is the link to that build thread: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/fillorys-55.453454/page-2#post-5157687

Equipment List:

Fluval EVO 13.5 Gallon Nano tank
Odyssea 150w Metal Halide w/ Phoenix 14k DE bulb
2x MP10's
DIY chamber 1 media rack [filter floss, chaeto]
Chamber 1 refugium with Grow Light
Fluval Skimmer in Chamber 2
Sicce Syncra 1.0 Return pump
Hydrofill Titanium ATO
3x BRS 1.1ml/min dosing pumps [Alk, Calcium, empty]
Tunze Nano Care Magnet
Apex Classic

Livestock:

12 lbs Live Rock
Bubble Tip Anemone
2x Occelaris clownfish
Purple Firefish
Randall's Goby
White Pistol Shrimp
2x Emerald Crab
4x blue-leg hermits


Corals:

4 acan lords
9 types of zoas
Trumpet
Candycane
2 Acan enchinata
3 chalices
2 birdsnests
handful of IDK SPS
~ 4" Squamosa Clam


MH turns on around 10 am and off at 10 pm [12 hour photoperiod]

* Alkalinity dosed from 1:00 am - noon
* Calcium dosed from 12:00 noon - 8:00 pm


I started to get out of the hobby by selling off my 32 Gallon Biocube. Then I had the idea that 'I'll do a small tank, i'll leave it stock and let it manage itself with minimal input'.

So I sold my corals, sold my doser/controller/light/pumps/hannah checkers etc.

Then I bought a Fluval EVO 13.5 gallon nano tank. I moved over some rock from my 32 gallon, and filled it up with a new bag of CaribSea sand, and water from the Biocube.

I bought an Odyssea 150w Metal Halide fixture off of Ebay to replace my AI prime + T5 combo.

Of course, after selling off my previous corals [probably a good idea anyway, they were pretty large for the size of the EVO] I had to buy some corals. I got 6 corals from a local guy, and my wife won a free coral from a shop on the other side of the state. Shipping would be $35 for this free coral. So it only made sense to buy 9 more corals and get free shipping right? 10 more corals came in. Then there was a frag swap nearby... 12 corals later and the tank's starting to look like something... And then I got help from an awesome local reefer to fill in some gaps in my rockwork with some more SPS! 14 frags later, and i've got 40 frags in my tank, including one SPS that's dying, Bubbles the Bubble Tip and a Squamosa Clam!

Then I decided I needed a powerhead - so I bought a koralia nano 425 gph powerhead. Then I needed to upgrade the return pump, because the stock pumps always suck, right? I ordered a Sicce Syncra 1.0. But the syncra with the loc-line outputs isn't great, I have to also get a hydor random flow attachment. Well, i'm back to using the Loc-Line as the Hydor breached the surface when it spun and made too much noise. I'm now on to using Two Jebao SW-4's controlled by my Apex Classic.

Water changes can't keep up with ALK/CA demand forever right? So I also had to order some Calcium mix, soda ash and mixing jugs from BRS. I also needed kalkwasser to maintain the parameters day to day, so I bought some kalkwasser. Well, Kalkwasser on my small tank wasn't the best idea, so now i've got 3 BRS 1.1 ml/min dosers for my ALK/Calcium and ATO.

I've also purchased a Reefkeeper Lite with 2 PB4's, SL1 and Net module off of the forums here. Didn't stick with the ReefKeeper, instead I sold it and bought a used Apex classic brain from the forums here on R2R, bought a new EB8 and probes, and set up Fusion.

I got a black stand from IKEA which I set up with no shelf on the bottom two sections [to hold my ALK and Calcium containers], attached the dosing pumps to the back wall, set up two shelves for supplies [one for testing supplies, and the other for food and supplements], and cut one drawer in half to mount the Apex in.

I set up my Hydrofill ATO and set up a temporary ATO container made of a dog food container.

I had some scrap acrylic lying around and decided to DIY a media rack [with only a dremel might I add]. So i've got that in chamber one with filter floss on top, activated carbon underneath that and chaeto on the bottom. Turned chamber 2 into a refugium using a LED grow light off of Amazon and let the chaeto start growing.


I have something close to 14 lbs of rock in this tank.


It sits on an Ikea drawer stand which I modified to fit my equipment.


Here's bubbles [i'd like to say my nonexistent kid made up this name, but nope... it was me

Bubbles doesn't look so happy now a days... This picture was when I first got Bubbles, now he's not as colorful, and is not bubbly... A name change may be in order...


I've replaced my original clowns with a pair of Ocelaris who immediately dove in to Bubbles. She didn't like all the attention at first, but now is happy as a clam. Speaking of clams... i've got a Squamosa who seems pretty darn happy!

Beautiful setup! I just set my evo 13.5 up a couple weeks ago. I got the in tank chamber 1 basket and nothing in chamber two. I have the sicce 1.0 and I put a random flow generator as the output nozzle but it’s pumping so much water that the water level in chamber 3 is almost to the top of the pump. Even with the pump almost all the way closed. Have you experienced this? I was thinking of going with the sicce .5. Any thoughts? Thanks!

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Yeah Michigan is fantastic In the summer and fall, but winter sucks! Thank you for your service!

And with this statement from 2018, I've moved!

My wife and I moved this tank to the 55 gallon when we moved from apartment to apartment. That didn't last long with the itch of moving to warmer weather.

We've since moved out of Michigan, and down to Tampa, FL where we enjoyed our first year with no tank.

I don't think that most people [especially those that would sign up for and use this forum] can stay away from this hobby for very long...

We've purchased another Fluval EVO 13, and have started it up with the help of some local shops [live rock from a running system, two clowns and a handful of corals].

I'll be starting a new tank thread [if this one wasn't named "Michigan evo" I may consider just revising and extending this one. I'll update and link soon! I'm sure no-one is still following this thread, but I wanted to update regardless.

 

[sfin52]

And with this statement from 2018, I've moved!

My wife and I moved this tank to the 55 gallon when we moved from apartment to apartment. That didn't last long with the itch of moving to warmer weather.

We've since moved out of Michigan, and down to Tampa, FL where we enjoyed our first year with no tank.

I don't think that most people [especially those that would sign up for and use this forum] can stay away from this hobby for very long...

We've purchased another Fluval EVO 13, and have started it up with the help of some local shops [live rock from a running system, two clowns and a handful of corals].

I'll be starting a new tank thread [if this one wasn't named "Michigan evo" I may consider just revising and extending this one. I'll update and link soon! I'm sure no-one is still following this thread, but I wanted to update regardless.

Just ask
#MODS any way to change the title?

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Just ask
#MODS any way to change the title?

I didn't think of that - good idea!

On the spot for a potential name change though

"FL-Fl-fl Fillory's Reef - Evo 13" is my first thought

 

[John Bolden]

Houston do we have enough light no, get a ai prime. Houston do we have enough light, no get another ai prime. "at this point you probably could like a 30 gallon with 2 ai primes". NOW do we have enough light, no add two more lights. btw this is sooooooooooooooooooooooooo over kill

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Houston do we have enough light no, get a ai prime. Houston do we have enough light, no get another ai prime. "at this point you probably could like a 30 gallon with 2 ai primes". NOW do we have enough light, no add two more lights. btw this is sooooooooooooooooooooooooo over kill

You missed the 150w MH upgrade... LOL

 

[John Bolden]

how are the fish not blinded

 

[Reef of Fillory]

They've got top of the line sunglasses... only the best

 

[redfishbluefish]

I didn't think of that - good idea!

On the spot for a potential name change though

"FL-Fl-fl Fillory's Reef - Evo 13" is my first thought

Title was changed to your request above.

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Title was changed to your request above.

Thanks redfish! I did find that I was able to change it from the front page!