Fluval 13.3 Reef Tank Build

[FireHouseReef]

Anyone know what is causing this? Sand? Bubbles?

Nevermind. It was sand from my powerhead kicking up sand.

Also Tests show Nitrite and Nitrate spikes so cycle is started!

 

[Mike from TN]

Can’t view the video. Can you post a picture?

 

[FireHouseReef]

Can’t view the video. Can you post a picture?

I got it figured out. Was sand being kicked up by powerhead.

 

[FireHouseReef]

Update
Added 2 Clowns at the 2 week mark. I picked out two distinctly different looking fish to tell them apart. The light colored one appears to have some damage to his tail from other fish. Hopefully not the partner I picked... I did the first 25% water change on day 10 once I saw cycle finish. I also pulled the point of sale skimmer out. Plan to add another intank filter basket to chamber 1. Maybe a chaeto refugium down the road.

Last tests
Temp: 76
PH: 7.8
Salinity: 1.025
Alk: 80 ppm
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20

 

[Mike from TN]

Beautiful Clowns! Tank it looking great my friend!

 

[Mikedawg]

Update
Added 2 Clowns at the 2 week mark. I picked out two distinctly different looking fish to tell them apart. The light colored one appears to have some damage to his tail from other fish. Hopefully not the partner I picked... I did the first 25% water change on day 10 once I saw cycle finish. I also pulled the point of sale skimmer out. Plan to add another intank filter basket to chamber 1. Maybe a chaeto refugium down the road.

Last tests
Temp: 76
PH: 7.8
Salinity: 1.025
Alk: 80 ppm
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20

Clowns sometimes bite one another to establish dominance/pecking order as you know; I would keep a close eye on tail to make sure it is growing back, and the bigger one of the pair may be a female who has established her "leadership."

 

[FireHouseReef]

Update

Changed the rockwork again because I can't leave well enough alone. Added some CUC. 2 atria, 2 bumble bee, 2 conch snails. Also added a cleaner shrimp (my favorite), emerald crab, 3 hermits and lastly a royal gamma. He hides most the time but a treat when he comes out. First coral also went in. Appears to be a daisy polyp of some kind.

 

[Mikedawg]

Update

Changed the rockwork again because I can't leave well enough alone. Added some CUC. 2 atria, 2 bumble bee, 2 conch snails. Also added a cleaner shrimp (my favorite), emerald crab, 3 hermits and lastly a royal gamma. He hides most the time but a treat when he comes out. First coral also went in. Appears to be a daisy polyp of some kind.

Like your 'scape.

 

[FREAKINRICAN69]

Looks good chief. great job on the scape as well.

 

[alpha199]

Hey, fellow 13.5 owner. Looks good so far man keep up the updates!

 

[FireHouseReef]

Update:
Tank is coming along but had some setbacks as well.

The Good:
New Coral! A local reefer did a "Frag is Forward" donation to my tank. Torch, Splatter hammer, Forest Fire Bounce Mushroom, Green Shroom, Orange Palys, Green Zoas. Also my Daisy polps have been growing well. Dipped all my new corals with Coral RX. For equipment I added a random flow generator and I ordered a 250gpm pump upgrade. Changed from flake to pellet food and do frozen food every few days.

The Bad:
I think the clowns I got at petco (I know should of supported LFS) are diseased. The royal gamma and one clown died over the last week and I notice the remaining one has white spots all over it. Tank parameters are all perfect so not sure what's going on. The remaining clown was always picking at the one that died so it could be death at his hands. The gamma could of been takin out by the emerald crab since they share the same cave area.

 

[GoReefin]

Looks like marine velvet.

 

[FireHouseReef]

Looks like marine velvet.

I think your right. That last clown died later that day. Looks like I need to wait 6 weeks before adding new fish.

 

[Austin908]

Hey everyone this will be my second tank build. I had a 25 gal bio cube years ago when I was living in Hawaii. I'm excited to venture into more corals since I've moved. Hawaii had very strict regulations on corals you could keep. Follow along as I setup this tank and see if the second time around is twice as successful. I'd appreciate any advice or encouragement.

Equipment:
Fluval 13.5 AIO
Fluval Protein skimmer
InTank 2nd chamber filter basket to replace stock sponge
530 gpm powerhead
Digital thermometer
50w heater
20lb carib sea life rock
20lb carib sea live sand Bahamas Oolite
50GPD RODI Filter
Instant Ocean Salt
In Tank filter floss
Chemi pure elite
Bio-Spira start up
Ammonia test kit
6 in 1 test kit
Refractometer


Schedule:
Yesterday - mixed water and got salinity to 1.026
Today - adding sand, rock, water
2 weeks - Add two clown fish
4 week - Add first coral. Planning on green star polyp or zoas
6 week - Add Cleaner shrimp. So fun to have.

Future upgrades:
Stock return pump upgrade
DC powerhead with controller
ATO unless lid controls evaporation well

Removed honeycomb with a razer. Looks much better.

Stay tuned for sand and aqua scaping later today.

Awesome! My light corroded and went out last year so I sat a Finnex Planted+ light on the top hoping this will be okay for coral. Getting coral in a few weeks after getting the tank cycled.

 

[FireHouseReef]

Awesome! My light corroded and went out last year so I sat a Finnex Planted+ light on the top hoping this will be okay for coral. Getting coral in a few weeks after getting the tank cycled.

Good Luck. Got a tank picture?

 

[alpha199]

Hey man, I recently had a few hiccups in my tank. I'll post an update on my thread later tonight. Hang in there though there's always a solution and the silver lining to your story is you learned something new. I'd locate a small scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp and keep him in the tank for a bit before you add new fish. Now note that these shrimp are either aggressive with their desire to clean fish or will just not do it at all. I'd recommend picking one up from an LFS versus Petco (Though I did get mine at Petco, I rolled the dice and got lucky). This way you can ask them if it has the cleaning fish bug or not. Anyways I'm always available to help out if you have questions.

 

[camerb98]

looks amazing so far