Sun.singh2009
Community Member
The Fluval Evo 13.5 is my first reef tank and i’m really impressed with it so far. I decided I’m going to go with a little build progression/guide for people who might be Interested in this aquarium. I’ve done a few upgrades to the stock tank and I’ll go through them one by one down below. I also understand that not everybody has a ton of money to spend, so I will also list cheaper alternatives.
In-tank Chamber 1 media Basket:
This upgrade is for the first chamber in the rear sump. In my opinion this is a must for this tank. The included media is probably not sufficient for more than a few fish and animals. With this basket you can customize your media and better suit your reefing needs. Aquariums are constantly evolving and this basket will address that. In my own basket I run Floss in the top chamber, chemi-pure blue in the middle, and have a mini fuge in the bottom chamber.
Ehiem CompactOn 1000:
The return pump on the Evo is rated at only 132 GPH and that is the flow rate in a empty aquarium. A full aquarium with sand, live rock, and corals will reduce that flow to under 100 gph. That is why I decided to upgrade my pump next, now it is important to note that the CompactOn 1000 comes in 2 different models. The model above is the one that will fit into the Evo chamber 3 easily. Make sure you get this one and not the newer model that has a large mounting plate. The newer model will fit but it will be tight. I prefer the smaller size and shape of the older model. This pump is rated at a max flow of 264 GPH and is adjustable. I keep mine maxed out for my corals but this will depend on your personal reef tank.
VCA random flow generator 1/4 inch lox-line x 2:
These nozzles attach to your factory duel nozzle. Simply remove the older nozzles and replace with these. I bought two of them to make sure my tank received the best possible flow. This is a upgrade that isn’t 100% necessary. I’m not sure how much of a difference these nozzles have really made in my aquarium.
IM ChaetoMAX refugium light:
This fuge light fits perfectly on the back chamber 1 of the sump. I turn it on at night, alternating with my main light during the day. This keeps your PH up and your nitrates and phosphates low. Of course this light is only necessary if you want to run a fuge in this tank. If not then I recommend filling the bottom chamber with filter media.
Seachem Matrix bio media:
This is favorite bio media of all time. I’ve used it for over 10 years in my freshwater tanks and it has been great to me in my reef tank as well. This media has a very high surface area and may even help with Denitrifying bacteria populations. I have filled my whole chamber 2 with a bag of this media.
Fluval CP1 circulation pump:
This circulation pump is pretty cheap and seems to be reliable. I may be updating this one to a wave maker in the coming months. However, I think this pump is good enough for most LPS and soft coral tanks.
In-tank Chamber 1 media Basket:
This upgrade is for the first chamber in the rear sump. In my opinion this is a must for this tank. The included media is probably not sufficient for more than a few fish and animals. With this basket you can customize your media and better suit your reefing needs. Aquariums are constantly evolving and this basket will address that. In my own basket I run Floss in the top chamber, chemi-pure blue in the middle, and have a mini fuge in the bottom chamber.
Ehiem CompactOn 1000:
The return pump on the Evo is rated at only 132 GPH and that is the flow rate in a empty aquarium. A full aquarium with sand, live rock, and corals will reduce that flow to under 100 gph. That is why I decided to upgrade my pump next, now it is important to note that the CompactOn 1000 comes in 2 different models. The model above is the one that will fit into the Evo chamber 3 easily. Make sure you get this one and not the newer model that has a large mounting plate. The newer model will fit but it will be tight. I prefer the smaller size and shape of the older model. This pump is rated at a max flow of 264 GPH and is adjustable. I keep mine maxed out for my corals but this will depend on your personal reef tank.
VCA random flow generator 1/4 inch lox-line x 2:
These nozzles attach to your factory duel nozzle. Simply remove the older nozzles and replace with these. I bought two of them to make sure my tank received the best possible flow. This is a upgrade that isn’t 100% necessary. I’m not sure how much of a difference these nozzles have really made in my aquarium.
IM ChaetoMAX refugium light:
This fuge light fits perfectly on the back chamber 1 of the sump. I turn it on at night, alternating with my main light during the day. This keeps your PH up and your nitrates and phosphates low. Of course this light is only necessary if you want to run a fuge in this tank. If not then I recommend filling the bottom chamber with filter media.
Seachem Matrix bio media:
This is favorite bio media of all time. I’ve used it for over 10 years in my freshwater tanks and it has been great to me in my reef tank as well. This media has a very high surface area and may even help with Denitrifying bacteria populations. I have filled my whole chamber 2 with a bag of this media.
Fluval CP1 circulation pump:
This circulation pump is pretty cheap and seems to be reliable. I may be updating this one to a wave maker in the coming months. However, I think this pump is good enough for most LPS and soft coral tanks.
Last edited:
