Fluval Flex 32.5 Build - Drilled!

[InstructorMoe]

Okay. So.....

When I filled the tank initially, there wasn't as much weight on the side aluminium strut. Essentially that meant that a lot of the weight was sitting on the 4 corners - I wasn't happy with that.

So I ordered 2 more Fluval leveling matts. They were like 20 bucks on amazon or something. NBD.

So what I ended up doing was I cut two strips off the old mat, one for each side. Those strips of matt sit between the HDPE side shims and the aluminum frame.

Then I took one of the new matts and placed it on top of the aluminum frame to sit between said frame and the mdf base.

My thinking is that this helps to make up for slight variations in the contact patch between all the different layers.

Finally I took the other new matt and placed it on top of the mdf as Fluval intends for the tank to sit directly on a matt.

So it goes:

Tank
Matt
MDF
Matt
Alum Frame
Matt
HDPE SHIM
Desk

I didn't place matt between the hdpe and the desk surface because I like the way I can actually shift the tank - it glides easily enough with a bit of force (if I empty some water out of the tank).

Am I happy now?

I'll never tell.

 

[InstructorMoe]

So lets talk about heating because this setup in my basement and it can get a little cool down here sometimes.

Im going off the advice of having two heaters, not one, and replace them every year, if they've failed or not.

Supposedly, like return pumps, it's not a question of IF they will fail, but WHEN. So treat them like a disposable item.

Sure, ok. In my career (telecom/IT) we do take this approach with certain types of equipment so this is a philosophy I can get behind. I'll buy two or three every black Friday - and when I pull the old ones out of the tank, I'll just sell them on marketplace or something.

Now.... both heaters will be living in my sump.

To control the heaters I picked up the inkbird heater controller with dual temp sensors. The neat thing about this is that the controller alerts me when the tank temps are below my minimum safety temp. So I get a notification on my phone, whether I'm home or not (This is basically so it's guaranteed to ruin whatever it is I'm doing outside the house at the time the heaters stop working LOL) . Very cool. Yes it does work.

Pics below of the controller, and the two temp sensors. One in my sump and one in my tank.

 

[InstructorMoe]

I picked up a used tunze 3155 ATO for cheap, on facebook marketplace.

The air is super dry in the winter here and I'm already getting a ton of evaporation.

I have the top off dump water into the display tank, but I might have it dump into the sump instead so I don't have to look at the top off hose going up the back of the tank.

 

[InstructorMoe]

Here's the sump so far....

It's a work in progress. It's also pretty cramped. You'll notice one thing is missing so far - any kind of mechanical filtration.

I somehow still have to fit a skimmer, some kind of filter media and a macro-algae. ugh. good luck with that.

Breath. It's gonna be alright.

 

[InstructorMoe]

The overflow sounded like a waterfall so we had to quiet it down a bit.

I ordered the pvc gate valve (big red handle) and fittings from aliexpress. wow. so much cheaper!

It did take two weeks, but the tank is now nearly silent.

I keep the water level in the eclipse over-flow at a height that some might consider anxiety inducing. Me too. Me too. The trade off here is that it's super quiet now. And so long as I don't ever look at the water level in the overflow box again, it wont give me any anxiety!

See how that works?

 

[InstructorMoe]

And here is where we are at so far......

And btw...... we are cycling now. Last test I did showed around 10ppm nitrate if the API tests are to be believed.

 

[InstructorMoe]

Oh, and the guy who sold me the tunze ato, sold me 4 heads of hammer coral and a huge patch of gsp. Here it all is in my quarantine tank:

 

[emkovar]

The overflow sounded like a waterfall so we had to quiet it down a bit.

I ordered the pvc gate valve (big red handle) and fittings from aliexpress. wow. so much cheaper!

It did take two weeks, but the tank is now nearly silent.

I keep the water level in the eclipse over-flow at a height that some might consider anxiety inducing. Me too. Me too. The trade off here is that it's super quiet now. And so long as I don't ever look at the water level in the overflow box again, it wont give me any anxiety!

See how that works?

Yeah that water level is definitely anxiety inducing!!

 

[emkovar]

Have you looked into what you're going to use for lighting yet? Are you going to try to keep the stock lid?

 

[NickMontes]

looks great! I’m thinking about doing the same, just curious why place the overflow on the side instead of the middle?

 

[InstructorMoe]

Have you looked into what you're going to use for lighting yet? Are you going to try to keep the stock lid?

I'm going with stock lid for now. I picked up a marine 3.0 for cheap.

So that's what's in it.

I might get a second one. Or add an ai blade to it.

Idk..... That a problem for tomorrows Instructor. Lol

 

[InstructorMoe]

looks great! I’m thinking about doing the same, just curious why place the overflow on the side instead of the middle?

It's a great question.

I don't have a great answer.

But my thinking was if it was ever on a stand with a sump directly below, it'd be easier to bring the drains straight down to the far left side of a sump.

Right now, the drains actually line up fairly well with the right side of the sump.

 

[NickMontes]

It's a great question.

I don't have a great answer.

But my thinking was if it was ever on a stand with a sump directly below, it'd be easier to bring the drains straight down to the far left side of a sump.

Right now, the drains actually line up fairly well with the right side of the sump.

That makes sense, I never though about that lol thanks

 

[Wraven]

wow youve been putting in work! it looks great!! I love the couple's battlestation you've got set up too. For my 32.5, I've got the stock fluval 3.0 LED paired with an AI blade coral grow light. You have to do some altering on the lid but it's do-able.

 

[InstructorMoe]

OK

I've been doing a bit more work on the sump.

I have re-done a lot of the plumbing. Added some 90's. Added a filter sock. Moved my ATO to the sump.

Still on the to-do list is baffles, add back my second heater, a skimmer, macro algae, and maybe some miracle mud on the bottom.

I'm trying my best to keep the original Fluval Evo lid on the sump tank as I was planning on using the original light that came with that. This may not be a good idea though. It would likely promote algae growth all over the sump - where one of those tiny submersible refugium lights can help to mitigate that by having very targeted light. I don't know. I'm not there yet.

Anyways, the tank is now dead silent. I find myself checking the overflow just to see if there is still water in it.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

AFTER:

 

[InstructorMoe]

OK

New sump revision. It's not done yet and will continue to evolve.

It occurred to me only after I plumbed in all the 90's for the returns that having everything leave on the same side was going to make it really tough to put baffles in. So I have decided to have the returns leave on the left like a normal/sane human being so it will be easier to build baffles in the near future. Unfortunately I had done a great job of hacking up all the return lines sufficiently enough that they wouldn't be long enough reach the left side of the tank. So I went over to the hardware store and got 12 feet of 5/8 ID clear vinyl hose and Im kind of glad I did because the previous stuff was all cloudy from the chlorine soak I gave all a bunch of my old live rock.

This is where we are at now:

 

[InstructorMoe]

Also I decided that in order to keep the cycle running we needed a constant source of amonia...

Spoiler: Surprise!

We have a larger Gladiator Clown (Black and White and probably female?) and a smaller Orange Storm Clown

 

[skiracer8148]

Thank you so much for this! I have a flex 32.5 as well I been using as a quarantine but would love to drill it

 

[InstructorMoe]

I'm back.

Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.

 

[InstructorMoe]

So, ya it's been a while.

Life has just been insane, and my health hasn't been the best this year. The tank project stalled and languished unfortunately. I had major surgery in November - double-jaw surgery, otherwise known as Maxillomandibular Advancement. And if you think that sounds like fun, let me assure you it's not! This surgery is to correct life-long breathing issues and sleep apnea. Spoiler, my breathing issues are fixed! Im currently off work and recovering, surgery was at beggining of November. Ive had some time to put towards the tank and it's really needed it. So enough about me, what's going on with my tank?