Fluval Flex 32.5, help with my new setup

[Schmidt Aquatics]

Hey everyone,

After buying my first house and settling down, i’m finally getting back to reefing after a 7-year break.

I purchased the Fluval Flex 32.5G marine, and i’m doing my best to further my chances of success from the very start with proper research and planning.

The plan:
I’m planning on keeping primarily a softie/LPS tank, and maybe with the addition of a few “easy” SPS down the line.

So far i’ve seen people claim that the filtration system in this AIO is terrible. I therefore followed the advice, bought some improved media baskets, and i’m also considering purchasing 3D printed covers for the lower intakes, to force the water through the upper intakes instead. I’m hoping this will improve filtration significantly. I will run carbon, filter floss, bio media and Purigen as media

I’m planning on running the Marine 3.0 lightning on here, together with the Aquasky 3.0, and hopefully this should be enough for what i’m planning on keeping in this tank.

Furthermore, I bought a Vortech MP10 to ensure good flow in the tank. If dead spots occur, I might add another to mix it up a bit.

Worries so far:
I’m wondering if I will have to upgrade the flow pump, however, I believe the Fluval one is enough (unless its loud or annoying somehow).

Fluval flex quality - I’ve seen some reports of cracked flex’s here and there, so that worries me a ton. Although, i’m sure you can find horror stories on every aquarium line out there.

Heat issues - I live in Denmark, so most of the year is cold, wet or snowy. However, summers are starting to get very hot here, with heat waves and such, where I could see some problems with this setup. The flex lid creates some issues here in terms of preventing heat.

Surface agitation and gas exchange - as this is a lidded tank, I really hope I find a way to ensure proper gas exchange and surface agitation. I hope the nozzles could be pointed vertically to create some decent surface agitation.

Skimmer or no skimmer? I’m considering adding a Tunze 9001 DC Skimmer in the future. Is this a smart thing to do?

 

[blaxsun]

Upgrading the filtration will be the biggest single change you can make, so you're on the right path with all of those. You may want to consider ChemiPure Blue with filter floss and bio media instead.

The MP10 will be more than sufficient for your tank and you'll be very happy with it. If you want to upgrade the stock Fluval pump I'd probably look at a Sicce Silent (not sure which model you need offhand, but a quick search on R2R will probably indicate what others have done).

I've read the odd thing about the Fluval Flex as well - but my LFS has been selling them for years with no reported issues from owners (knock on wood). The lid prevents a lot of unnecessary evaporation. You may find that you're able to run it in the summer with minimal heating.

There are air slots in the lid so I wouldn't worry about gas exchange. The MP10 should provide enough additional flow to alleviate any concerns. Yes, if you plan to have a good number of fish I'd look at a skimmer upgrade. Either the Tunze or Fluval one designed for the Flex.