Fluval Flex Owners - Experience, Mods, Advice

[Reef2317]

The IceCap Nano skimmer was awesome for me with this tank in the center chamber with the return and heater!

I run a redstarfish DCSQ 70 mini skimmer it does a remarkable job and fits in middle chamber at the back sideways.

Also i created lid lifters easily out of egg crate and rubber stoppers to allow airflow and reduced trapped heat. Cheap and effective

I made my own filtration modifications as i couldn't afford the intank baskets.

Upgraded my return pump and placed two RFG nozzles.

Upgraded my light and now use a red sea diy lid.

The par readings per light were on the side of the box if you google it you can find them.

 

[Reef2317]

I had the same issue. I bought an eheim 350 surface skimmer. The surface scum disappeared within a few hours.

If anyone needs advice on this its most likely to do with your fish food. Lower pellet feeding and feed frozen for a couple of days. Along with increasing surface agitation. That worked for me when i ran out of frozen and fed only spectra food i developed oil slick and this cleared it up.

 

[mrreo]

The IceCap Nano skimmer was awesome for me with this tank in the center chamber with the return and heater!

which model

 

[mrreo]

Yes, 14513 is the one you want. 14516 is the same but wont fit as it has extendable arms/legs.
You can buy 14513 right here from Fluval. The only issue is heat. Two of these lights at full blast would fry the stuff in my tank currently. To be honest 2 of the #14516 would be nice and then ditch the hood for heat (not ideal in your situation I saw) but at that point I would buy AI primes with a mesh top or something.

As far as par goes, without your own meter this chart is about as close as you will get to a starting point (based off of part #14516)

Current return pump is a eheim compacton 1000 I believe.. looking at a Sicce Syncra silent 1.5 just to up the gph a little bit.

anyone running the second fluval led ???

 

[jneu82]

I've been very curious as to how others got water to actually flow "thru" not just sit and soak. I assume you block off the bottom vents somehow like the fluval 13.5 mod with the plug. Since doing this mod to my 13.5 fluval it's a champ. I've since gone to a sicce 200 whale canister but have both intank baskets.

 

[jneu82]

I also found the vivosun return pump on Amazon does 660g 3x thr amount of thr sicce and is basically the same size fraction of the cost.

 

[ScubaFish802]

I've been very curious as to how others got water to actually flow "thru" not just sit and soak. I assume you block off the bottom vents somehow like the fluval 13.5 mod with the plug. Since doing this mod to my 13.5 fluval it's a champ. I've since gone to a sicce 200 whale canister but have both intank baskets.

You can either block off the lower entry vents (there are other threads on how to do manually or where to buy a kit) - or you can install a media basket like inTank makes that would force the water to enter through the top https://intankaquatics.com/intank-chamber-one-media-basket-for-fluval-evo-13-5-fluval-evo-52l/.

I also found the vivosun return pump on Amazon does 660g 3x thr amount of thr sicce and is basically the same size fraction of the cost.

A stronger return pump is not necessarily always a positive thing. However the one that comes with the stock tank is not anything fancy, so you could certainly replace it. One final thing I will add is that if you buy something cheap you usually buy it twice in this hobby

 

[jneu82]

You can either block off the lower entry vents (there are other threads on how to do manually or where to buy a kit) - or you can install a media basket like inTank makes that would force the water to enter through the top https://intankaquatics.com/intank-chamber-one-media-basket-for-fluval-evo-13-5-fluval-evo-52l/.

A stronger return pump is not necessarily always a positive thing. However the one that comes with the stock tank is not anything fancy, so you could certainly replace it. One final thing I will add is that if you buy something cheap you usually buy it twice in this hobby

Thanks for the help. I'd love to read up where guys have modified there tanks for flow. I have the intank baskets but they just sit and soak I need to block lower section to get flow only from top. Any link to a build thread would be great

 

[mrreo]

Hello Reefers,

Im a first time reefer but certainly not new to the aquarium lifestyle. I decided to start my journey with an AIO (all in one) Fluval Flex 32.5 Gallon. I have had so many questions about the best way to go about setting up this tank as there are many ways to modify and improve it. However, with the tank being an AIO there are some restrictions to what you can do.

For example if your like me and in a household with other pets or kids that make the “hood” of the tank a must for you than lighting may be troubling you a bit like it has for me.

So.... I wanted to create this thread for everyone using these tank kits to get some answers and advice on ways to improve their tanks! I would love to hear your experiences and what you have kept or changed about the tank with its stock hardware and equipment. Tell us about your modifications or ideas to overcome some restrictions and ways for improvement! Pictures are encouraged so please feel free to share!

All questions are good questions so ask away and hopefully a fellow Fluval Flex owner will be able to answer or brainstorm ideas.

I will personally be keeping an extra close eye on this thread as I am very excited to see and hear about all the possible ways to improve these setups! I’m on my second week and waiting for a few items in the mail but will soon post some pictures and a detailed message on my tank specs and mods.

Look forward to hearing from you all!
-cLoWDy

anyone add fans to the hood

 

[paragrouper]

anyone add fans to the hood

I’m thinking on it—although it will be part of a replacement hood I’m starting to build.

 

[K2739]

Hi all,

Anyone got some recommendations on light settings for the stock light? I've just started my first tank and any help would be appreciated.

 

[paragrouper]

I assume you have the single Fluval Marine 3.0 and you plan to keep soft corals and/or LPS.

I push my blues up high: >80%, violet: ~60%, Cyan: ~40%, red: <5%, whites to personal preference.

 

[K2739]

I assume you have the single Fluval Marine 3.0 and you plan to keep soft corals and/or LPS.

I push my blues up high: >80%, violet: ~60%, Cyan: ~40%, red: <5%, whites to personal preference.

Thanks for your response, yeah softies and lps is the plan going forwards. How many hours a day would you recommend? I've seen lots of variations some never have the light completely off where as others have it off for 6-8 hours.

 

[paragrouper]

Thanks for your response, yeah softies and lps is the plan going forwards. How many hours a day would you recommend? I've seen lots of variations some never have the light completely off where as others have it off for 6-8 hours.

That’s a true statement. I don’t know what it should be but I run mine for 8 hours with a slow ramp up 1.5 hours before and after.

 

[K2739]

Any flex owners using ai nero powerheads have any recommendations on what settings to use? I have a nero 5 and a nero 3 one on each side of the tank, currently I've got them set to random all day. The nero 3 is running at min 20% and max 50%, the nero 5 is running as a child with max 35%.

 

[mrreo]

anyone know the locline return nozzles size thats in the tank 32.5 flex tank

 

[jneu82]

anyone add fans to the hood

I did add 2 fans to mine and cut the back cut outs. Raised the tank lid about an inch and half. I also went with the 2nd fluval marine light to up the par. Any help with light settings would be super helpful. [email protected]

 

[K2739]

Thanks for the help. I'd love to read up where guys have modified there tanks for flow. I have the intank baskets but they just sit and soak I need to block lower section to get flow only from top. Any link to a build thread would be great

I bought some 3d printed covers for the bottom vents, think I got them from ebay but might have been etsy.

 

[mrreo]

I run a redstarfish DCSQ 70 mini skimmer it does a remarkable job and fits in middle chamber at the back sideways.

Also i created lid lifters easily out of egg crate and rubber stoppers to allow airflow and reduced trapped heat. Cheap and effective

I made my own filtration modifications as i couldn't afford the intank baskets.

Upgraded my return pump and placed two RFG nozzles.

Upgraded my light and now use a red sea diy lid.

The par readings per light were on the side of the box if you google it you can find them.

what return pump and what size RFG nozzles fit the 32.5

 

[paragrouper]

what return pump and what size RFG nozzles fit the 32.5

I used a SICCE 1.5 For my replacement return pump. I wish I knew the answer regarding RFG nozzle sizing.