MM’s Evo 13.5gal Build

[MalenfoiReefs]

Ok so I’m finally starting a build thread to document my progress. First things first, I’m considering myself an entire newbie lol. If anyone has pointers, or finds anything incorrect, please by the Gods correct me or speak up. I want this new tank to be successful but I am also a little overwhelmed by all of the information out there on the web/youtube/LFS etc. I wanted to get back in the hobby and decided to say F it and just START. I realize that there’s going to be failures but that’s just life and I need to get over ADHD perfectionism lol.

Primarily I just want a couple of clowns (black ice or caramel morph), a scarlet skunk shrimp, blenny or goby and softies like hammerhead, frogspawn, GSP and mushrooms. Also thinking about a chalice, some candy canes and a rock flower anemone

I’m starting with:
Evo 13.5 gallon kit (standard media filter, pump & light)
Preset 78F 100w heater (my house stays between 68-73F)
Sicce Voyager nano 1000 power head
2 Life Rock pieces
Carib Sea live sand special grade

I set up the tank on 12/3/23 and dosed with Dr Tim’s One and Only on 12/4.

12/7/23 had a really (no really) stupid moment where I didn’t realize my digital hydrometer was reading ppt and freaked out thinking my LFS water was too salty so did a 2gal water change with fresh water. THEN realized my mistake when the next day my tank was at 22ppt.

12/08/23 - did 2gal water change with remaining saltwater from LFS. Reading 23ppt. I’m thinking I’ll just have to do a bigger water change now to correct salinity? Thoughts? Also, do I need to re-dose Dr Tim’s? Ugh I’m so mad at myself.

12/09/23 - ammonia levels read .02 from my RedSea test kit

 

[CasperOe]

Looks like you're off to a good start, thanks for bringing us along! Remember; at this stage, patience is your friend!

If you can, add as many copepods as you can justify and keep the light off for the first few months! You will benefit greatly from it..

 

[MalenfoiReefs]

Looks like you're off to a good start, thanks for bringing us along! Remember; at this stage, patience is your friend!

If you can, add as many copepods as you can justify and keep the light off for the first few months! You will benefit greatly from it..

Thank you! I didn’t know if I could go ahead and add pods yet or not but will definitely scope out some maybe with algae barn.

 

[CasperOe]

Thank you! I didn’t know if I could go ahead and add pods yet or not but will definitely scope out some maybe with algae barn.

Once your tank is cycled, add the pods!

 

[Narideth]

Do you still have more of the Dr. Tim's? If so, another dose won't hurt but if not, your tank was already set up with the bottled bacteria assistance for several days, and the bacteria primarily settles into the rock, sand and filter areas.

A water change shouldn't have effected that too much several days after you put it in, because the bacteria should already be colonizing the surface areas. That being said, you'll want to get that salinity back up before you add anything else. Since there's nothing really 'living' in the tank yet, you could mix a small batch of higher salinity water and add it slowly in until it reaches the right ppt.

 

[MalenfoiReefs]

Do you still have more of the Dr. Tim's? If so, another dose won't hurt but if not, your tank was already set up with the bottled bacteria assistance for several days, and the bacteria primarily settles into the rock, sand and filter areas.

A water change shouldn't have effected that too much several days after you put it in, because the bacteria should already be colonizing the surface areas. That being said, you'll want to get that salinity back up before you add anything else. Since there's nothing really 'living' in the tank yet, you could mix a small batch of higher salinity water and add it slowly in until it reaches the right ppt.

I’ve been getting water from my LFS as I don’t have an RODI filter system yet. Not sure if I could mix with some distilled water instead? Only other thing I could think to do would be a much bigger water change with the my LFS water. I don’t have any of the Dr Tim’s left lol I dumped the entire 4oz in. Really felt like a mad scientist moment

 

[Narideth]

You can mix additional salt with the water from your LFS, or with water from another filtered source - like the distilled bottle. You don't need much in an evo to raise or lower salinity, I actually have this tank too it's a great tank.

I'm also assuming that you have a bag of something like instant ocean salt mix?

 

[MalenfoiReefs]

You can mix additional salt with the water from your LFS, or with water from another filtered source - like the distilled bottle. You don't need much in an evo to raise or lower salinity, I actually have this tank too it's a great tank.

I'm also assuming that you have a bag of something like instant ocean salt mix?

lol derp yeah that would make sense just to you know add more smh. I don’t have any salt mix yet, but will definitely pick some up while I’m out today.

 

[MalenfoiReefs]

Update - got the API saltwater and reef master kits (PetSmart doing a BOGO 50% off, but either buy on app for cheaper prices or have them price match in store)
PH - 7.8
Ammonia - 0
Nitrites - 0
Nitrates - somewhere between 0 - 5ppm

I know I need to get my PH up but I feel like the nitrates test is a bit of a big gap. I don’t feel confident that it was pale enough to be 0 but I do know it wasn’t dark enough to be 5ppm. Do I need to get a more accurate test?

I’m looking to order a pair of ORA captive bred extreme misbar clowns from saltwateracquarium.com in the next week. Also eyeing a toadstool leather lol. Thoughts?

 

[MalenfoiReefs]

Oh and some 5280 copepodes & oceanmagik from algae barn

 

[MalenfoiReefs]

Ok so regarding ph, I started reading this thread
Thread 'PH'
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ph.1023333/ and I’m not certain if I even need to worry about ph? Still trying to learn, and I’ll be honest the chemistry aspect of this is over my head a bit especially this early in the morning, but seems interesting. Parameters that I’ve seen for reef seems to be 8.1-8.4 but again, unsure how exact this should be or if it’s just suggested?

 

[kevgib67]

Good start and remember there was a learning curve for all of us when we started.

 

[souciemm]

First make sure your salinity is corrected and that you can maintain it (this might help your ph a little too if that freshwater dilution lowered your ph). Then make sure your tank is cycled. Adding the Dr. Tims was a good start but it may not have cycled if you've not been adding organic matter for the bacteria to eat. Here is a link on how to do a fishless cycle with Dr. Tim's and ammonia.
Fishless cycle

I wouldnt worry about your ph right now. 7.8 is good enough to get started.

Hope this helped.

 

[reeferpercaso]

I have started my Evo just 4 days after you but I'm doing a no fish, no bottled bacteria cycle (using live sand, live rock rubble and soft corals for seeding the bacteria).
It will interesting to see how our tanks evolve diffently

 

[LimpElephant]

Way cool, I just pulled mine out of storage on Halloween and got it going. I messed up big time with mine, i didnt rinse my sand (not live) and I've been fighting cloudy water since.
@MalenfoiReefs and @reeferpercaso I'll be interested to see how we all are in early spring 2024.

 

[MalenfoiReefs]

I need to do an update on everything as fish and some softies have made their way in already and some unexpected things have happened but it’ll have to wait until this weekend when I have some more free time lol.

 

[dbrown2120]

I need to do an update on everything as fish and some softies have made their way in already and some unexpected things have happened but it’ll have to wait until this weekend when I have some more free time lol.

I started my eco a few weeks ago, do you have an update?