PHOTO UPDATE 7/15/19 - Chawalt's Fluval Evo Build Thread (Evo 13.5)

[chawalte-qcvux5]

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Chawalt's Fluval Evo Build Thread (Evo 13.5 Display & Evo 5 Frag Tank)

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Current FTS: UPDATED (6/15/2019)

Fluval Evo 13.5 Equipment and/or Upgrades:
- Stock Fluval Evo Lid
- Stock Fluval Evo LED
-"GloFish" Blue LED Accent Strips (x2)
- Current USA Single Ramp Timer
- inTank Chamber 1 Media Basket (Floss, Chemi Pure Elite, Purigen, Phosguard)
- Cobalt Neotherm 50watt Heater (80 Deg. F.)
- Cobalt MJ1200 Return Pump (295 gph)
- Jebao SW-2 Wave Maker (660 gph)
- 10 lbs (+/-) CaribSea Life Rock
- 8 lbs (+/-) CaribSea Arag Alive Special Grade Reef Sand
- Salinity 1.026 SG
-APC Back-UPS 1375 VA Uninterruptible Power Supply
- Ammonia 0 ppm
- Nitrite 0 ppm
- Nitrate 10 ppm +\-

Fluval Evo 13.5 Fish & Invert Stocking:
- False Percula (Ocellaris) Clownfish
- Yellow Tail Damsel
- Emerald Crab
- Various hermits, snails, etc.

Fluval Evo 13.5 Coral Stocking:
- Multiple Zoanthid / Palythoa
- 2 Blue Discosoma Mushroom
- 2 Red Discosoma Mushroom
- 3 Green Rhodactis Mushroom
- 1 Kenya Tree
- 1 Yellow Birdsnest



Fluval Evo 13.5 General Set-Up Information:
Tank was started May 1, 2019 using the above equipment. inTank Media Basket in Chamber 1 holds Filter Floss, ChemiPure Elite, Purigen and Phosguard. Filter Floss is changed daily to every two days. Chemical Filtration Media is changed every month to two months depending on nutrient levels. Cobalt Neotherm is in Chamber 2 and set to 80 Deg. F. to keep summer time temperature swings to a minimum. Return pump is in Chamber 3 and is a Cobalt MJ1200 running at 295 gph. The display area houses a Jebao SW-2 Wave Maker using the W1 setting at 75%. Around a 20% water change is performed every week to two weeks, depending on Nitrate levels. The stock Fluval LED ramps up via the Current USA Single Ramp Timer at 12:00pm EST noon and down at 9:00 pm EST using a 15 minute ramp time. Inhabitants are fed lightly, on daily to every other day intervals, which can include; New Life Spectrum Marine Pellets, SeaChem NutriDiet Marine Flakes, Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef Flakes, Omega One Mysis, Tetra Freeze Dried Blood Worms and Tetra Freeze Dried Shrimp depening on the day.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Sounds like a plan. Welcome to R2R!

 

[Lloyd Williams]

Interested to see where you go. Planning my evo 13.5 also!

 

[chawalte-qcvux5]

Updated the first post with photos as promised. Not much to show right now. Can't wait to get the little pico frag tank going.

I updated the circulation pump I am using in the tank. Its a Jebao SW-2 I just received in the mail today. Great little pump and the controller is decent.



While we wait for growth to start here are some of the frags I have added. If you can identify the morph of zoanthids let me know.

Blue Mushroom recovering from the recent split.

Red Mushroom still ticked off that I split him in half. Whoops.

More zoanthids.

And finally... the stars of the show. These two are inseparable in the tank...

Not too shabby for a iPhone... and the Stock Fluval Evo LED.


Oh and the "pee cup" in the display is holding some shroom and Kenya Tree frags. VERY small frags. Trying to get the little buggers to attach.

 

[chawalte-qcvux5]

So as I was looking for setup pictures of when the Evo was first started, I came across some of my old Spec V from back in 2015.

What I wouldn't give to have been able to keep that tank set up. I can only imagine the growth and maturity of that tank after 4 years.

Enjoy.





And a Peto ARC 6.5 from back in the day...




I'm a bit of a Pico/Nano guru.

 

[chawalte-qcvux5]

So, late night update.

Like much of the east coast the never ending rain has lead to power outages and issues. Tank went for 4 hours without power overnight on Monday due to weather. My fix - 1375 VA APC Uninterruptible Power Supply system, picked up at Sams Club for $150.00. Tested it today and it gives me around 4-6 hours of extra power depending on the room temp and if the 50 watt heater has to turn on or not. Very cool. I expected 1-2 hours....

Also happened to find some "GloFish" blue led strips at the local Wal-Mart. Picked up two of them and superglued them to the lid on the Fluval 13.5. Adds just enough blue to cut through the white and the corals will actually glow under it. Works well for a after hours moonlight and a early morning light, as I don't have these on timers so can turn on and off at my pleasure. Usually only use one at night which is a very soft blue glow until I head to bed. Really surprised by these.

Picked up a big coral haul Monday as well, I'll post some pictures up soon.

Stay safe and Dry to all my East Coastians.

 

[blackley]

Hi all has any one had any issues with the LED randomly cycling through white blue then off ?

 

[chawalte-qcvux5]

Hi all has any one had any issues with the LED randomly cycling through white blue then off ?

No I've never had an issue with that. Sounds like the touch switch either has water or something making it switch or it is faulty. Does it happen at any certain times or during any certain maintenance?



I'm waiting on the lights to come on today and will take some updated pictures. Evo 5 frag tank I originally was going to set up has been put to the wayside for now. I'm getting a little growth on zoos and mushrooms. Kenya tree has added a couple cm as well.

 

[chawalte-qcvux5]