Return to the Reef - 32.5g Fluval Flex

[emkovar]

Equipment List - current (May 15, 2025):

Fluval 32.5g Flex - AIO removed, stock lid removed.
Eshopps Eclipse S External Overflow
Sump
Return Pump (Sicce 2.0/Sicce Syncra 3.0) Jecod DCP 2500 Sine tech
Nicrew 100W light x 2 + controller Reefcasa Manta x 2
Skimmer - IOAOI Reef80
Aftermarket Lid - https://a.co/d/3UXuBjL
Heater (Cobalt Neotherm 150W) Eheim 150w + Nicrew 300w + InkBird controller
Tunze Osmolator 3152 ATO
Wavemaker (Jebao SOW-3N Nano) Jebao SOW-4

Red Sea Coral Pro Salt Aquaforest Reef Salt

Macro Rock
Sand bed - Caribsea Fiji Pink

Inhabitants - Current (May 15, 2025)

Purple Fire Fish
Goby/Shrimp pair Bi-Color Blenny
Royal Gramma Basslet
Green Clown Goby Pygmy Croucher Yellow clown goby
Six Line Wrasse
Clown

Peppermint shrimp
Emerald Crab x 2
Hermit Crabs
2 Trochu snail
3 Narcissus Snail
2 bumblebee snail
1 strawberry conch
3 money cowrie snails

Green/Blue Mushroom Emerald Green Mushroom
Firework Clove polyp
Nauti spiral montipora
Maroon encrusting montipora
meteor shower cyphastrea
Rainbow ricordia
Green & Purple Blastomussa
Red & Green Blastomussa
King midas zoa
Utter chaos zoa
Magician zoa
Blow pop zoa
Pink zipper zoa
blue orgasam zoa
4 other no-name zoas
Pink tipped frogspawn
bronze hammer
gold hammer
splatter hammer
traditional hammer

---

This is going to be a sloooooow build due to a number of reasons - $$ and I want to take my time and really put some thought into this build.

Found a cheap 32G g Fluval Flex on FB marketplace and after doing some research on the weaknesses of the AIO filtration system decided to take a page from InstructorMoe's build (https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/fluval-flex-32-5-build-drilled.1087175/) and drill an external overflow in this tank.

Not a whole lot to show at this point - tank is empty, I've removed the plastic that was the separation between the display and the filter. The external overflow is ordered and on its way. I did buy some rock - I may start putting together some sort of scape.

I have contacted a local custom tank fabricator to talk about sump options so we'll see how that works out.

 

[Tahoe61]

Well dang that's some modification!
Seems like a lot of light for a softy tank?

Welcome to R2R. :)

 

[emkovar]

After trips to a couple LFSs I now have an RODI filter and some dry rock to begin scaping! (and some new pygmy corys and some new shrimp)

 

[emkovar]

Well dang that's some modification!
Seems like a lot of light for a softy tank?

Welcome to R2R. :)

Just in case I wanted to add Sps later? I wanted to make sure I had a good coverage in the corners. And with the length of the tank I thought 2 might be better.

 

[Tahoe61]

Just in case I wanted to add Sps later? I wanted to make sure I had a good coverage in the corners. And with the length of the tank I thought 2 might be better.

Me too. Just get the lighting to support sps, who am I kidding. :cool:

 

[emkovar]

Played with the scape a little last night:

 

[BancReefer]

Just in case I wanted to add Sps later? I wanted to make sure I had a good coverage in the corners. And with the length of the tank I thought 2 might be better.

I have one 100W of the gen2s in my 40 and it’s doing lps and softies fine at about 35%. For the price, the new Hypereefs are extremely competitive. The spread and the color is pretty decent. 2 units should give a nice spread and at 100W you can mount them high enough for zero shadows, if that’s you deal.

 

[emkovar]

I have one 100W of the gen2s in my 40 and it’s doing lps and softies fine at about 35%. For the price, the new Hypereefs are extremely competitive. The spread and the color is pretty decent. 2 units should give a nice spread and at 100W you can mount them high enough for zero shadows, if that’s you deal.

Good to know. Im in Canada so can't get the Gen 2s on amazon. Importing them makes them expensive. I'm still looking at options.

 

[emkovar]

Good to know. Im in Canada so can't get the Gen 2s on amazon. Importing them makes them expensive. I'm still looking at options.

I contacted Nicrew directly and they said we should be able to get the Gen 2s in Canada on amazon sometime in the first half of this year!

 

[emkovar]

Got a quote for my sump and officially ordered it. Should be ready at the end of the month. I had some constraints by the dimensions of my tank stand so the approximate dimensions will be 19"x16"x16", so should be a decent size for a sump.

 

[emkovar]

Overflow has been drilled (still have to drill the return). Sump is almost ready. I've ordered lights (reefcasa manta x 2) and sand. I've made some tweaks to the aquascape and made up some RODI water and bought salt (Red Sea Blue bucket). Things are coming together and should be getting water added soon!!

 

[InstructorMoe]

Huzzah!!

I'm still working on my rock scape also. Tomorrow will be the day. Ugh, it has to be because... (pssst, don't tell no one, but I'm at 10ppm nitrates)

 

[InstructorMoe]

OK, plan on getting a gate valve for the main drain from your overflow. I ordered one cheap from Aliexpress but it took two weeks.

The thing sounded like Niagara Falls when I fired it up for the first time!


We have a lot of the same gear! lol. have a look at my new posts from today. You'll laugh.

 

[emkovar]

OK, plan on getting a gate valve for the main drain from your overflow. I ordered one cheap from Aliexpress but it took two weeks.

The thing sounded like Niagara Falls when I fired it up for the first time!


We have a lot of the same gear! lol. have a look at my new posts from today. You'll laugh.

I bought a valve when I bought the overflow. After doing some research I thought it might be a good idea, glad I wasn't wrong!

We do have a lot of the same gear!! I like your idea of grabbing a couple spare pump when they go on sale, Ill have to keep my eyes out!


I called today and it looks like no sump til tomorrow.... So the tank probably won't be wet until this weekend.

 

[InstructorMoe]

I bought a valve when I bought the overflow. After doing some research I thought it might be a good idea, glad I wasn't wrong!

We do have a lot of the same gear!! I like your idea of grabbing a couple spare pump when they go on sale, Ill have to keep my eyes out!


I called today and it looks like no sump til tomorrow.... So the tank probably won't be wet until this weekend.

What will you be using for filtration? Sock? Baskets?

Will your sump have built in baffles?

 

[emkovar]

What will you be using for filtration? Sock? Baskets?

Will your sump have built in baffles?

Sump will have 2 socks, built in baffles and a small refugium.

 

[emkovar]

It’s been a rough couple of weeks here. Firstly, the sump took 2 weeks longer than quoted and was a hot mess. Structurally it is sound, just not at all what I ordered…. I picked it up after work and was in a rush because I got to the store shortly before they closed. I paid for it and the store owner carried it out to the car for me. When I got home and unloaded it, i realized how big it was…. Supposed to be 19”Lx 16”W x 16” tall to fit on the one side of my divided stand. Actually was 30”L x 14”W x 16” tall. :face-with-rolling-eyes:
It also isn’t set up the way that I asked - I asked for a silent overflow into its own chamber to be able to then overflow into 2 filter socks… etc.
This is what I got:

So then I had to decide to take it back and wait (another possible 4 weeks) to get what I originally asked for, or make some modifications to everything to make it work….. Clearly I kept it - modified my stand and moved the right most baffle I have another piece of glass that I still need to drill holes into to mount the filter socks in.

Made my first attempt at plumbing… had leaks, re-did the plumbing. Then the overflow was leaking around the bulkhead, fixed that.

Finally got things set up - pump in place, heater & ink bird set up….
Pump has consistency issues (it randomly surges), apparently a known issue with this pump. Heater doesn’t work - tank was at 61 degrees for over 24 hrs.

Im dealing with the noise from the overflow until i figure out what Im going to do about the return pump.

Bought a new heater and tank is finally up to temperature. Sand is in, salt water is in. Officially cycling now. At some point I’ll figure out the sock holder aspect of the sump. Until then I was just going to put a coarse filter sponge between the baffles and see if that’s enough mechanical filtration.

It has cleared up a bit, and I’ll start testing to monitor the cycle.

Good thing it might take a while, had an emergency with one of the dogs and she had surgery today and is still in hospital, so $$ is going to be tight for a bit.

 

[emkovar]

Despite lots of learning, I’m really regretting not just picking up IM 30 gal long AIO. But it’s all good, we’re finally up and running-ish.

 

[InstructorMoe]

It’s been a rough couple of weeks here. Firstly, the sump took 2 weeks longer than quoted and was a hot mess. Structurally it is sound, just not at all what I ordered…. I picked it up after work and was in a rush because I got to the store shortly before they closed. I paid for it and the store owner carried it out to the car for me. When I got home and unloaded it, i realized how big it was…. Supposed to be 19”Lx 16”W x 16” tall to fit on the one side of my divided stand. Actually was 30”L x 14”W x 16” tall. :face-with-rolling-eyes:
It also isn’t set up the way that I asked - I asked for a silent overflow into its own chamber to be able to then overflow into 2 filter socks… etc.
This is what I got:

So then I had to decide to take it back and wait (another possible 4 weeks) to get what I originally asked for, or make some modifications to everything to make it work….. Clearly I kept it - modified my stand and moved the right most baffle I have another piece of glass that I still need to drill holes into to mount the filter socks in.

Made my first attempt at plumbing… had leaks, re-did the plumbing. Then the overflow was leaking around the bulkhead, fixed that.

Finally got things set up - pump in place, heater & ink bird set up….
Pump has consistency issues (it randomly surges), apparently a known issue with this pump. Heater doesn’t work - tank was at 61 degrees for over 24 hrs.

Im dealing with the noise from the overflow until i figure out what Im going to do about the return pump.

Bought a new heater and tank is finally up to temperature. Sand is in, salt water is in. Officially cycling now. At some point I’ll figure out the sock holder aspect of the sump. Until then I was just going to put a coarse filter sponge between the baffles and see if that’s enough mechanical filtration.

It has cleared up a bit, and I’ll start testing to monitor the cycle.

Good thing it might take a while, had an emergency with one of the dogs and she had surgery today and is still in hospital, so $$ is going to be tight for a bit.

what the heck????

Those measurements aren't even close. This feels like they had another sump made for someone else and just sold it to you instead?????

Did you ask for some kind of discount?

I would not be happy. Sorry to hear you got a raw deal.

Do you mind if I ask what you paid for this ("screw up" not withstanding)?

 

[emkovar]

what the heck????

Those measurements aren't even close. This feels like they had another sump made for someone else and just sold it to you instead?????

Did you ask for some kind of discount?

I would not be happy. Sorry to hear you got a raw deal.

Do you mind if I ask what you paid for this ("screw up" not withstanding)?

I just left it, I'm a bit upset at myself but it is what it is. I also felt like as soon as I started making 'modifications' to it, that it wasn't fair to try to return it.
I can only hope in the long run I'll actually appreciate the extra room for adding equipment and increasing the water volume. Also the silicone was not completely set when I got it home.

It was $250.

The idea was it was less expensive then the acrylic pre-builts and I could get what I wanted while maximizing volume.