TexAg's EVO 13.5

TexAgReefer

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
May 9, 2013
Messages
845
Reaction score
3,453
Location
Texas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello! I've been in the hobby for about 7 years. Started with a 75g, had a NUVO30 which I transferred to a 50g cube with sump. This will be my first build thread!

Equipment:
- Fluval EVO 13.5
- Stock pump
- Stock Lighting (will be upgraded later)
- Aqueon 50W Heater
- AI Prime HD (purchasing now, will install later after the cycle, when I add coral)
- AQAMAI KPS Wavemaker

Substrate:
- Caribsea Fiji Pink sand, 10lbs
- About 7 lbs of dry rock, main piece is a single shapes piece from LFS

Livestock (plans, none yet):
- Single Clownfish, planning to let my 5yr old daughter pick
- Exquisite Firefish
- Tailspot Blenny
- Harlequin Shrimp
- Assorted snails for CUC

Coral:
- Plan is to go LPS/Zoas. I have a mixed reef that was mostly LPS but my new obsession is SPS so I'm transitioning it to an SPS dominant tank. That is part of the inspiration for this tank, to move a lot of my ACANs over
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
TexAgReefer

TexAgReefer

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
May 9, 2013
Messages
845
Reaction score
3,453
Location
Texas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Let me just start off by saying that it is EXTREMELY difficult to take a picture of the 'scape/tank and have the picture truly show what I see with my eyes... It is a little better with the lights on so you can see depth and shadowing some.

For this small tank, I still wanted a minimalist 'scape staying in the lower half of the tank. I really wanted an overhang. There isn't a lot of rock so having some hiding places for the fish was needed.

Anyway, here is what I have:
IMG_4200.JPG
IMG_4202.JPG
IMG_4204.JPG
IMG_4205.JPG
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
TexAgReefer

TexAgReefer

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
May 9, 2013
Messages
845
Reaction score
3,453
Location
Texas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Added my first residents a couple days ago. A beautiful pair of Onyx Picasso Perculas. They are very small so I’m sure their patterns will change some.
C355DBD9-1C60-4476-8F6F-BA4F3BBCEA7B.jpeg

They’ve done great, eating from day one. Currently feeding TDO Chroma Boost and they seem to love it.
8440476C-8B51-48D4-A992-BE3A0329BD2C.jpeg

I did move a couple of small pieces of rock in that had been in the sump of my other tank for a few months to help with the cycle.

Added 1/2 bottle of Fritz Turbo Start 900 the 2 days before the fish and the other half just before I added the fish. Just to be in the safe(er) side, I have another bottle that I will add in additional over a few days.

Two days after they fish went in, ammonia at 0, Nitrite at 0.25.
D70381D1-5D7B-4356-BDA7-9283C62F29A4.jpeg
 
OP
OP
TexAgReefer

TexAgReefer

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
May 9, 2013
Messages
845
Reaction score
3,453
Location
Texas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
FTS now that the water has cleared up.

For the record, lights will remain off for a couple of months. I turn them on for pictures and brief moments to check things out, but I am in no hurry with this tank. I won’t add any coral until I see coralline start growing. It will be an LPS/zoa tank.

AE738E78-15B4-426B-B22E-6BE7B598937A.jpeg
 
OP
OP
TexAgReefer

TexAgReefer

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
May 9, 2013
Messages
845
Reaction score
3,453
Location
Texas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I think we are cycled!
D6AB28A8-9EB5-4D31-A031-2D82A61A0CD1.jpeg


On another note, one of my clowns didn’t make it. Other than a couple of bites that first day, it never would really eat and only got worse each day. It was already very thin to begin with. I hate to lose a fish.

I’m going to be looking for another small clown to add. I’d rather add it sooner than later in hopes of pairing them while still small. I have an acclimation box that I’ll uses for a few days to a week to observe aggression.
 
OP
OP
TexAgReefer

TexAgReefer

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
May 9, 2013
Messages
845
Reaction score
3,453
Location
Texas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
3 week (almost) update:

Bought an InTank media basket for chamber 1. I’m running filter floss in the first chamber. My plan is to run chemipure blue in the second and nothing in the third, at lease for now.

I really like the basket. One wall slides out for cleaning and access to the lower 2 levels. It comes with a flow director (the black thing) to focus the overflow water into and through the basket, not around the outer edges.
585A8F18-D2AC-4E73-947C-5B4313E63003.jpeg
CDBE64B7-7396-4077-A14D-EA15E1559F20.jpeg


Took out the foam insert from the second chamber and added 2 containers of the Marine pure gems. Probably need another 2 containers. I definitely recommend you rinse them. There was a lot of dusty fines.
4EBA0619-10FA-4206-8B6B-83FC7CAFF4EA.jpeg
4543D5DA-97C2-4849-89D3-E798D7669787.jpeg
5EA39E11-E034-44FA-9454-6685F366BF10.jpeg


Performed my first water change. Also started my first dose of Microbacter7. It says to dose daily for the first two weeks to seed. Now that I have the gems in there, I figure it’s a good time to start.

0C80BFE3-9F49-49AB-B51D-54350D591842.jpeg


Ugh, no idea why all of my pictures are coming out sideways. Sorry!

Still another 5-7 weeks until I turn the lights on. There’s plenty of coraline in the tank from old seed rock and the two trochus snails I added so seeing coraline growth should be a solid indicator of when I’m ready for corals.
 
OP
OP
TexAgReefer

TexAgReefer

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
May 9, 2013
Messages
845
Reaction score
3,453
Location
Texas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Not a big update as the tank is only 2 months old. Still haven’t turned the lights on yet other than an hour or so each night around feeding time.

Starting to see a diatom bloom. It’s taken a while but I assume the lights being out to this point have a lot to do with that.
856DB23B-CE31-429B-8CEA-E393D7CD102B.jpeg

Added Chemipure Blue today along with starting weekly water changes. Currently
Doing 5 gallon because it’s easier but that may be more than necessary for this size tank.
BDC4A8AE-963C-484E-981D-19449C2FBD18.jpeg

Also started dosing Vibrant. Dosage is 1mL per 10 gal every 2 weeks. That’s obviously not much or very often. Hopefully, paired with my other weekly maintenance, it will minimize the ugly phase.
EBAB2DF9-263E-4225-BA2A-E4ABC845C72E.jpeg


I am trying to get an AI Prime for the tank. Once I get one and it’s installed I will turn on the lights and add a couple of frags from my other system.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 68 37.6%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 60 33.1%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 13.8%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 15.5%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
Back
Top