Tys Fluval EVO 13.5 build.

tydeck

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Time to upgrade the EVO V.

Picked up the new tank yesterday. Set it up with fresh water for a leak test. Let it run for the afternoon and night. As expected it not leaking and works perfect.

3C779019-FF75-4011-BAC3-1BED54A785A4.jpeg My EVO 5 has been running for around 6 months now. Looks amazing. BA1703E8-9B08-4DEB-8D7B-CF274AA71A89.jpeg Now I want to go bigger The plan is to move everything over to the 13.5, only want one tank.

That’s it for now.
 

NowGlazeIT

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Time to upgrade the EVO V.

Picked up the new tank yesterday. Set it up with fresh water for a leak test. Let it run for the afternoon and night. As expected it not leaking and works perfect.

3C779019-FF75-4011-BAC3-1BED54A785A4.jpeg My EVO 5 has been running for around 6 months now. Looks amazing. BA1703E8-9B08-4DEB-8D7B-CF274AA71A89.jpeg Now I want to go bigger The plan is to move everything over to the 13.5, only want one tank.

That’s it for now.
I think an upgrade is in your near future! Well done
 
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tydeck

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Caribsea sand and salt water from my local shop. It’s up and running. Playing with some base rock I picked up.

Also ordered the InTank chamber 1 basket. Should be here in a couple of days

I used window tint on the rear glass. I hate seeing thru the tank and seeing a wall and cord.

more to come

202D2D0B-07A1-49DB-A55E-8247B73C7B93.jpeg
 
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tydeck

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Last post for the day.

I think I like this layout. Still too cloudy to tell. Gonna cull some coral from the other tank but I can’t break it down. It looks so good. Pretty sure I caught the bug.

Besides my 6 line is brutal with any other fish. I want a clown fish in the new tank
8A028169-5671-4148-9ADA-4588EC91A0DF.jpeg
a couple of small pieces will come over probably next week. I’ve put a piece of the filter floss from the small tank in the new one. Hope to keep the cycle short. That’s the hope.

good night everyone.
 
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tydeck

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Good morning. I love vacation.
Water cleared up nicely over night. Just a minor haze and that’s probably some dust left on the glass
Hmmm. What to do today?
image.jpg
Im really trying to talk myself out of the Sicca 1 pump, but the stick pump is kind of anemic. Would love to almost double the flow. Thoughts of instead of using a wave maker go with the larger pump and VCA random flow nozzles. In my EVO V I’m running an upgraded pump and a 1600gph hyger wave maker.

I’m gonna grab a piece of light diffuser and attempt to cut out a lid. I really prefer open tops. If it looks bad I’ll go with the Kraken lid option. Just want get it up and running before I order a lid with custom cutouts. I have the light that I’m gonna use. Amazon sent me 2 of them by accident. They said to keep it. God I love Amazon. I have 2 cats so the stock lid works for me now.

Goal is to move my first pieces on Saturday. A small rock with some Xenia on it. Hard to kill. Have plenty in the V. A small leather is the other one both are on pieces of large rubble
 
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jfoahs04

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Nice looking tank!

Lots of people use an upgraded pump with random flow generators. I went the opposite direction and run the stock pump and a Nero 3 which peaks at about 1250gph (so nearly 10x the flow of the stock pump). It ultimately depends on what you want to keep for coral and what your aesthetic preferences are.

Im interested to see what you do with your lid. I went with the Kraken myself (I’m not good with DIY) and don’t regret it.
 
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tydeck

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Nice looking tank!

Lots of people use an upgraded pump with random flow generators. I went the opposite direction and run the stock pump and a Nero 3 which peaks at about 1250gph (so nearly 10x the flow of the stock pump). It ultimately depends on what you want to keep for coral and what your aesthetic preferences are.

Im interested to see what you do with your lid. I went with the Kraken myself (I’m not good with DIY) and don’t regret it.
Thanks. Love this hobby.

In my V it’s really probably too much water movement. Corals seem to be fine with it though. I’m sure I’ll end up with both.
This hobby can eat money. Lol.

The lid is my biggest concern. If the diy works out great. But how strong will it be. Can it support a cats weight? Same with the Kraken lid. This is where the stock lid is great. Maybe mount a light in the stock lid. Maybe go drilled plexi glass. Time will tell.
 

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Caribsea sand and salt water from my local shop. It’s up and running. Playing with some base rock I picked up.

Also ordered the InTank chamber 1 basket. Should be here in a couple of days

I used window tint on the rear glass. I hate seeing thru the tank and seeing a wall and cord.

more to come

202D2D0B-07A1-49DB-A55E-8247B73C7B93.jpeg
The tint was a cool idea!
 

jfoahs04

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Thanks. Love this hobby.

In my V it’s really probably too much water movement. Corals seem to be fine with it though. I’m sure I’ll end up with both.
This hobby can eat money. Lol.

The lid is my biggest concern. If the diy works out great. But how strong will it be. Can it support a cats weight? Same with the Kraken lid. This is where the stock lid is great. Maybe mount a light in the stock lid. Maybe go drilled plexi glass. Time will tell.
The Kraken is a quality lid for sure, but I don't know how well it would hold up to a cat regularly jumping up top. The mesh lid is secured to the frame with a retainer spline and the spline is underneath the frame (facing down toward the tank). So eventually, I think it would separate. I think it's reparable, but that doesn't do you any good with a wet/angry cat running around the house and damaged coral or rockwork.

One guy in the 13.5 EVO group on Facebook made risers for oxygen exchange and just put glass over top. He sells the risers for $4 on Etsy. I have his chamber 1 media basket and he does a good job with his stuff. It may be an option.
 

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The Kraken is a quality lid for sure, but I don't know how well it would hold up to a cat regularly jumping up top. The mesh lid is secured to the frame with a retainer spline and the spline is underneath the frame (facing down toward the tank). So eventually, I think it would separate. I think it's reparable, but that doesn't do you any good with a wet/angry cat running around the house and damaged coral or rockwork.

One guy in the 13.5 EVO group on Facebook made risers for oxygen exchange and just put glass over top. He sells the risers for $4 on Etsy. I have his chamber 1 media basket and he does a good job with his stuff. It may be an option.
That glass vented lid really interesting..... Personally, I cant keep my hands out of my tank long enough for this to be practical. :grimacing-face: Cool idea though!
 

jfoahs04

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That glass vented lid really interesting..... Personally, I cant keep my hands out of my tank long enough for this to be practical. :grimacing-face: Cool idea though!
Same here, I'm in and out enough that it would be annoying to deal with. I'd also worry about the glass fogging and light penetration being reduced. But a lot of people do something similar and seem to like it.
 
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tydeck

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I’m probably just gonna use the stock lid for now Maybe look into a upgrade for the fluval lid or maybe add another atinic strip. Needs more blue lol

Man I hate a lifeless tank. Needs something moving around. Maybe a scarlet legged hermit. I’ve been adding a small amount of frozen brine each of the last two days.
 
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tydeck

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Ok. Decided to pick up a eheim compact 1000 for a return pump. Way cheaper than a sicca 1. Even a little stronger flow.

Should be here Thursday. Hope I get a good one thats quiet. Along with the intank chamber 1 basket.

Put one of my scarlet legged hermits in the tank last night. Seems happy this morning. Tank needs life.

What should I do with the 2nd chamber? It’s empty now.
 
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tydeck

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Update time.
The Eheim pump came in along with the intank chamber. Flow is most definitely improved. Water flowing

I moved some rock from the smaller tank with a few Zoas and the Xenia rock. Added a small clown fish. He’s eating frozen brine and flakes happy like.


Tank looks great. Think I have a cheap way to improve lighting. I’ll know later today.
Pics to come.

Time to slow down now and enjoy it growth.
 
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tydeck

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Ok. My lighting upgrade showed up. Still the stock. Sure this has been done before. Lol. Definitely a difference. Grand total $34 include mounting tape

not the best pictures.
 

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tydeck

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Picked up a small clown fish. Needed something swimming around. Thinking about putting the 6 line in the bigger tank with the clown

I have noticed the tank runs warm. Ordered lids lifters should be here tomorrow. Propped up on a couple of rulers for now. The tank is at least 5-6 degrees warmer with the lid. This may push me to go topless.


I like the frag on the tank wall. Gonna try a monti on the back wall. Any recommendations for a fast growing encrusting monti
76213D73-029B-4421-A831-2430B93B1592.jpeg

Those rocks will be covered with mushrooms eventually.
 
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tydeck

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The lid lifters arrived. I had to use a drop of super glue to hold them tight. But very happy with them. Lifts the lid 1/4”. Hopefully this helps the tank stay a little cooler. I figure I will leave a fan blowing across the tank

not much of an update. Lol 0A22E087-412A-43CB-8866-B5C7B176DFB8.jpeg 4EE01470-4C62-4EA4-B4A5-9D12C43E52AB.jpeg
 

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