Fluval Flex 32.5 Saltwater (123 Marine) - Back to Reefkeeping

[nickng]

History:
After more than 5 years tankless, I decided to get back into reefkeeping. About 10 years ago when my daughter was on the way, I decided to downsize from a 90gal mixed reef with a 30gal sump/fuge to a 28gal JBJ LED Nano Cube as I knew my free time would be limited. Fast-forward 5 years and the Nano Cube cracked a few days after we moved to a new house. At that point I packed my LR from the Nano in a 5gal bucket, stuck it in the shed, and gave away the remaining fish/corals to a good home. Fast-forward 5 more years and here we are. I decided to stick with the 30ish gallon AOI category like my JBJ Nano was since, now having 2 kids, I appreciate the low-maintenance aspect of it. After quite a bit of searching here and googling around, I decided to go with either the Fluval Flex 32.5 or a BioCube 32 as both are the size I’m looking for, both have decent LED lighting, and both have lids which I find to be a must with my kids to avoid stuff flying into the tank. I ended up going with the Flex for a change of pace since I’ve done a cube before and because I like the longer/wider footprint with the same volume for the slightly more spread out aquascaping possibilities.

The Big Purchase:
Perhaps due to the pandemic, I found only 3 places online that carried the Flex 32.5 Saltwater but in a stroke of luck, I found one on the shelf at my LFS for the same price as the least expensive one online so I picked it up.

The Plan:
- Top Fin aquarium stand with a modified top to accommodate the wider footprint of the Flex
- 24lbs of natural Fiji LR (now dead as it’s been in a bucket for the past 5 years)
- 10lbs of dry rock from the LFS
- 40lbs CaribSea Fiji Pink live sand
- Livestock will consist of a mixed reef and community fish hopefully including a BSJF or a Goby/pistol shrimp pair
- Equipment will start off stock to give Fluval’s design a chance with upgrades likely to follow including a higher output return pump and InTank media baskets. I have an Inkbird heater/fan controller on the way and will cycle the tank with my 2 old Eheim Jager 50W heaters from the Nano with plans to replace them with 2 new 75W or perhaps some Fluvals. For circulation, I will start off the Hydor Koralia Nano I have from my old NanoCube.

Current Situation:
I find myself really excited to be getting back into such a great hobby. I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I considered starting back up. I’m now, as patiently as I can, going full speed gathering everything I need to get this show on the road. I really appreciate everyone on this forum who has already shared so much of their knowledge and experience with me and I look forward to learning and sharing with everyone as all of our reefs progress.

Prior Tanks:
I’ll leave this first post with a few photos of my old 90 and my 28 to show where I’ve been and posts to follow will have photos of the new Flex 32.5 to show where I’m headed. Thanks to everyone who has lasted through my long-winded intro.

Here’s the old 90gal I had about 10 years back.

And here is my JBJ NanoCube, my last tank before I took a break from reefkeeping 5 years ago.

Hi, I am looking for some information on the size of the footprint of the tank. Appreciate if you can share the dimensions since I am looking to see if this tank will be too big for my current aquarium stand. Does it rest on a 32 inch by 14 inch footprint?

 

[JReef3]

Hi, I am looking for some information on the size of the footprint of the tank. Appreciate if you can share the dimensions since I am looking to see if this tank will be too big for my current aquarium stand. Does it rest on a 32 inch by 14 inch footprint?

Hey there. The Fluval site lists dimensions as 32.5" L x 15.35" W x 15.75" H however the width they list is at the peak of the bow front which protrudes out past the base. The width at the base for the footprint you're interested in measures 14.375 (14 3/8). The Length is the same as the specs on their site. If it doesn't fit your current stand but is close, you could always get a slightly larger piece of wood to put on top of your current stand as I did. Good luck!

 

[nickng]

Hey there. The Fluval site lists dimensions as 32.5" L x 15.35" W x 15.75" H however the width they list is at the peak of the bow front which protrudes out past the base. The width at the base for the footprint you're interested in measures 14.375 (14 3/8). The Length is the same as the specs on their site. If it doesn't fit your current stand but is close, you could always get a slightly larger piece of wood to put on top of your current stand as I did. Good luck!

That's excellent, my stand is just a smidge smaller at 13 inches. Extending it by an inch and a half should be doable.

 

[JReef3]

Time for Another Update –

It’s been a little over a year since I last posted an update on my Flex 32.5’s progress so I thought I’d post a few new photos. I was surprised to look at my last update’s photos since growth happens fairly slowly, I didn’t realize how much things have changed. The tank is still pretty much on autopilot with little changed in the setup. About the only things I’ve changed are that I’ve began casually/occasionally dosing Tropic Marin All-For-Reef, and I extended the light cycle by about an hour.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Time for Another Update –

It’s been a little over a year since I last posted an update on my Flex 32.5’s progress so I thought I’d post a few new photos. I was surprised to look at my last update’s photos since growth happens fairly slowly, I didn’t realize how much things have changed. The tank is still pretty much on autopilot with little changed in the setup. About the only things I’ve changed are that I’ve began casually/occasionally dosing Tropic Marin All-For-Reef, and I extended the light cycle by about an hour.

glad to see the tank is still doing well!

 

[SparSandbar]

Time for Another Update –

It’s been a little over a year since I last posted an update on my Flex 32.5’s progress so I thought I’d post a few new photos. I was surprised to look at my last update’s photos since growth happens fairly slowly, I didn’t realize how much things have changed. The tank is still pretty much on autopilot with little changed in the setup. About the only things I’ve changed are that I’ve began casually/occasionally dosing Tropic Marin All-For-Reef, and I extended the light cycle by about an hour.

Your tank is looking nice. Mine is 4 months old and if it looks like yours down the road I’d be happy. May I ask what settings you use for your light ? I assume you’re still using the Fluval Marine? I recently added some corals and this is all new territory for me. Thanks! (Screenshots? Eheh)

 

[JReef3]

Hey SparSandbar, thanks. I checked out your tank thread and really like your aquascape. Your tank is coming along nicely! Regarding my lighting, yes, I’m still using the stock fixture and as for the settings, I ran it fairly conservatively for the first year and a half or so to avoid any nuisance algae and to allow the thank to mature and stabilize. The initial lighting I’m posting was sufficient to maintain and slowly grow the corals I have. Then several months back I switched from the auto to the pro setting and increased light duration and intensity. I haven’t seen any adverse reactions from the new light settings and between the new lighting and dosing All-For-Reef, I’ve seen quite an increase in coral growth. Here are my initial and current settings.

 

[robwcormack]

The Tank:
As I mentioned, I was scouring the internet for this tank with only a few places having it available. I ended up checking out both of my LFS and one of them actually had one on the shelf for the lowest price I was able to find it online so that was a big win. This tank comes packaged very well/safely and just barely slid into the back of my car with the rear seats folded down. You can see in the first photos of the unboxed tank that it slightly hangs over the sides of the stand and then further down, you can see where the tank is sitting on the larger 3/4" piece of plywood I painted and put on top of the stand.

Below you can see the tank is just a bit too long for the stand without the plywood.

The photo below shows the stand with the added plywood top to accommodate the larger tank footprint.

I also put a small strap between the stand and a wall stud as simple insurance against a CA earthquake or some crazy scenario where my kids somehow tilt the tank over.

And here's a shot of the tank test-fitted onto the new stand top.

Sorry to revive such an old thread, but your build has inspired me to ditch the Fluval stand and go with this one. I wanted to ask, did you mount the plywood to the top of the stand?

 

[JReef3]

Sorry to revive such an old thread, but your build has inspired me to ditch the Fluval stand and go with this one. I wanted to ask, did you mount the plywood to the top of the stand?

Hi robwcormack, if memory serves, I just set the painted plywood on the stand; I did not find it necessary to glue, screw, or otherwise attach it.