Ready to roll - EVO 13.5

[BristolEVO]

Hi all,

I've been stalking these forums for a few months and slowly gathering up all the things I want to start up a Fluval EVO 13.5. Hoping to do a leak test and get the store bought water in it today! One thing from the pic I forgot is the 3dOcean chamber 1 and 2 media baskets. And floss etc. This will be my first salt tank!

 

[aztoza]

That’s exciting! Good luck

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Looks like you're off to a great start! One suggestion I have for you is to use live rock, that you buy wet. You can order it online or maybe your lfs has some. It will help you alot as your tank matures!

 

[BristolEVO]

Looks like you're off to a great start! One suggestion I have for you is to use live rock, that you buy wet. You can order it online or maybe your lfs has some. It will help you alot as your tank matures!

Thanks! Won't this dry rock eventually turn into the relative equivalent of the wet rock I'd buy? Many months later? I'm liking the benefit of no bad hitch hikers at this early stage.

 

[Rjukan]

I suggest to rinse the sand very well before you use it. Sooo much fine particulate in there, takes a while to rinse it clear but it's worth it.

 

[BristolEVO]

I suggest to rinse the sand very well before you use it. Sooo much fine particulate in there, takes a while to rinse it clear but it's worth it.

What's the best way to rinse? Collander is too open and I'll be there all day with coffee filters. Or dump and swish it in a bucket and keep changing the water? My tap water has high chlorine and other garbage so I'm hesitant to get that water near anything with this tank and kill off the live sand.

 

[Rjukan]

What's the best way to rinse? Collander is too open and I'll be there all day with coffee filters. Or dump and swish it in a bucket and keep changing the water? My tap water has high chlorine and other garbage so I'm hesitant to get that water near anything with this tank and kill off the live sand.

Yeah idk, I've always used tap with the sand in a 5g bucket, put in a couple pounds of sand, cover with water, swish around with my hand or a plastic spoon, then dump water. Repeat until the water runs mostly clear after the swish. Then dump into the tank and start again. It's a long painful process lol.

As far as your tap water, idk if that matters. Hopefully someone else will answer, idk about the bacteria on that sand either but I'm pretty sure I've read that it's still best to rinse that sand first too.

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Thanks! Won't this dry rock eventually turn into the relative equivalent of the wet rock I'd buy? Many months later? I'm liking the benefit of no bad hitch hikers at this early stage.

Yes eventually. Live Rock will help you avoid the ugly stage almost completely.

 

[BristolEVO]

Up and running! I haven't installed the ATO yet but everything else is there. Starting fishless cycling...

 

[Rjukan]

I like the scape a lot!

 

[BristolEVO]

One week update, things are going pretty good. I'm using Brightwell MicroBacter StartXLM and MicroBacter QuikCycle to get things started. Per the instructions I dosed the ammonia to 2 and added the starter. Media basket is just floss and bio-balls. Today I tested Ammonia at 1, Nitrites at 0.15(ish), and Nitrates at 2. Using a RedSea test kit. So things are happening and seems to be going in the right direction.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Up and running! I haven't installed the ATO yet but everything else is there. Starting fishless cycling...

Love the aquascape!

 

[BristolEVO]

Hi all - sorry for the update delay. Things have been going great. Tank cycled in about 12 days. Added a diamond goby and some cuc. Params were perfect so I added 2 clowns at about day 15.
Very stable overall. Been traveling semi locally for work so I've been visiting reef stores within a few hours. Some great deals I couldn't pass up so I have some coral additions. I live in Connecticut and these guys have been aquired from the CT NY NJ area over a couple weeks.
Green tip torch with maroon legs, Shrek torch, a Rasta zoa, some GSP on an island, daisy island, and two other tiny corals I'm not even sure what they are yet.
Oh, and a BTA about the size of a nickel that was given to me free by a LFS! BTA is kind of hiding and the Zoa is semi open every day but the rest are looking great.
I know, a lot at once I get it. But let's see what happens. Params are still good I test daily with Hanna multichecker. Dosing 5ml AFR and Microbacter Clean daily and MicroBacter 7 once a week. Minimal brown and no algae yet.

 

[BristolEVO]

That pic was taken after everyone went to bed. I have some filters coming for better pics in about a week!

 

[CCiPhantom]

Following! Looks like we have similar set up and start-up schedules. Interested to know if you have algae blooms yet, mine just started!

 

[BristolEVO]

Following! Looks like we have similar set up and start-up schedules. Interested to know if you have algae blooms yet, mine just started!

So far I've had minimal brown stuff mainly on the glass. Wipes off with the flipper. Nothing on the sand I think the goby is doing his job keeping that clean. Haven't seen any green algae yet. Today is only day 21 so I'm still expecting some uglies.

 

[aztoza]

So far I've had minimal brown stuff mainly on the glass. Wipes off with the flipper. Nothing on the sand I think the goby is doing his job keeping that clean. Haven't seen any green algae yet. Today is only day 21 so I'm still expecting some uglies.

My diamond is also keeping the sand absolutely spotless! Love that fish. Good luck with any upcoming uglies =)

 

[BristolEVO]

Since last post I had an outbreak of brown dusty stuff on my rocks. Kept puffing it away with the baster. Then one day about a week later it was gone. All if it. Weird! Still no green algae but I'm sure that's coming.. Finally got the ATO hooked up and a RODI system running. Progress!

 

[stewy14]

COOOOLLLLL!! will be following along!!!!

 

[BristolEVO]

Another tank update! Things are pretty good overall. I've started to dose kalkwasser at a low strength via the ATO to help bump up my params a bit. Fish are good and corals seem stable. No growth to speak of.

Last week I went to Mexico for 4 days and while I was gone (of course) a GHA outbreak happened. So I've been trying to scrub it off with a brush and picked up a handful of snails which seem to be doing a good job. While in mexico I was poking around in the ocean and found two really awesome live rocks. Full of holes and coralline. One had a green crab living in it. I kept them in sea water and then packed them in wet paper and bagged up for the trip home. dang TSA confiscated them saying they were "too heavy". No joke, they were maybe 3lbs total. I argued that both the TSA website and my airline both said rocks are fine as long as wrapped and not sharp. TSA guy didn't want to hear it. But they said nothing about two other similar size dry rocks. Really bummed!!!

I'll post an updated pic later!