Fluval Evo set up good starter?

I am a freshwater person.. but I have been eyeballing a salt set up for a long time, but the startup cost is horrifying. The Fluval Evo is a tank with built in filtration and lighting.. I understand the challenges of a small tank- but is that EVO set up an almost ready to go set up for a basic Saltwater tank? Obviously I would need temp control, but I got that equipment already from previous tanks. If I just wanted some live sand and live rock and once cycled a few inverts.. would that EVO set up be enough. Every time I look into a Saltwater tank I get mixed messages on what is truly needed and what people believe I should have because that's what they have.. as a beginner Saltwater would I be able to set what I described up with a basic set up and minimal costs? Example- my 20 gallon long freshy cost me around 300 total and I love that thing. I just do t want to get in over my head and budget.. like to stay under $200.

 

Inverts only should be fine in that size tank (5g?) but most start sw and then want to get a bigger tank to add fish ect, I would use that money for a bigger tank, I am setting up a 22g display tank with 5 gallon custom sump and know it will be a challenge to keep the levels good, mind you its cost a lot more than that (don't tell the wife) and still have no fish inverts or corals and still eyeing up a new light . . . Welcome to the world of sw

 

It would work for a couple inverts and live rock...dont bother with live sand- most of the time, the bacteria are dead from lack of water movement and all you are buying is wet sand lol.

you will HAVE to water evaporation in this tank. I have one for my betta and I have to watch it. within a week, it can lose more than 2 in of water volume, so you will have to top it off every other day or so. I was contemplating covering the hole in the top of the tank though, so I can try that and let you know how it works for me?

 

It would work for a couple inverts and live rock...dont bother with live sand- most of the time, the bacteria are dead from lack of water movement and all you are buying is wet sand lol.

you will HAVE to water evaporation in this tank. I have one for my betta and I have to watch it. within a week, it can lose more than 2 in of water volume, so you will have to top it off every other day or so. I was contemplating covering the hole in the top of the tank though, so I can try that and let you know how it works for me?

This is great info! I usually pref. Fill hoods so I wasn't sure about their "decorative" lid. For the price I can prob go aqueon

 

I would. I always buy the open tanks and customize the filter, heater, lid, and lights etc lol

 

I would. I always buy the open tanks and customize the filter, heater, lid, and lights etc lol

That's what I did with my freshy tank. I went full aqueon. Aqueon reminds me of the tanks at the zoo. Simple, clean, and black. Lol. Only complaint is I had a cheaper aqueon preset heater that failed and killed half my fish. I since upgraded to their nicer adjustable $50 model

 

ewwwwww preset heaters! lol

I use the adjustable so I can turn it up if I need to.

I put black backgrounds on my tanks...I have a super mario brothers tank I painted the background on...and my resident evil tank that I painted the umbrella corp symbol on...but otherwise I adore plain black backgrounds

 

ewwwwww preset heaters! lol

I use the adjustable so I can turn it up if I need to.

I put black backgrounds on my tanks...I have a super mario brothers tank I painted the background on...and my resident evil tank that I painted the umbrella corp symbol on...but otherwise I adore plain black backgrounds

I started my 20 on budget and since have upgraded most of it lol. Next tank I do I might pay the extra bit to avoid that..

How does mixing water work? I never had to do ot with my fw

 

I use a 5 gallon bucket with a lid. I mix the water to the SG I want- I run at 1.0026/1.0027 normally since I keep anemones and fish etc and that's what my LFS runs.

Then when I am going to do water changes, I bring the bucket in and get it to room temp (usually 2 days before the water changes is good enough). Throw a heater in it the morning of water change to get it to tank temp. then do water changes.

 

So its a matter of normal dechlorination/conditioning tap. Then add salt a little at a time until it meats my needs and its just a normal water change from there? Doesnt sound as scary as I was thinking! Lol

 

Yep, that's all I do. If you let the water sit for a couple days, you don't need to use a dechlor either, just add the salt. I do about .66c per gallon. but you should start at .5c per gallon if using instant ocean and adjust from there

 

Yep, that's all I do. If you let the water sit for a couple days, you don't need to use a dechlor either, just add the salt. I do about .66c per gallon. but you should start at .5c per gallon if using instant ocean and adjust from there

Isn't it important to check what the local water company uses to treat the water? AFAIK chlorine dissipates but chloramines don't.

 

I am using ro water from fish shop then adding salt, not expensive but is a little more time consuming but less phosphates and chlorination issues to worry about, also makes a safe top off to replace evaporated water

 

My water is fine, I use city water. If your city water has other stuff in it, you would need to take steps according to whatever is in the water.

if your city water is highly contaminated, I would recommend catching rainwater, using bottled, or buying RO/DI water. remember that RO/DI water will require you add back in all the minerals that are removed during the process. which, for someone like me who has city water that is not horrible, is redundant and not needed

 

I currently use tap for my fresh water stuff.. would it be okay to use that as my current fresh tanks seem fine. Is it diff for salt?

 

http://www.stlwater.com/ccr.pdf

That is the link to the most recent water quality report for St Louis. There are a little chloramines in your water. you can use the tap, but with chloramines in the water, I would use the dechlor, not the sit out method.

 

http://www.stlwater.com/ccr.pdf

That is the link to the most recent water quality report for St Louis. There are a little chloramines in your water. you can use the tap, but with chloramines in the water, I would use the dechlor, not the sit out method.

Our PH is usually high too. Ut it levels out in the tank to 7.6 even. I use API tap water conditioner on my bucket of tap and let it sit and do its thing while I clean and such. That's today actually lol. I run a freshwater tank currently. So would it be the same thing with a salt just I have to mix the salt in ?

 

yeah, though my salt tank is at a higher pH.

The biggest thing with salt is just making sure your parameters stay in check. and when you do top offs, you jsut add dechlor water, NOT more salt water. The water evaps but the salt and minerals stay, so just add fresh water when you are topping off. also, my water changes are MUCH smaller in my salt tank. I sit at a constant 0,0,5 (ammonia, nitrite,nitrate) in my salt tanks without fail. I just keep my salinity in check with top off.

the water changes, you use salt water and check the salinity as you go.

salt isn't that bad, I have nice set ups that mirror my fresh water tanks as my salt are on the "nano" side of life (50g and 10g). once you start getting bigger, you need a sump and skimmer etc which is where the cost comes from. but my 50 gallon is running nicely as is. the only added cost is the salt, and the only extra maintenance is the monitoring and a couple more test reagents on testing day

 

yeah, though my salt tank is at a higher pH.

The biggest thing with salt is just making sure your parameters stay in check. and when you do top offs, you jsut add dechlor water, NOT more salt water. The water evaps but the salt and minerals stay, so just add fresh water when you are topping off. also, my water changes are MUCH smaller in my salt tank. I sit at a constant 0,0,5 (ammonia, nitrite,nitrate) in my salt tanks without fail. I just keep my salinity in check with top off.

the water changes, you use salt water and check the salinity as you go.

salt isn't that bad, I have nice set ups that mirror my fresh water tanks as my salt are on the "nano" side of life (50g and 10g). once you start getting bigger, you need a sump and skimmer etc which is where the cost comes from. but my 50 gallon is running nicely as is. the only added cost is the salt, and the only extra maintenance is the monitoring and a couple more test reagents on testing day

I'm thinking a 5 gal (for pricing reasons deapite being harder). If I get too scared I may go faux salt and do a freshwater tank with sand and rock and do shrimps or crabs. Brackish is possible too. Ill have to build all options on paper and see if I can figure it out. Idk why salt seems so scary.. its not too diff from fresh.. lol

On the fluvals... hiw do you add a heater? No wire access on lid.. anyone?

 

I wouldnt go 5. my 10 is about as small as you would want to go. you can't put ANY fish in the 5. you can have a shrimp lol

as far as the heater, I just put it in and made the lid as level as possible lol. You can put it in the area where the little pump is too if you wanted, there's a bit of access there.

if you are crafty, you can heat the lid and create a wire access point.

 

On the fluvals... hiw do you add a heater? No wire access on lid.. anyone?

That is an annoyance. You'd think that they would allow for a heater since most people are going to keep tropical fish in the tanks they sell!

Ah well. One way that sort of worked on my Spec V's was to put the heater in the pump compartment. You may be able to find a space in the Evo that also does double duty.

 

I wouldnt go 5. my 10 is about as small as you would want to go. you can't put ANY fish in the 5. you can have a shrimp lol

as far as the heater, I just put it in and made the lid as level as possible lol. You can put it in the area where the little pump is too if you wanted, there's a bit of access there.

if you are crafty, you can heat the lid and create a wire access point.

Sw fish are super expensive. If I go salt it won't be fish lol! I have a 20 long fresh tank for fish . I would do a "piece of ocean" kind of deal and prob do shrimp or something. I'm brain storming still. Worse case it will be freshwater that looks like salt and I would still just do shrimp or something. I got to find a set up I like first. Fluvals are nice, but like with the heater and open lid have their issues. My back up is straight aqueon.. it would be a minI version of my 20 lol!

 

yeah, I do straight aqueons and outfit them the way I want. I haven't found things to be horribly expensive. the anemone was $50. but its gorgeous lol. my clowns were $40 for a pair. as far as equipment, nanos are no more expensive than fresh

 

One of the fish I want, a green clown goby, is only around $8. There can be less expensive fish in salt too ... but I agree with others that you should go bigger rather than smaller! You could even wait until the next $1/gallon sale at Petco and grab a 20 long or something even bigger ... even collect equipment along the way so it's not a big purchase all at once. One thing everyone has told me (even while considering a 29 gallon BioCube) was to go as big as possible because bigger tanks are much easier to keep stable.

 

One of the fish I want, a green clown goby, is only around $8. There can be less expensive fish in salt too ... but I agree with others that you should go bigger rather than smaller! You could even wait until the next $1/gallon sale at Petco and grab a 20 long or something even bigger ... even collect equipment along the way so it's not a big purchase all at once. One thing everyone has told me (even while considering a 29 gallon BioCube) was to go as big as possible because bigger tanks are much easier to keep stable.

I know lol. I run freshy tanks. But my fiance won't let me spend too much lol. I also have dreams of a bichir tank so I'm limited lol