Thinking About Setting Up My First Saltwater

I have always kept planted freshwater tanks but I have been thinking about setting up my first saltwater aquarium and finally having a place to put it and finding the tank I like (Fluval Evo 13.5 - which I chose for the size and the overall aesthetic of the tank as it is going on my desk). I am going to initially fill it with pre-mixed RO water and I know I will need to get a new RO unit anyway for topup and changes.
I am still having thoughts about how to really go about it when I do decide to start and how to get the best start for a small reef tank!

A few questions I had were :

-Should I get the protein skimmer for the tank too?
-What kind of sand (brand wise) is the most recommended? (as I do not want to do bare-bottom)
-Live rock or non-live alternative?
-Should the stock filtration of the EVO 13.5 be sufficient?
-Easy to keep/Good corals to keep in a tank that size that are not massively demanding (and relatively forgiving) ?

And any other tips, equipment or ideas please do tell!

Many Thanks!
Pix

 

- No, no skimmer should be needed for a 13.5. They just complicate things - in a small nano, you should be able to keep things going with just weekly WCs.
- I use Caribsea, but it really doesn't matter as long as it's aragonite. You'll usually want to stay away from colored sand as well, since they're known to cause some algae issues in SW.
- It depends - a nice tank full of live rock will have a ton of life on it, and will be more interesting from the get-go. But, you risk introducing a TON of pests into your tank, and sometimes, it's just better to start with some dry base rock. I did the latter, and don't regret a thing.
- Do some reading on reef filtration. Your live rock will do the majority of your biological filtration - no filter pads or media is needed at all in saltwater. I use carbon, but nothing else. Some people will use Purigen or Chemipure, but again, they aren't needed. I highly doubt that the stock filter will satisfy your circulation needs, so you might want to look into a small powerhead, or a large HOB filter. I'm using an AC 30 and a Koralia Nano 425 on my 10 gallon, and I've found that the tank is much healthier after upping my circulation.
- Most softies and LPS should be relatively easy to keep, as long as you research what you're buying. In general, zoas, palys, mushrooms, duncans, candy canes, and euphyllia are all great places to start. There are exceptions in each of those coral groups, but most of them are hard to come across anyways.

Keep in mind that you're going to need a clean-up crew - I'd recommend going with mainly dwarf ceriths, florida ceriths, nerites, and maybe a couple of nassarius. Most crabs can be a bit opportunistic, so I'd recommend staying away from them - unless you find that you love the crabs, and in that case, you'll need to keep them well-fed.

When stocking a nano, keep in mind to go light on fish. In a 13.5, you're going to be limited to 2-3 small fish max. Personally, seeing as it's your first tank, I'd go with one or two small fish that you just can't get enough of. We can help with stocking, if you like!

What are you planning on for lighting? I'm not sure what light the 13.5 comes with, but I doubt it's designed for reefing. A clip-on lamp with an 23W ABI PAR 38 would be my recommendation. One should do it, but two would light the entire tank well.

Do you have a refractometer and test kits? Hydrometers won't be accurate (at least, not accurate enough) and really aren't worth the money. Test kits are pretty essential, especially when starting a tank. The API kits will work, but I use Salifert and Red Sea kits.

 

I am constructing a list of things to work out a base-cost I have to look at.
The light on the tank seems to work alright with reefs from reviews but I do know there are a few that fit the hood with a few adjustments so I will keep that one in mind!
Do you have any suggestions for a good (more compact wise) powerhead?
The stock filter comes with sponge, carbon and ceramic biomedia. Do you think I could get away with taking the sponge out and using marine bio-balls and carbon only then?
also I am glad to hear the skimmer isn't needed, as I was looking at finding a media basket and using fine floss to catch particles at the intake.

Stock wise for fish, I did take a look at a few species such as Six-line wrasse,cardinal fish, chromis (not necessarily all of them but I am fully open to suggestions, I am just not too keen on clownfish though)

 

I am constructing a list of things to work out a base-cost I have to look at.
The light on the tank seems to work alright with reefs from reviews but I do know there are a few that fit the hood with a few adjustments so I will keep that one in mind!
Do you have any suggestions for a good (more compact wise) powerhead?
The stock filter comes with sponge, carbon and ceramic biomedia. Do you think I could get away with taking the sponge out and using marine bio-balls and carbon only then?
also I am glad to hear the skimmer isn't needed, as I was looking at finding a media basket and using fine floss to catch particles at the intake.

Stock wise for fish, I did take a look at a few species such as Six-line wrasse,cardinal fish, chromis (not necessarily all of them but I am fully open to suggestions, I am just not too keen on clownfish though)

The Koralia Nano's are pretty tiny - I don't think you'd have problems getting them into your tank. I don't have any other suggestions, as I haven't ventured outside of them in recent years - sorry! Maybe someone else can chime in.

Sponges should almost never be used in saltwater, so definitely remove it. I wouldn't even recommend using bio-balls, as they'll likely just catch a bunch of debris and cause your nitrates to skyrocket. Carbon only would be fine, and as long as you have sufficient live rock (at least 8 lbs in a 13.5), you shouldn't have issues with your biological filter.

IMO, a six-line would get a bit big for a 13.5. I personally think that a 15 gallon is a pretty bare minimum, with a 20 long or more being what I'd want for one after researching.

Cardinals would work well, IMO. Either a pair of BanggaI Cardinals (these aren't schooling fish - they will absolutely kill any other cardinal in the tank that isn't a mate), or a pair of Pajama Cardinals would be my choice. PJ cardinals aren't true schooling fish, but will live in small groups - sometimes. Some people have said that they'll pair off and kill the others. I'd try to get all females if you go with PJs, personally.

Most Chromis aren't great for a nano, IMO. They get somewhat large (3-4") and tend to be pretty active, and somewhat aggressive. They aren't schooling fish, like many people say they are, and will kill others of their own species as they age. Some of the less common species would probably do well, but none come to mind at the moment.

Here are my suggestions!

1) A pair of Yellow Clown Gobies (cute, tiny, and brightly colored!), and a firefish. These are all timid fish in most tanks, but in a peacefully stocked tank, these fish shine. You wouldn't want to keep SPS with the Clown Gobies, but you'd probably need a stronger light for those anyway.

2) A Blue Sapphire damsel (not as aggressive as other species, and is an amazing blue color), and either a pair of yellow clown gobies, or another small rock-dwelling goby. I can personally say that the Blue Sapphire damsels are often pretty peaceful, and having kept them in nanos before, I've actually found my clowns to be way more aggressive.

3) A Royal Gramma, and either a single BanggaI or a pair of Banggais.

4) A Pistol Shrimp paired with a HI Fin Red Banded goby, and a free-swimming fish of your choice (I'd go with a Blue Sapphire damsel, a Royal Gramma, or a firefish, personally.)

All of the fish I listed are relatively hardy - YMMV, as always, but you should have decent luck as long as you get them from a good source.

Do you plan to QT? In saltwater, that's become a must. The majority of our fish come from the wild (or are kept with wild species during transit), and come to us with parasites and disease. A cheap QT with a sponge filter, a small heater, and some PVC can save you a lot of heartache.

 

I am constructing a list of things to work out a base-cost I have to look at.
The light on the tank seems to work alright with reefs from reviews but I do know there are a few that fit the hood with a few adjustments so I will keep that one in mind!
Do you have any suggestions for a good (more compact wise) powerhead?
The stock filter comes with sponge, carbon and ceramic biomedia. Do you think I could get away with taking the sponge out and using marine bio-balls and carbon only then?
also I am glad to hear the skimmer isn't needed, as I was looking at finding a media basket and using fine floss to catch particles at the intake.

Stock wise for fish, I did take a look at a few species such as Six-line wrasse,cardinal fish, chromis (not necessarily all of them but I am fully open to suggestions, I am just not too keen on clownfish though)

SKIP THE 6-LINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are known for being okay and then suddenly snapping and going on killing sprees as they mature. I know a guy who maintains tanks professionally and the number one fish he is called on to remove is the 6 line wrasse. He has had to remove them in tanks as large as 250 gallons (although he did say he saw one that did really well in an 850 gallon tank ) and they are very smart, fast and very difficult to trap/catch when it comes time to remove them if you have to. A 13.5 gallon would only add to your chances of aggression as they are a very active fish and recommended for no less than a 30 gallon tank. The only way I would put one in a tank that small is if it were the only fish in the tank. To add to this I recently went to my LFS and saw a 6 line in the holding tank chasing another fish off. I saw the owner and joking pointed to the 6 line saying "I see you have the spawn of satan in stock" to which he just shook his head dejectedly and said "They're such jerks." If you need any further proof, simply google 6 line wrasse aggression and see what comes up. Sorry to be so overboard about this but I hate to see newbies suckered in by them only to hate life later.

If you want something unique for your tank I highly recommend the Possum/Pink Streaked Wrasses. MUCH BETTER tank mates than the 6 lines and still have the coolness factor that wrasses offer. Even better is the fact that these fish are actually recommended for a fish tank of your size. The Pink Streaked will likely be more bold, visible as it spends more time in the tank and gets more comfortable:

 

Gotcha, I like the idea of the royal gamma and the cardinals! That is definitely something I could get behind!
Would it be at a push to add a firefish with those three?

Thanks Jesterrace for the heads up on the wrasse! I must say I do adore their colour but I will give them a miss definitely!

PoorBigBlue Sadly a QT is something I don't have or have the space for currently, but I am sure I can put one together temporarily from a cheap 2.5 - 5gal "glass starter tank"
This is turning out a lot more cost-effective than what I was originally intending to find! Next step is visiting the LFS near me that does marine and getting a good idea on prices for corals and the fish! (The one I work at sadly doesn't stock marine anymore)

Thank you so much guys! If you have anymore advice to throw at me please do feel free, this has been a monumental aide!

 

3 fish is MAX for a 13.5. I wouldn't hit 4 fish until the 20 gallon mark. As for Cardinalfish, definitely go for PJs over the BanggaI as the PJs are less aggressive and their fins and stay a bit smaller by the time you factor in fin growth. They are tiny when you get them, but they grow to be 3.5 inches in length when fully grown and can get stocky if well fed. They are more likely to just hang out and not bother anything. I have a PJ Cardinal in my 90 gallon and it just hangs out most of time (it actually is more visible at night when the other fish go to bed), so IMHO it is better suited for a small tank like a 13.5. You could also look into some small gobies as options as well:



As for quarantine? Truthfully, I don't do traditional quarantine. It's not ideal but it's better than nothing, you could talk to your LFS about them holding your fish and QT'ing it for you (even if you have to pay a bit extra for it). Mine holds fish for me, as long as I am willing to accept the risk and I have no problem with that. One of the other things I find beneficial is just having lots of patience and waiting for the LFS to do a bulk order and then seeing which specimens are still there and active and healthy a few weeks later and then buying those. This way I don't pay a dime for a fish that I might want until after it's given some indication that it is healthy, active and eating. The best part about it is that you effectively get a minor QT done free of change from your LFS without you paying a dime for it. The only downside is you have to accept that some impatient fool will buy the fish out from under you before that point. As long as you adopt the mentality that you are willing to walk away from it if it isn't right, it can serve you quite well. I used this method to score a healthy, active and Blue Star Leopard Wrasse for a whopping $35 (normally runs $45-$50 and they have a high mortality rate in captivity as they do not ship well).

 

Gotcha, the walking away thing is something I have to do on an almost daily basis I can do that easily.

awesome I think I am close to really putting down the pad and going to try this out. As far as top-ups go I know salinity remains in the water after evaporation, so just add a bit of RO to the tank when the levels get low right?

 

You got it. Some like the convenience of an auto top off system (ATO), but on a tank that small it might be best just to monitor the water levels and add manually as needed. Just don't let the water drop more than about 1/4 of an inch or that will drastically affect the salinity levels on a tank of that size.

 

to be honest I won't have the space for an auto top-off anyway haha! I am very regular with my maintenance of all my aquariums so no worries there
How long does RO last if I pre-buy it now and then in a sealed container?
And do you have any relatively affordable RO units to recommend? (also can I store it dry/filled with water if not in use?)

 

Some store it sealed for a few weeks, but personally I wouldn't go much more than that. As for RODI units there are a couple of options. You can go with a cheap portable unit for $60 shipped:



It will produce more waste water (About 1 Gallon of RODI to 7 Gallons of Wastewater), and will have more expensive cartridge/resin replacements


For a nicer unit it will start around $120 shipped but will give you an extra stage of filtration and produce about 1 gallon of RODI to 3-4 gallons of wastewater. It has cheaper cartridge/resin replacement options:

 

Some store it sealed for a few weeks, but personally I wouldn't go much more than that. As for RODI units there are a couple of options. You can go with a cheap portable unit for $60 shipped:



It will produce more waste water (About 1 Gallon of RODI to 7 Gallons of Wastewater), and will have more expensive cartridge/resin replacements


For a nicer unit it will start around $120 shipped but will give you an extra stage of filtration and produce about 1 gallon of RODI to 3-4 gallons of wastewater. It has cheaper cartridge/resin replacement options:

Yeah I'd need to use a portable unit, so can I attach that to any faucet then and work it like that?
storage wise on a portable one, how would you recommend storing it?

 

Technically you should be able to store the unit for some time, but I would imagine after a while the cartridges would need to be replaced.

 

Technically you should be able to store the unit for some time, but I would imagine after a while the cartridges would need to be replaced.

Excellent! Thank you so much, I think I have a good amount to go off of now
I have pretty much made my mind up that I am gonna give this a go, I was curious however, the tank I am looking at. The Fluval Evo 13.5
do you think the in-tank media baskets are a good idea to go for in the long run?? I mean they are pricey but do you think they will improve the filtration much if I am using carbon and a bit of filter floss/wool?

 

Truth be told I have no idea on the specifics of equipment for an AIO tank like the Fluval Evo. I am actually a bigger fan of the Fluval HOB filters for smaller tanks since they are wide open and give one options.

 

Truth be told I have no idea on the specifics of equipment for an AIO tank like the Fluval Evo. I am actually a bigger fan of the Fluval HOB filters for smaller tanks since they are wide open and give one options.

Ahh I see, thank you!
The space I have sadly doesn't have room for much more than the integrated filter but I will do a little trial and error and see how it goes!
I really appreciate the help from you all!

 

So I went ahead and ordered the Fluval Evo and a bunch of things to use with it!
Not chosen what I want to do yet in regards to rock, but I might see if my LFS sells pre-cured live rock, if not I will go for a dry rock option or give curing it a go myself.
I did want to ask, will I need to re-mineralize the pre-mixed saltwater for the aquarium and/or use a marine buffer to correct the pH / is using a marine buffer a beneficial thing to me in the long run?
(I am looking at the Seachem marine buffer)

 

No, the salt mix generally has the minerals needed in it.

 

No, the salt mix generally has the minerals needed in it.

awesome, thank you!

 

So I was looking at the suggestions and some links online at some fish I could potentially stock!
I was wondering, would this be a good stocking for the tank?
x1 Royal Gramma
x1 Blue Sapphire Damselfish / or / Neon blue Goby
x1 White Banded Possum Wrasse (from looking at that wrasse link! fell in love with it)

 

Many people regret adding damselfish as they often become aggressive. Especially to a timid wrasse.

 

Agreed. Damsels would be a poor choice with other fish in a 13.5 gallon. The Neon Goby would be a much better choice.

 

That's fine! The goby was a preferred choice anyway on that paring
But the Gramma and Wrasse will be alright as tankmates?
(Pretty set on the gramma most of all)

 

That's fine! The goby was a preferred choice anyway on that paring
But the Gramma and Wrasse will be alright as tankmates?
(Pretty set on the gramma most of all)

Three, even though small fish, is a lot for a small salt tank. You might consider a goby and pistol shrimp pair, that would be a neat nano tank.

There are a number of goby varieties and shrimp varieties that will bond. Here is my Yasha goby and Randall's pistol shrimp. Once bonded they will live together in a burrow and the fish will feed the shrimp! Very cool to watch. ....

 

Three, even though small fish, is a lot for a small salt tank. You might consider a goby and pistol shrimp pair, that would be a neat nano tank.

There are a number of goby varieties and shrimp varieties that will bond. Here is my Yasha goby and Randall's pistol shrimp. Once bonded they will live together in a burrow and the fish will feed the shrimp! Very cool to watch. ....

Not all that keen on many of the gobies to be fair
But thank you!

 

Little bit of an update, wanted to thank you all again for the advice!!
Set it up today, used the caribsea pink fijI sand and caribsea liferock (there was a sale at the lfs on it)
It's all set up now both layout and media wise (went with making a basket out of egg-crate to hold some filter floss in Chamber one, then using a bag of carbon on chamber two)

Should I use Seachem stability on the tank now and will it aid the cycle? (I was given a small tester bottle by a friend)

 

Really you just need some added bacteria and a source of ammonia to jump start the cycle (You can use Dr. Tim's, ghost feed a little bit of fish food, etc.) I wouldn't use anything for stability as at this stage you want instability to get the cycle going. I used some Aqua Vitro Seed (bacteria seed) on my Life Rock and then just did a few small Ghost Feedings of LRS Reef Frenzy and it took a while but did the trick.

 

Really you just need some added bacteria and a source of ammonia to jump start the cycle (You can use Dr. Tim's, ghost feed a little bit of fish food, etc.) I wouldn't use anything for stability as at this stage you want instability to get the cycle going. I used some Aqua Vitro Seed (bacteria seed) on my Life Rock and then just did a few small Ghost Feedings of LRS Reef Frenzy and it took a while but did the trick.

Ahh gotcha, Dr Tims as in ??

 

Here is the Ammonia:



and the other you showed will work for the established bacteria, so I would get both.

 

Here is the Ammonia:



and the other you showed will work for the established bacteria, so I would get both.

Oh sweet, I will look into getting that,
I was meaning to ask about ghost feeding food, will that work in the stead of the ammonium chloride? If so how much am I feeding? as if I had fish (1 - 3 times a day, and a pinch of food)

Thank you!

 

Honestly a small pinch of food every day for about 4-5 days should do it. Might take a while for it to break down and start the cycle. The Ammonium Chloride will be faster as it doesn't need to break down to ammonia fist

 

Honestly a small pinch of food every day for about 4-5 days should do it. Might take a while for it to break down and start the cycle. The Ammonium Chloride will be faster as it doesn't need to break down to ammonia fist

Ah gotcha!
I just ordered the ammonia you linked, should arrive wednesday with any luck!

Do you think I would need any other media in the filter other than the Filter Floss I use for catching the debris, and a bag of matrix Carbon??
I have it set up like this :



Sorry for all the questions haha, just want to make sure I get this stuff right!

 

If you aren't using Chaeto (Macro Algae) for a biofilter, I would definitely add some GFO (Granulated Ferric Oxide) in a media bag as well. It will help break down phosphates in your tank (from food and waste sources):



That said DON'T ADD IT UNTIL AFTER THE CYCLE!!!!!!!!!!! It won't do anything for you until after you have life in there and start feeding the tank.

 

If you aren't using Chaeto (Macro Algae) for a biofilter, I would definitely add some GFO (Granulated Ferric Oxide) in a media bag as well. It will help break down phosphates in your tank (from food and waste sources):



That said DON'T ADD IT UNTIL AFTER THE CYCLE!!!!!!!!!!! It won't do anything for you until after you have life in there and start feeding the tank.

Any particular order for chambers with those?

 

Any particular order for chambers with those?

When I ran my 36 Bowfront with an HOB Filter, I put the Carbon bag on the bottom and my Chemipure Elite Bag (a Mix of Carbon and GFO) on top and it seemed to work well.

 

When I ran my 36 Bowfront with an HOB Filter, I put the Carbon bag on the bottom and my Chemipure Elite Bag (a Mix of Carbon and GFO) on top and it seemed to work well.

Ah sweet, awesome thank you so much man!
I might look into that Chemipure, I have heard of it before; would you choose it over the Rowa GFO ?

 

Honestly I would just go with GFO since you already have Carbon. I like Chemipure bags but it's really just carbon and GFO in one bag. Now that I have a healthy amount of Chaeto Growing I am probably going to switch from Chemipure to just plain GFO as it is MUCH cheaper.

 

Just a little update :

I got the Rowa GFO, put that aside for when the tank has finished its cycle! Which is going really well, used the dr tims ammonia and one and only and it's going brilliantly; only concern is the pH.

I did a test on my KH with the API Reef test kit and it is reading 11dKH but my pH is reading 7.8 according to the API kit (both dropper test and test strip)
Is there any way I can bring this up to 8.1 - 8.4 or will this raise during the cycling?

Thanks!

 

Just a little update :

I got the Rowa GFO, put that aside for when the tank has finished its cycle! Which is going really well, used the dr tims ammonia and one and only and it's going brilliantly; only concern is the pH.

I did a test on my KH with the API Reef test kit and it is reading 11dKH but my pH is reading 7.8 according to the API kit (both dropper test and test strip)
Is there any way I can bring this up to 8.1 - 8.4 or will this raise during the cycling?

Thanks!

Honestly testing KH and pH during the cycle is worthless. Until the Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates calm down it really doesn't matter. Also do you have access to anything other than API and Test Strips in the UK (ie Red Sea and Salifert) as the test strips are the most inaccurate and API IMHO isn't much better.

 

Honestly testing KH and pH during the cycle is worthless. Until the Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates calm down it really doesn't matter. Also do you have access to anything other than API and Test Strips in the UK (ie Red Sea and Salifert) as the test strips are the most inaccurate and API IMHO isn't much better.

I can get hold of red sea and others, I just tended to stick with what I knew; I will look into a red sea kit but gonna have to wait till I have money together hahaha
Thank you so much tho mate, you've been a massive help!!