Let’s see those uglies!

Reefdiculous22

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So i am new to the hobby .. and I heard of the ugly phase but WOW! Lol I don’t know how many different algaes I have going on right now but I’m sure there is film, diatoms, Dino’s, maybe cyano or chrys- something or another. There is so many to learn , that’s what makes it interesting. Also some green algae . But I’m not sweating it. I did add corals WAY to early. I didn’t know what I was getting into. I fell away to the nitrogen cycle and now it’s the biome cycle which I’m fairly stoked about. It is very interesting to watch and observe all the things going on in the world I’m trying to create. Anyways if you are a noob like myself and you are going thru the biome cycle I would love to see your tanks. Everyone is always showing off their pristine stable tanks and I thought this would give us a time to shine and show the ugly as well as help myself and those interested to get thru it. Happy reefing and cheers! 4526C7DE-7758-4C7B-9F58-67063350CBB1.jpeg
 

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It really a new tank, but I moved everything out of it and added dry rock and restarted this tank in February/March. Never had hair Algea in it before but certainly fighting it now.
 

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Reefdiculous22

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It really a new tank, but I moved everything out of it and added dry rock and restarted this tank in February/March. Never had hair Algea in it before but certainly fighting it now.
Thank you for sharing your tank. I haven’t got hair algae yet but I heard it will come after the cyano phase. Did you get cyano before the hair algae? That’s a nice tank by the way. I’m trying to get there. What are your plans for attacking the hair algae?
 

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So i am new to the hobby .. and I heard of the ugly phase but WOW! Lol I don’t know how many different algaes I have going on right now but I’m sure there is film, diatoms, Dino’s, maybe cyano or chrys- something or another. There is so many to learn , that’s what makes it interesting. Also some green algae . But I’m not sweating it. I did add corals WAY to early. I didn’t know what I was getting into. I fell away to the nitrogen cycle and now it’s the biome cycle which I’m fairly stoked about. It is very interesting to watch and observe all the things going on in the world I’m trying to create. Anyways if you are a noob like myself and you are going thru the biome cycle I would love to see your tanks. Everyone is always showing off their pristine stable tanks and I thought this would give us a time to shine and show the ugly as well as help myself and those interested to get thru it. Happy reefing and cheers! 4526C7DE-7758-4C7B-9F58-67063350CBB1.jpeg

Who told you it was ok to add coral frags in such a new tank?
 

HankstankXXL750

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Thank you for sharing your tank. I haven’t got hair algae yet but I heard it will come after the cyano phase. Did you get cyano before the hair algae? That’s a nice tank by the way. I’m trying to get there. What are your plans for attacking the hair algae?
I am approaching it by trying to lower nutrients. Nitrate and phosphate. I started with a media reactor filled with matrix and low flow. Either it is inadequate or just too slow. I have now begun dosing homemade No-pox (500ml vinegar 375 ml vodka 125 ml RODI). I have cut back on feeding, but I have a lot of fish in the tank so I am using export methods, No-pox and water changes. When I do a water change I have begun siphoning the water trough a 1/2” hose and picking or scrubbing with a toothbrush at the end of the hose to try to remove the Algea while trying not to send it spreading around the tank. Just started the dosing on 7/6. So still waiting for it to take affect. I am moving slowly and would suggest the same for you as always better to change things a little at a time vs trying to go from point a to point z overnight.
I don’t believe I very had cyano in either of my reefs. I am however fighting it in both of my FOWLR tanks (both have GSP Green Star Polyps so not true Fish Only With Live Rock).

considering Chemiclean for treatment in my XL350. Used it before, but only treated once and it has returned. Might treat a couple of times with small pause between to see if I can eliminate it.
 

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So i am new to the hobby .. and I heard of the ugly phase but WOW! Lol I don’t know how many different algaes I have going on right now but I’m sure there is film, diatoms, Dino’s, maybe cyano or chrys- something or another. There is so many to learn , that’s what makes it interesting. Also some green algae . But I’m not sweating it. I did add corals WAY to early. I didn’t know what I was getting into. I fell away to the nitrogen cycle and now it’s the biome cycle which I’m fairly stoked about. It is very interesting to watch and observe all the things going on in the world I’m trying to create. Anyways if you are a noob like myself and you are going thru the biome cycle I would love to see your tanks. Everyone is always showing off their pristine stable tanks and I thought this would give us a time to shine and show the ugly as well as help myself and those interested to get thru it. Happy reefing and cheers! 4526C7DE-7758-4C7B-9F58-67063350CBB1.jpeg
You could have taken steps to minimize your ugly phases and make it much more manageable.

Really nice rockscape in your tank looks terrific.
 

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A loooooooooooong time ago, in a galaxy far away......

We all start somewhere. ;)


1658073686488.png
Lol Sunny, we have all had our GHA battles huh....I was happy that I never used any harsh chemicals on it and let the tank and cleaner crew battle it out.
 

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Lol Sunny, we have all had our GHA battles huh....I was happy that I never used any harsh chemicals on it and let the tank and cleaner crew battle it out.

Lol, yup. This one here was around 2001 I believe. Up until then I had smaller nano tanks that were more manageable. This one here was a 120GL that did end up looking OK after some time but man, did I struggle to get there.

Live and learn. Through trial and error we progress. As Seneca said, a man withers without adversity!

1658074649293.png


-Sonny
 
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Reefdiculous22

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You could have taken steps to minimize your ugly phases and make it much more manageable.

Really nice rockscape in your tank looks terrific.
This may be true. I just had a hard time processing all the different methods and finding direction. It’s all good though. I’ve been fortunate enough (so far) not to have lost anything which I’m thankful for. In all honesty though with this being my first rodeo it is really neat to see all the things good and bad that can happen. If I’m fortunate enough to make it thru this tank perhaps one day I may try again and take what I learn along the way and implement it.
 
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Lol, yup. This one here was around 2001 I believe. Up until then I had smaller nano tanks that were more manageable. This one here was a 120GL that did end up looking OK after some time but man, did I struggle to get there.

Live and learn. Through trial and error we progress. As Seneca said, a man withers without adversity!

1658074649293.png


-Sonny
Here! Here! Well said!
 
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I am approaching it by trying to lower nutrients. Nitrate and phosphate. I started with a media reactor filled with matrix and low flow. Either it is inadequate or just too slow. I have now begun dosing homemade No-pox (500ml vinegar 375 ml vodka 125 ml RODI). I have cut back on feeding, but I have a lot of fish in the tank so I am using export methods, No-pox and water changes. When I do a water change I have begun siphoning the water trough a 1/2” hose and picking or scrubbing with a toothbrush at the end of the hose to try to remove the Algea while trying not to send it spreading around the tank. Just started the dosing on 7/6. So still waiting for it to take affect. I am moving slowly and would suggest the same for you as always better to change things a little at a time vs trying to go from point a to point z overnight.
I don’t believe I very had cyano in either of my reefs. I am however fighting it in both of my FOWLR tanks (both have GSP Green Star Polyps so not true Fish Only With Live Rock).

considering Chemiclean for treatment in my XL350. Used it before, but only treated once and it has returned. Might treat a couple of times with small pause between to see if I can eliminate it.
That’s what I’ve been doing. Basting and scrubing and trying to filter it thru socks. I’m really trying hard to stay away from chemicals if at all possible. I do however try the calcium carbonate dosing. It seems to help with the removal a little.
 

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I wouldn't worry too much about it. Keep your nutrients at reasonable levels, making sure they don't go too low, and make sure you have an appropriate cleanup crew. Let it be ugly. Don't scrub anything, don't clean anything except the glass, just blow anything that grows on your corals off. Sooner or later, especially if you introduce a nice variety of algae on some bits of stuff, the beneficial algae will win the fight and take over.

See if you can get some chunks of stuff from a healthy tank. Bits and pieces of shell and rock. Heck, snails can introduce algae- look for ones that have heavily encrusted shells. That's a good way to get algae spores in.

Your scape overall looks quite nice, but those parts towards the middle look un-supported. If it was me, I'd stick something under there to fix that look, something that seems to be propping it up. I'm sure it's stable enough, but it looks a little odd.
 
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I wouldn't worry too much about it. Keep your nutrients at reasonable levels, making sure they don't go too low, and make sure you have an appropriate cleanup crew. Let it be ugly. Don't scrub anything, don't clean anything except the glass, just blow anything that grows on your corals off. Sooner or later, especially if you introduce a nice variety of algae on some bits of stuff, the beneficial algae will win the fight and take over.

See if you can get some chunks of stuff from a healthy tank. Bits and pieces of shell and rock. Heck, snails can introduce algae- look for ones that have heavily encrusted shells. That's a good way to get algae spores in.

Your scape overall looks quite nice, but those parts towards the middle look un-supported. If it was me, I'd stick something under there to fix that look, something that seems to be propping it up. I'm sure it's stable enough, but it looks a little odd.
I wouldn't worry too much about it. Keep your nutrients at reasonable levels, making sure they don't go too low, and make sure you have an appropriate cleanup crew. Let it be ugly. Don't scrub anything, don't clean anything except the glass, just blow anything that grows on your corals off. Sooner or later, especially if you introduce a nice variety of algae on some bits of stuff, the beneficial algae will win the fight and take over.

See if you can get some chunks of stuff from a healthy tank. Bits and pieces of shell and rock. Heck, snails can introduce algae- look for ones that have heavily encrusted shells. That's a good way to get algae spores in.

Your scape overall looks quite nice, but those parts towards the middle look un-supported. If it was me, I'd stick something under there to fix that look, something that seems to be propping it up. I'm sure it's stable enough, but it looks a little odd.
Okay. I have been blowing the rocks off everyday to every couple days and trying to manually remove the cyano from the sand bed. I have quite a few snails and I picked up some blue leg hermits on Saturday. Also I dosed microbacter 7 and when I ran out of that I stated dosing microbacter clean.
The piece in the middle is actually a small piece it sits on the arch structure overlapping it.
and the one on the right sits on top of the middle. I do plan on putting more rock in though. I think there’s plenty of space to add more. I want to do more on the right side as well.
That’s good advice thank you.
 

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Don't worry too much about the uglies. This happens with dry rock, and all you can really do is let it do its thing. It does make for a good visual tracker of tank maturity, at least.
 
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Don't worry too much about the uglies. This happens with dry rock, and all you can really do is let it do its thing. It does make for a good visual tracker of tank maturity, at least.
 
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Didn’t mean to do that, I typed a post on my build thread and meant to post it here where it belongs. Thought I could copy the post and paste it but it copied the whole thread.
 

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ugly stage in full swing.JPG


Oh good, I was wanting to share a tank pic with people who won't respond with "Is something wrong with it?" or "Don't you ever clean it?" or even "Why don't you have Dory?".

I'm surprised at how... colorful the ugly stage is. Those rocks are a lot more pinkish red than the picture suggests, with some green speckled in. It's prettier than I expected? It'll probably start looking like snot in the next few weeks, but I'll take what I can get for now.

None of the algae blows off with a turkey baster, nor can I scratch it off with a small brush, but I think it's early for coralline algae (~4-5 weeks or so). So I don't really know what kind of algae I have.

I know my margarita snail likes it though, whatever it is, and I only have one of those, so today I might bulk up my CUC.
 
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ugly stage in full swing.JPG


Oh good, I was wanting to share a tank pic with people who won't respond with "Is something wrong with it?" or "Don't you ever clean it?" or even "Why don't you have Dory?".

I'm surprised at how... colorful the ugly stage is. Those rocks are a lot more pinkish red than the picture suggests, with some green speckled in. It's prettier than I expected? It'll probably start looking like snot in the next few weeks, but I'll take what I can get for now.

None of the algae blows off with a turkey baster, nor can I scratch it off with a small brush, but I think it's early for coralline algae (~4-5 weeks or so). So I don't really know what kind of algae I have.

I know my margarita snail likes it though, whatever it is, and I only have one of those, so today I might bulk up my CUC.
ugly stage in full swing.JPG


Oh good, I was wanting to share a tank pic with people who won't respond with "Is something wrong with it?" or "Don't you ever clean it?" or even "Why don't you have Dory?".

I'm surprised at how... colorful the ugly stage is. Those rocks are a lot more pinkish red than the picture suggests, with some green speckled in. It's prettier than I expected? It'll probably start looking like snot in the next few weeks, but I'll take what I can get for now.

None of the algae blows off with a turkey baster, nor can I scratch it off with a small brush, but I think it's early for coralline algae (~4-5 weeks or so). So I don't really know what kind of algae I have.

I know my margarita snail likes it though, whatever it is, and I only have one of those, so today I might bulk up my CUC.
The stuff on the rocks is def coralline. I wish I had that much after 4 weeks. Lol thanks for sharing your tank. It a good looking reef and I like your aqua scape.
And I agree with all the different colors is actually kinda cool. I have red ,green, and brown. It reminds me of Xmas.
 

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