Macroalgae Mayhem

[BenThereFraggedThat]

I thought I would start a new build thread. My original thread/tank is in limbo while I await my new, bigger tank so I thought I would start one on my new tank I took ownership of last week. I was trolling FB Marketplace (much to my wife's chagrin) and ran across a post for a macroalgae tank. The price seemed VERY good (almost too good) so I jumped on it. The build went into my wife and I's office where it gets lots of natural light!

Equipment Specifications:
Tank: Deep Blue 30 gallon rimless
Light: Radion XR15 G5 Pro w/ ReefBrite Actinic Supplemental lights
Sump: Eshopps RS-75
Filtration: VCA NOSOK 4"
Powerhead: AI Nero 3
Return: AI Axis 40
Heater Controller: Inkbird 306
Heater(s):
Main: Finnex 250w heater w/ controller
Back-up: Hygger 50w heater w/ controller
Wireless Control: Kasa Smart Power Strip

Tank Inhabitants:
- Mocha Storm Clown
- Wyoming White Clown
- Talbots Damsel
- Halloween Hermit Crab
- Orange Ball Sponge
- 5 Blue Leg Hermits
- 4 Spiny Star Astraea Snails

The mangrove was grown from a small sprig I got when I lived in Florida which I grew in a 5 gallon bucket. Now I have a place to continue to grow it out! I'm hopeful the roots continue to spiral around and create more swim-through/structure for fish.

 

[Tahoe61]

It's lovely.

Do you dose any products?

 

[BenThereFraggedThat]

It's lovely.

Do you dose any products?

I do! I dose Brightwell NeoNitrate as well as Chaetogro. Since I just got it up and running in my care, I took a week to see how everything responded/survived the move before starting up dosing. I have discovered this tank is a Nitrate's worst nightmare. I dosed 3 ppm nitrates less than 24 hours ago and its back to reading zero this afternoon. So I have learned that I need to continue dosing the nitrates until I can get a heavy enough bioload to maintain some level of "dirtiness" in the tank.

 

[BenThereFraggedThat]

Since settling in, the tank has developed/revealed some issues. First of all as I alluded to above, the tank is much too clean. This has led to a light (albeit slightly concerning) amount of Dinoflagellates in some areas of the tank. I have increased my nitrate dosing by double as well as I will be getting more fish and clean up crew tomorrow.

The other issues I have discovered are that the tank has red planaria flatworms and a few aiptasia. I have read horror stories about Flatworm Exit so I absolutely will not be using that in this tank. My plan is to solve my bioload issue with fish that will simultaneously solve my aiptasia/flatworm problem. I am picking up a small Melanarus wrasse to eat the flatworms as they are well documented to do that. I have a 150 gallon reef tub and will be upgrading to a 200 gallon tank in the near future so there is no issue if he outgrows the 2'x2' cube. The second fish I am ordering is a Filefish from Biota. I already have one in my 150 that has gotten big, and eradicated every single aiptasia in that tank within 3 days so I have all the confidence it will do the same in the 30 gallon.

 

[Tahoe61]

Since settling in, the tank has developed/revealed some issues. First of all as I alluded to above, the tank is much too clean. This has led to a light (albeit slightly concerning) amount of Dinoflagellates in some areas of the tank. I have increased my nitrate dosing by double as well as I will be getting more fish and clean up crew tomorrow.

The other issues I have discovered are that the tank has red planaria flatworms and a few aiptasia. I have read horror stories about Flatworm Exit so I absolutely will not be using that in this tank. My plan is to solve my bioload issue with fish that will simultaneously solve my aiptasia/flatworm problem. I am picking up a small Melanarus wrasse to eat the flatworms as they are well documented to do that. I have a 150 gallon reef tub and will be upgrading to a 200 gallon tank in the near future so there is no issue if he outgrows the 2'x2' cube. The second fish I am ordering is a Filefish from Biota. I already have one in my 150 that has gotten big, and eradicated every single aiptasia in that tank within 3 days so I have all the confidence it will do the same in the 30 gallon.

Sounds like a great plan.

 

[BenThereFraggedThat]

Turns out a shop near me has a Melanarus Wrasse and its small so instead of waiting, I'm picking her up tonight! Since it happened much quicker than I had originally planned and they're notorious jumpers, I went to Lowes and had arts and crafts time. I took leftover 1/8" mesh and ziptied it to egg crate to create a makeshift lid so the wrasse doesn't jump out. I also got fancy and added a feed door.