Mini Macro Display (Fluval Evo V)

JoannaCora · Apr 29, 2021

Here to show off! Set up this 5 gallon AIO on Tuesday, the star of the show is meant to be the macroalgae, however, it is seemingly pretty sparse. Just wait for it to fill in! There's a lot of halimeda opuntia that I trimmed down to nubs before deciding to use the left rock in this tank, so I'll have to arrange that better once I know where it is. I also crushed up a lot of coralline algae on that rock, hoping it'll take to the rest of the tank.

Inhabitants:
Curlique anemone - rock hitchhiker (which I look at every day and think "it's aiptasia... no, it's not... wait it definitely is... nahhh")
Jewel box clam - rock hitchhiker
Pterogorgia guadalupensis (merely my best guess)
3 hermits
Couple zoa frags
Ricordea florida mushroom that chooses to hide in a hole against all my wishes
Codium fragile
Gracilaria hayi
Gracilaria sp.
Halimeda opuntia
Halymenia sp. or botryocladia sp. (I'll know better when it grows out)

A few closeups:

Thanks for looking!

mdrieder · Apr 29, 2021

How long has the tank been up? I'm surprised all the direct sunlight isn't causing any issues!

JoannaCora · Apr 29, 2021

mdrieder said:
How long has the tank been up? I'm surprised all the direct sunlight isn't causing any issues!

As stated above, just set it up on Tuesday, so two days. But it only actually gets direct sunlight for about an hour, otherwise it’s blocked by the trees or house

JoannaCora · May 29, 2021

Exactly one month later, didn’t even plan that. Things are looking pretty great aside from some mat algae and the anemone did pop out some babies. I put two peppermint shrimp in to deal with that, which has been successful (they’ll be moved to another tank when the job is done). Added an electric blue hermit, who seems to make dinner out of the gracilaria on the left side of the tank every night, but that’s ok, I just add more as needed. And also added a yellow clown goby, who I absolutely love.