Ugly stage has started, clean up crew for this?

[1979fishgeek]

I’m just over 8 weeks into my cycle, all is going well ammonia and nitrite been zero for couple of weeks now even after feeding the single Damsel fish, nitrates bottomed out strangely so I’ve fed a little heavier and phosphates were at 0.8 but I’ve started using GFO.
I had to recently start 2 part dosing as had a beautiful coralline algae appear almost overnight and it started sucking out the elements. Diatom are nearly burnt out but have been replaced by a algae which is almost like a micro sea lettuce and some wire like string algae. I’ve reduced photo period as think I had the metal halide on too long so have T5 (actinics) for 8 hours a day and metal halide reduced from 5 hours to 3 hours. Hopefully this is also just the usual uglies of new tank, but….

What clean up crew for this sort of algae and how many would you recommend for 400l tank? Any other recommendations?

Coralline algae growth in just two days since I started using reef zlements z-complete has been awesome, so I’m not wanting urchins! Lol

Thanks everyone!

 

[blaxsun]

Urchins, ring cowries, spiny astrea snails...

 

[lulubap]

I’d recommend throwing some blue legged hermits in there, tiny little guys that get detail work done for you. You could go with the classic trochus, they’re always a bare necessity for tanks. You could try ceriths, nerites, turbos. Best of luck

 

[Lavey29]

You definitely don't want to use GFO in a new tank with unstable parameters and it it very unlikely you have coraline after 8 weeks unless you started with live ocean rock. Coraline typically starts on plastic parts like powerheads long before rocks.

 

[1979fishgeek]

You definitely don't want to use GFO in a new tank with unstable parameters and it it very unlikely you have coraline after 8 weeks unless you started with live ocean rock. Coraline typically starts on plastic parts like powerheads long before rocks.

Not live rock, but I seeded the tank with a plug covered in coralline algae several weeks ago. In my experience coralline can start quite quickly in the right environment.

 

[Syntax1235]

Is your tank big enough for a Tang or foxface?

 

[1979fishgeek]

Is your tank big enough for a Tang or foxface?

This tank holds just over 400l with the sump, but main display is only 3x2x2 probably be ok till I upgrade as I’m already planning another 6x2x2 mixed reef, so by the end of next year a Tang can be moved over to new build. I’ve been thinking of getting a Convict Tang but can’t make my mind up what fish I want….too many to choose from! lol

 

[Lavey29]

Not live rock, but I seeded the tank with a plug covered in coralline algae several weeks ago. In my experience coralline can start quite quickly in the right environment.

Have you tried using a tooth brush to see if that tpink purple algae on your rocks brushes off easily?

 

[1979fishgeek]

Have you tried using a tooth brush to see if that tpink purple algae on your rocks brushes off easily?

It’s def coralline, beautiful deep purple one, same colour as the plug I put in which had a gorgeous coralline species that eventually starts to create little plates and whorls. Ive had to use a scrapper to remove it where’s its on the glass. Plus Few weeks ago I had steady drop in alkalinity, calcium, magnesium and then pH went to 7.8 which was when I started a regular water change schedule (ATM Hot Salt) but I continued to see a slight drop which was when I decided to start dosing 2 part, since dosing the coralline has really grown well so I’m pretty sure it was the cause of the slight drop in Alk etc, as it’s growing like crazy now.
It’s probably about time I started a proper clean up crew, I was taking things slow but you know how every tank has a mind of its own. Lol