Are algae, dinos and cyan inevitable?

[zerozero]

Just my opinion but I think having a separate wave maker presents quite a few more options for flow patterns. If it was me I would just remove the sponge, and the maintenance head ache, and allocate budget elsewhere.

I got a Hygger Wavemaker but it turned the tank into a washing machine even on its lowest setting, so I returned it. The tank's flow is ok at the moment but I'm looking at getting more LPS in the future so looking at upgrade options. We'll remove the sponge to tomorrow and see where we're at.

Small world! The Bulldogs were a conference rival of sorts back when I was enrolled up in Oregon. Now I live just a stones throw away. Hope you got to check out some of the local stuff like Yosemite and the Giant Sequoias while out this way. Central valley is quite a different “California” experience than what folks expect from tv/media portrayals.

Ahh The Bulldogs! My uncle had a Bulldogs sticker on his first car after uni. We went to Yosemite and I picked up a pine cone from under General Sherman. We went as far north as San Fransisco, east to Reno and down to San Diego and LA/Disneyland. A proper US two week road trip was quite the experience for a 15 year old.

 

[javajaws]

I'm 3 months in doing a "slow start" - only added 1 fish after 1 month. I've never had diatoms or cyano. A few tufts of hair algae here and there though before I added a CUC a couple weeks ago. I've run UV since week 2 (had a cloudy water bacteria bloom it cleaned up) and running an ATS for the last month that has only recently started growing algae. I started with the dreaded dry rock with 15 lbs real rock in the sump. I didn't run lights for the first 1 1/2 months. No water changes yet although I'll start an AWC regimen soon. Currently have a half-strength CUC and will be adding a few more fish this week then first SPS a couple weeks after that probably.

Note: It wasn't entirely intentional to do this slow of a start but shipping in the summer heat to Texas is generally best avoided. So weather timing has been a factor in my approach.

 

[IceNein]

One hermit killed the other, as they do.

How many grow out shells do you have for them?

Put in a couple astrea snails. Mine never leave the rocks. My trochus goes all over the glass and the rocks. My Cerith snails are all over everything.

I have three astreas that hang out mainly on the glass towards the surface and two trochus that hang out mainly on the rocks, funny. I think my problem is that I have more algae eaters than algae, so I rubber band some nori onto a rock about once a week.

 

[zerozero]

I'm 3 months in doing a "slow start" - only added 1 fish after 1 month.

I was thinking "Wow! They're incredibly patient".... and then I went and had a look at your build thread! I hope you update it with your new fish

 

[zerozero]

How many grow out shells do you have for them?

I had about seven options at the time. That hermit has just moved into an astrea shell in the last couple of days.

The trochus have been a bit disappointing for what I got them for, but I was lucky to get a stomatella snail hitchhiker that is an absolute monster. Goes everywhere but spends most of it's time on the rocks

 

[BillFish Coral Lover]

Thank you. Exactly what I was looking for.

I also forgot to add (Liverpool game is on) that I've been adding Phytoplankton for a few weeks. I introduced copepods last week after lights were off. I'm all for biodiversity, but can't tell if there's been any impact. I'm a newbie so, as I understand it, there's no fish we can add to help us (we have two clowns in 13.5g).

Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea!

 

[BillFish Coral Lover]

Just takes one cell for those to populate a tank

I have not set up a tank ever that did not have an ugly phase with at least one of the uglies

The worst for me was chrysophytes

After you have that, all those you listed are nothing by comparison

You will look all those others is the face and say, "Bah, you're nothing"

Ostreopsis Ovata - the kiss of death. Not your run of the mill dino.

 

[zerozero]

Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea!

We shall see after the international break

Ostreopsis Ovata - the kiss of death. Not your run of the mill dino.

First time I've heard of it. What was your experience of it?

 

[Paul B]

My reef is over 50 years old and I still get cycles of all those things. It's normal and natural.
Most people don't keep a tank long enough to experience these things but if algae and dino's want to grow, they grow.

Sometimes these cycles last a few months or a few years. But eventually they all level out and you get a great tank, as long as you don't add chemicals or do something to upset the natural cycles of the tank.

Most healthy and properly set up tanks will get all of those things until the correct bacteria takes over but it could take a couple of years.
If you SCUBA dive you will see that stuff in all the oceans , even the non polluted ones.

 

[zerozero]

My reef is over 50 years old and I still get cycles of all those things. It's normal and natural.
Most people don't keep a tank long enough to experience these things but if algae and dino's want to grow, they grow.

Sometimes these cycles last a few months or a few years. But eventually they all level out and you get a great tank, as long as you don't add chemicals or do something to upset the natural cycles of the tank.

It's my birthday on Friday, which will make me about the same age as your reef! Your perspective is welcome. I suppose we'll just tackle these as they come.

 

[Solo McReefer]

Ostreopsis Ovata - the kiss of death. Not your run of the mill dino.

Iirc

When I put my chrysophytes under the scope, they had those and long triangular diatom looking structures

The photos are 3 phones ago tho

 

[Paul B]

Happy Birthday.

 

[zerozero]

Happy Birthday.

Thank you kindly. My birthday is tomorrow. Who knew a year ago that my idea of a birthday present was to treat myself to a nano Wavemaker in a marine tank.