Rozlyn's E170 Macroalgae Build

[Rozlyn]

Hello!

Per my welcome post, here is my Red Sea E170 build thread.

Tank parts list:
Red Sea E170 AIO and I'm using everything included except the skimmer
Tunze Osmolator 3155 ATO
Trigger System Sapphire 5g Reservoir
BRS 200w Heater with Helio Controller
VorTech Mp10 with Vortech Battery Backup

Saltwater mixing station parts list:
BRS 5 stage RO/DI
RO Float valve
EZ Angle stop adapter
Two 10g Norwesco water tanks
Jebao DCP-5000 Pump
Eheim 100w Heater
Way to much PVC and PVC parts that I need to itemize that totaled up to SEVEN trips to Home Depot to purchase.

First off, my first E170 was delivered completely destroyed so I had to wait for my replacement tank to be delivered. Thanks to Red Sea for pushing that through asap during the crazy holiday rush. Also, thanks to BRS for making a decent video on how to put it together because that instruction manual was worse than an Ikea manual.

Secondly, no one really goes into how absolutely annoying putting together a saltwater mixing station is. It took 2 days of me and my FIL on our hands and knees cutting and gluing PVC and somehow not ****** it up with all the precise measurements we had to make. There was even a tense moment where we realized halfway through that we never measured how far the pump needs to be from the designated saltwater mixing tank and somehow we lucked out that the row of valves was already in the right place for it all to fit together somehow. Also, I still haven't figured out why my float valve doesn't turn off the RO/DI filter properly and still spits out waste water. That was trip number 7 to Home Depot to find an inline shut off valve for the incoming water line because I was about to tear my hair out after unseating and reseating every tube in that filter multiple times.

Thirdly, all that headache was worth it as I watch my tank cycle in my living room. I discovered a lot of people in my social sphere either had a freshwater or a saltwater tank long ago and my constant updates have them considering getting back into the hobby. I'm like a fish keeping virus!

Stuff inside the tank:

Fiji Rock from FB Marketplace from a former reefer who moved onto Koi ponds
CaribSea Arag Alive Fiji pink sand
Live Reef Rubble from Aquabiomics
AlgaeBarn Ultimate Cycle Kit


My aquascape:



My saltwater mixing station:

Yes the Norwesco tanks are sitting on a piece of floor tile as the Jebao was too tall and we had to lift the tanks just enough to bring everything level. I always hated that pointless counter in the downstairs bathroom but now it has a purpose.



It sure has been a journey and I haven't even purchased my first fish yet!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Hello!

Per my welcome post, here is my Red Sea E170 build thread.

Tank parts list:
Red Sea E170 AIO and I'm using everything included except the skimmer
Tunze Osmolator 3155 ATO
Trigger System Sapphire 5g Reservoir
BRS 200w Heater with Helio Controller
VorTech Mp10 with Vortech Battery Backup

Saltwater mixing station parts list:
BRS 5 stage RO/DI
RO Float valve
EZ Angle stop adapter
Two 10g Norwesco water tanks
Jebao DCP-5000 Pump
Eheim 100w Heater
Way to much PVC and PVC parts that I need to itemize that totaled up to SEVEN trips to Home Depot to purchase.

First off, my first E170 was delivered completely destroyed so I had to wait for my replacement tank to be delivered. Thanks to Red Sea for pushing that through asap during the crazy holiday rush. Also, thanks to BRS for making a decent video on how to put it together because that instruction manual was worse than an Ikea manual.

Secondly, no one really goes into how absolutely annoying putting together a saltwater mixing station is. It took 2 days of me and my FIL on our hands and knees cutting and gluing PVC and somehow not ****** it up with all the precise measurements we had to make. There was even a tense moment where we realized halfway through that we never measured how far the pump needs to be from the designated saltwater mixing tank and somehow we lucked out that the row of valves was already in the right place for it all to fit together somehow. Also, I still haven't figured out why my float valve doesn't turn off the RO/DI filter properly and still spits out waste water. That was trip number 7 to Home Depot to find an inline shut off valve for the incoming water line because I was about to tear my hair out after unseating and reseating every tube in that filter multiple times.

Thirdly, all that headache was worth it as I watch my tank cycle in my living room. I discovered a lot of people in my social sphere either had a freshwater or a saltwater tank long ago and my constant updates have them considering getting back into the hobby. I'm like a fish keeping virus!

Stuff inside the tank:

Fiji Rock from FB Marketplace from a former reefer who moved onto Koi ponds
CaribSea Arag Alive Fiji pink sand
Live Reef Rubble from Aquabiomics
AlgaeBarn Ultimate Cycle Kit


My aquascape:



My saltwater mixing station:

Yes the Norwesco tanks are sitting on a piece of floor tile as the Jebao was too tall and we had to lift the tanks just enough to bring everything level. I always hated that pointless counter in the downstairs bathroom but now it has a purpose.



It sure has been a journey and I haven't even purchased my first fish yet!

Love the aquascape design!!!

 

[Rozlyn]

Love the aquascape design!!!

Thank you! Here are the side views. It's kind of hard to see all the little holes that the fish can swim through since all the beige on beige blends in.



This was my first iteration and I'm glad I didn't stick with it. There were less hidey holes to dart through and limited cave opportunities under the base rocks.

 

[Rozlyn]

Time for an update!

Current stock:

3 Astraea snails (the Rockettes)
1 Trochus snail (Honorary Rockette)
1 Cerith snail (Escargot)
1 Feather duster (FiFi)
1Fire Shrimp (Chakra)
1 Tiger Pistol Shrimp (Tonka)
1 Yellow Watchman Goby (Gregoire)
2 Banggai Cardinals (Zebra herd)

The deceased, may they rest in peace:
1 Firefish

Today's tank picture. As you can see I am recovering from the ugly stage and there is still some small amount of visible diatoms here and there.



It's been going pretty well. My only loss so far has been the Firefish who appeared to be a happy little fish who ate a ton and was out and about a lot. The next day however, he had stuffed himself into a small hole in the rock work and was just hanging halfway out from this little hole limply. It was a bit traumatizing having to tug his little tail surprisingly hard to pull the body out.

Chakra the Fire Shrimp has molted three times already and I assume Tonka has at least once as he's gotten fairly big already.

I can't wait until spring so I can pick up some more macroalgae because so far its fairly empty with just some Gracilaria in there. Now that the diatoms seem to be in remission, I can look into getting a Gorgonian or two also.

I don't know what fish I want next. I know I eventually want a Mandarin but it's WAY to soon for that. Everyone's stories of their clownfish biting them has turned me off on the idea of a clownfish so I'm a bit at a loss. The husband wants a Skunk Cleaner Shrimp but that doesn't solve my fish conundrum. Any suggestions knowing my stock list?

 

[docforestal]

Looking great,look forward to watching it grow

 

[scottkoji]

Time for an update!

Current stock:

3 Astraea snails (the Rockettes)
1 Trochus snail (Honorary Rockette)
1 Cerith snail (Escargot)
1 Feather duster (FiFi)
1Fire Shrimp (Chakra)
1 Tiger Pistol Shrimp (Tonka)
1 Yellow Watchman Goby (Gregoire)
2 Banggai Cardinals (Zebra herd)

The deceased, may they rest in peace:
1 Firefish

Today's tank picture. As you can see I am recovering from the ugly stage and there is still some small amount of visible diatoms here and there.



It's been going pretty well. My only loss so far has been the Firefish who appeared to be a happy little fish who ate a ton and was out and about a lot. The next day however, he had stuffed himself into a small hole in the rock work and was just hanging halfway out from this little hole limply. It was a bit traumatizing having to tug his little tail surprisingly hard to pull the body out.

Chakra the Fire Shrimp has molted three times already and I assume Tonka has at least once as he's gotten fairly big already.

I can't wait until spring so I can pick up some more macroalgae because so far its fairly empty with just some Gracilaria in there. Now that the diatoms seem to be in remission, I can look into getting a Gorgonian or two also.

I don't know what fish I want next. I know I eventually want a Mandarin but it's WAY to soon for that. Everyone's stories of their clownfish biting them has turned me off on the idea of a clownfish so I'm a bit at a loss. The husband wants a Skunk Cleaner Shrimp but that doesn't solve my fish conundrum. Any suggestions knowing my stock list?

Looks great!

 

[Rozlyn]

My tank has so much color now!



I keep going back and forth if I have cyano or not on my rocks but it just won't come off with a stiff toothbrush scrub and it never displays on the sand. The spots I can't get to with a toothbrush up near all my macro have been turning a traditional purple sooo coralline I guess? The snails have been scraping it off when they slurp through during their nighttime munchies so it hasn't been taking over either way.

My first feather duster did pass away due to some unfortunate tunnel digging by my pistol shrimp. The tube was in the way and he decided the only way to get where he wanted to go was right through the middle of the tube. My other coco worm is as far from the shrimp's territory as possible so he should be safe.

Now to learn how to culture copepods so I can get that mandarin goby.

 

[Rozlyn]

It's time for another update.

I gave in and bought two clownfish for my husband and honestly they've been hysterical to watch. I am unsure if they are intending to dive bomb my watchman goby or if they just like swooping down into that area where he and the pistol shrimp build underground skyscrapers. All I know is the goby gets ticked and tries to threaten them and they just la di da and float away before they zoom around again and buzz past him 10 minutes later.

I bought a tuxedo urchin and a half pound of various sized seashells so he would have appropriate hats but instead he camped out RIGHT under the light with the tiniest algae piece and got what looked like a massive burn mark and passed away after 2 weeks. Now the half pound of seashells has disappeared under the sand to support the pistol shrimp's architecture. I was probably premature on purchasing him and I feel terrible about it and will not be getting another one.

I moved my Halimeda to the sand and its growing again as it was turning white and dying off. The Hypnea mostly melted away until the last crumbs were left and now it's almost as big as the original purchase. The LFS had some Ulva crumbs so I bought all of it and got an acclimation box and put the smallest pieces inside so they didn't blow around. I wish there were more flowy green algae options that wasn't caulerpa since most of it is illegal in CA. The Gracilaria is out of control and I have to snip it down weekly to prevent it from taking over the whole tank.

I also impulse purchased two saltwater acclimated juvenile mollies as I wanted algae eaters who would be docile. They promptly got put into the acclimation box to get bigger as one of them fell into the back of the tank because he was so small.

My husband decided that he wants the fish to boop his hand for brine shrimp so now everyone knows if they boop the hand, they get freshly hatched brine shrimp. Cleaning the tank has become an exercise in frustration as they are dive bombing my hands from all angles and I'm just trying not to hurt anyone on accident. I'm waiting for the day they decide that booping doesn't work and someone bites

I am completely done with adding more livestock and now will just maintain what I have and enjoy it until the itch to upgrade to a bigger tank is unbearable.




Current stocklist:
2 Clownfish
2 Banggaii cardinals
2 Mollies
1 Pistol shrimp
1 Watchman Goby
2 Feather dusters
1 Coco worm
1 Fire Shrimp
1 Tiger Sponge (moved to the shade and not in front anymore)
3 Gorgonians
Many snails and a conch
Gracilaria Hayi
Hypnea Pannosa
Halimeda Opuntia
Ulva

 

[Rozlyn]

Oh I forgot to include my tank infrastructure changes. I bought an IM Spin Nozzle which I aim toward the top of the tank which creates a lot of turbulent surface agitation. I also got a second MP10 and stuck it in the back bottom of the tank.

Since I'm not using the skimmer, I bought a huge roll of filter floss and I have been cutting it long enough to cover the entire grill opening to catch any detritus. I wish there was a way to hold it into place better as right now I'm using the two included stiff filter sponges to hold it against the grill. It works pretty well since I'm intentionally keeping my water with elevated nutrients for all my filter feeders and macroalgae. I read that another reef2reef member was doing the same thing with the pinned filter floss idea but he was using the skimmer to hold his floss into place.

Also, I am so glad I sprung for the MP battery backup as I have NEVER had so many electrical outages ever in my life until I bought a saltwater tank. The weather this year has been WILD in CA!

 

[Diastro]

A fellow CA macroalgae enthusiast! I feel your pain about caulerpas being banned here. Tanks looks awesome so far, It's making me excited to set up a second macroalgae tank.

 

[Rozlyn]

A fellow CA macroalgae enthusiast! I feel your pain about caulerpas being banned here. Tanks looks awesome so far, It's making me excited to set up a second macroalgae tank.

Of course you need TWO macro tanks! Your first tank is small and thus plenty of space for a second. That pink hair algae invasion of yours is a trip. If you are going to have an invasion, you might as well get a fun color.

 

[Rozlyn]

Another month, another update!



As you can see the Gracilaria is continuing its tank dominance. I ripped out a ton from the left side to try and provide more light to the Ulva patch. I think I might just fully remove it from the left side as it obviously doesn't need to own two whole sides of my tank. My Hypnea however, is spreading out nicely on top of the Gracilaria mountain like a little purple hat.

I keep going back and forth on getting a purple ribbon Gorgonian but I don't know exactly where to put it as my female clown loves to dig around in the sand bed so I don't want to take it away from her. I'm still trying to find the best spots for my Gorgonians as the Candelabra doesn't really like it in the corner right there as only the polyps facing the light will open. It probably wouldn't be so bad if I could open the curtains to provide light on the left side but its just to hot (104 today!) to have them open.

Next week I be leaving on vacation for the first time since setting this tank up, so I'll need to start portioning out food to make it easier on my house sitter. I'm sure she'll be fine as she's taken care of numerous types of animals and freshwater tanks but this will be her first saltwater tank.

 

[Rozlyn]

Post vacation update where I tell everyone that my best friend hates my fish and I realized the extent of how much I putter in it every day to keep it looking nice.

Long story short, I had a real bad cyano breakout while I was in Las Vegas. Sheets of red slime just smothering everything. Every day I watched my webcam to assure my friend that no everything looks fine, my heart sank even further at how ugly everything was getting. Also, she felt that she might have tapped to many TDO pellets in so the tank probably got overfed at the same time as zero maintenance was being done.

I tested my parameters and yeah, they were off the charts. Over the next 3 weeks, I did 3 huge water changes in addition to the nightly calcium carbonate/Microbacter7 dosing. I also pulled out all of my ceramic bricks (which were disgusting) from the back and put the skimmer in. This is probably a thing I'm not supposed to do but I pulled out all my Gracilaria and dunked and swished in various buckets of clean saltwater until the final bucket water wasn't black and put it all back in. RIP my copepods but there must have been so much trapped detritus exacerbating my issue that I removed by doing this.

It's looking a lot better and everything has pulled through. My nutrients are still elevated but they are slowly dropping back into balance. I did impulse purchase some Botryocladia and Caulerpa Paspaloides because might as well throw in some more algae to suck up the excess nutrients right? One of the Botryocladia bunches had a minor amount of GHA attached to it so my mollies helpfully removed it for me...while also ripping off the grapes to get to the GHA...thanks guys. Didn't even eat the grapes, just spit them right out.



So yeah, lesson learned is to buy an auto feeder so the sitter only has to worry about the cat and dog the next time I go on a long vacation.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Post vacation update where I tell everyone that my best friend hates my fish and I realized the extent of how much I putter in it every day to keep it looking nice.

Long story short, I had a real bad cyano breakout while I was in Las Vegas. Sheets of red slime just smothering everything. Every day I watched my webcam to assure my friend that no everything looks fine, my heart sank even further at how ugly everything was getting. Also, she felt that she might have tapped to many TDO pellets in so the tank probably got overfed at the same time as zero maintenance was being done.

I tested my parameters and yeah, they were off the charts. Over the next 3 weeks, I did 3 huge water changes in addition to the nightly calcium carbonate/Microbacter7 dosing. I also pulled out all of my ceramic bricks (which were disgusting) from the back and put the skimmer in. This is probably a thing I'm not supposed to do but I pulled out all my Gracilaria and dunked and swished in various buckets of clean saltwater until the final bucket water wasn't black and put it all back in. RIP my copepods but there must have been so much trapped detritus exacerbating my issue that I removed by doing this.

It's looking a lot better and everything has pulled through. My nutrients are still elevated but they are slowly dropping back into balance. I did impulse purchase some Botryocladia and Caulerpa Paspaloides because might as well throw in some more algae to suck up the excess nutrients right? One of the Botryocladia bunches had a minor amount of GHA attached to it so my mollies helpfully removed it for me...while also ripping off the grapes to get to the GHA...thanks guys. Didn't even eat the grapes, just spit them right out.



So yeah, lesson learned is to buy an auto feeder so the sitter only has to worry about the cat and dog the next time I go on a long vacation.

Tank is doing great!

 

[Rozlyn]

My tank is o-fish-ially a year old!

There have been a few changes so we'll start with the sad.

Both of my balloon mollies ended up being male so one was taken back to the LFS after having his tail fin ripped in half. I need to decide if I'm keeping the other or acquiring a female or two for him.

My female clown has murdered every single feather duster so the feather duster dream has died. Only a singular coco worm has been spared her wrath and I have moved him as far as I could from her preferred area.

The saddest thing is however, my yellow watchman goby died on me. I don't know how or why but one day I was sitting there watching the tank in my chair and my pistol shrimp tossed him out of their cave. He had no marks or scuffs or anything on him...just limp and dead. My shrimp is still bulldozing around in his cave complex but he never ever comes out past the front door anymore. I'm still trying to decide if I want a different watchman like a spotted one or get a high fin goby to replace him.

On the other hand, the happy news. I acquired a Mandarin goby who was not in the greatest of shape at the LFS but now he has grown quite chubby on his Dinkins copepods and he even eats the mysis shrimp and pellets that fall to the sand. I named him Camofrog after the Animal Crossing character because he really does camoflage into the macro and for his cute little frogesque face.

I also acquired a Lettuce Nudibranch because my husband was unrelenting and had to net off my overflow and my pumps because it promptly tried to yeet himself into the overflow so I knew his propensity for self harm was high.

Otherwise, I am quite happy with my tank. My male clown, YooHoo, is either sucking up to his woman, Nyoomo, or sleeping in the blue hypnea when she kicks him out from her spot. The balloon molly now named Tino from Tina, still cuddles in my hand when I do tank maintenance. The cardinal, Cardi B, just chills out in the middle of the gorgonians all day. The mandarin is always on the move with his little hummingbird fins which has been a lot of fun to watch.

The best part is my conchs' hilariously goofy little faces and the contortions they put themselves into to reach stuff on the sand bed.

Now, Pictures!