Setting up NEW frag grow out tank...what am I doing wrong?

[GuppyHJD]

My display tank is running out of space. I guess a good problem to have. I have Zoas growing on one side glass, montipora against the front glass, almost no rock surface visible. I had three frag racks but I am tired of retrieving frags the turbo snails and urchin have knocked out. And the frag racks sorta block too much of the view. The tank is a 120g so not huge.

I decided to take over the quarantine tank (40g tall). I put two rows of light diffuser on PVC legs to move the frags to. I got a Virspectra LED light. Using two power heads for water movement and a HOB filter.

No sand on bottom.

One month since setting it up - brown/green hair algae growing on frag rack and frags. So far 12 hermit crabs and 6 trochus snails.

Water parameters not dialed in yet. ALK consumption growing. Nitrates and Phosphates low - manually dosing ALK, Nitrates, Phosphates, Microbactor, Phyto daily.

What am I doing wrong? Or just too new and keep working it?

Doing 10g water change now.

 

[cdemoss01]

My display tank is running out of space. I guess a good problem to have. I have Zoas growing on one side glass, montipora against the front glass, almost no rock surface visible. I had three frag racks but I am tired of retrieving frags the turbo snails and urchin have knocked out. And the frag racks sorta block too much of the view. The tank is a 120g so not huge.

I decided to take over the quarantine tank (40g tall). I put two rows of light diffuser on PVC legs to move the frags to. I got a Virspectra LED light. Using two power heads for water movement and a HOB filter.

No sand on bottom.

One month since setting it up - brown/green hair algae growing on frag rack and frags. So far 12 hermit crabs and 6 trochus snails.

Water parameters not dialed in yet. ALK consumption growing. Nitrates and Phosphates low - manually dosing ALK, Nitrates, Phosphates, Microbactor, Phyto daily.

What am I doing wrong? Or just too new and keep working it?

Doing 10g water change now.

My experience with viperspectra is the same your having now. I switched to Kessil less algae.

 

[GuppyHJD]

My experience with viperspectra is the same your having now. I switched to Kessil less algae.

Thanks. The algae started with a different light, which I thought was too much white.

 

[Minifoot77]

Probably just to knew I thought you were plumbing into the display even then a lack of herbivores could promote a great place for all your algae to grow

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Did you seed the tank with anything from the established tank?

 

[GuppyHJD]

Did you seed the tank with anything from the established tank?

I did not. It was my QT box. Just fresh saltwater. With Microbacter7.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

I did not. It was my QT box. Just fresh saltwater. With Microbacter7.

Ahh, then there's your answer. If you only used bottle bacteria to seed nitrifying bacteria, you're going to have to allow the tank to mature like you did with the other tank.

If you want to kickstart it, then provide the new tank with the robust bacteria colonies and microfuana from an established tank.