Big thanks to all here!

[TheXpander]

So today I finally added 2 Clowns 2 turbo snails and a red hermit. Absolutely amazing to have life in the tank.
So grateful to all the amazing advice found on R2R, would have really struggled otherwise, thanks to all!!

 

[TheXpander]

 

[ShepherdReefer]

Super nice...love it

 

[brandon429]

that's sharp

how did you cycle that fine reef

 

[Zach B]

Very cool!

 

[TheXpander]

that's sharp

how did you cycle that fine reef

Hey brandon429! It was your fine advice on the cycle thread that finally convinced me I was good to go actually. Caribsea live sand with seeded dry rock. Used Dr. Tim’s one and only and dosed with Stability. Added ammonia to 2ppm. Kept monitoring ammonia until 0 with nitrates appearing. Dosed again and rechecked ammonia a few times until it dropped to 0 within 24 hours. Added a Seachem ammonia disc to double check as I totally agree the API monitor is sketchy to show a true zero. It’s great to have the reassurance and shared knowledge from all here!

 

[TheXpander]

Very cool!

Thank you!

 

[reefviper101]

Absolutely the bomb keep it up

 

[brandon429]

Xpander that is awesome, I see fantastic rock and these are the things I wonder lol

there are so many, so so many cycling threads I did not recall seeing these fine rocks before that’s a heck of a clean start there

 

[TheXpander]

Xpander that is awesome, I see fantastic rock and these are the things I wonder lol

there are so many, so so many cycling threads I did not recall seeing these fine rocks before that’s a heck of a clean start there

That means a lot from yourself as your knowledge has given me huge confidence! Will post more as the tank increase however it will be a long haul for stocking personally, slow and sure!

 

[brandon429]

Hey what’s your plan for uglies, expected waves of algae and cyano and possibly dinoflagellates

I say boot them right out when they come (by cleaning the sand, lifting out rocks and killing algae externally, get ready for large water changes when needed, something on point- fast control)

Looking opposite to the above is optional. Old reef rules said we all had to allow it no matter what and then a band of outlaws broke free, who did not want their investments to look like that neighbor who doesn’t maintain their yard he he


this will involve more work in the first year to guide the tank than it will require when it’s five, the work trails down but needs to start busy so that your reef lawn remains enviable

by February it’ll have some uglies and start the trend I would never entertain, but only if it is allowed to misbehave in that way~ how that reef is going to look in February can be chosen right now. It is not a matter of happenstance.

if we pull up the nuisance algae forum, where thousands of dollars of tank life is on the line needing help, which % of new help posts show a permissibly invaded tank vs a cleaned one where the poster is asking for ways to reduce cleaning work? we might agree the ratio is 99 posts to one. 99 posts are full on invasions permitted by the poster


We are trained to filthy wreck our tanks right off the bat, by sitting there and watching the takeover. thats a bunk reef rule. I thought it would be fun to discuss a major choice crossroads coming up it’s where the real fun is, seeing something through to the next other side.

 

[brandon429]

Algae mess !!!

Hello Everyone, So this 40g aquarium is roughly 4-5 months old now and I also have a custom 30g sump. I just got home from a 3 week sail and this is what my aquarium looks like green and bright red algae and lots and lots of hair algae. Ugh it's disappointing. Any tips on how to get rid of it...

www.reef2reef.com

a case study where you’ll be in feb. that reef looks great for its age, those growths are expected they don’t mean any part of the water is bad. Lack of an animal on site to remove the growths is why they’re there.

Stick a siphon hose and guide out that one section of growth, and if you took some sand then rinse it and put it back, only the cyano will be gone.

the rocks- not required to let them beard over. They can be lifted up and the algae removed externally, easily set back down 5 mins of work vs 9 weeks of sustained dosing and buying dosers and altering tank parameters. simple doser-free *work* even if they have to do it once a week is the right way until maturity lessens the work

As coralline grows over the places you keep manually cleaned, those spots won’t need cleaning any more


nano reefs have accessibility that big tanks don’t have, so big tanks use dosers and param changes and nine week waits to see what might happen.

with an action plan your reef with always be this sharp and the degree of work to maintain that might change with the season but the investment looks the same.

 

[reefiniteasy]

So happy for you. I love your rock formation. It’ll be perfect for different levels of coral.

 

[TheXpander]

Hey what’s your plan for uglies, expected waves of algae and cyano and possibly dinoflagellates

I say boot them right out when they come (by cleaning the sand, lifting out rocks and killing algae externally, get ready for large water changes when needed, something on point- fast control)

Looking opposite to the above is optional. Old reef rules said we all had to allow it no matter what and then a band of outlaws broke free, who did not want their investments to look like that neighbor who doesn’t maintain their yard he he


this will involve more work in the first year to guide the tank than it will require when it’s five, the work trails down but needs to start busy so that your reef lawn remains enviable

by February it’ll have some uglies and start the trend I would never entertain, but only if it is allowed to misbehave in that way~ how that reef is going to look in February can be chosen right now. It is not a matter of happenstance.

if we pull up the nuisance algae forum, where thousands of dollars of tank life is on the line needing help, which % of new help posts show a permissibly invaded tank vs a cleaned one where the poster is asking for ways to reduce cleaning work? we might agree the ratio is 99 posts to one. 99 posts are full on invasions permitted by the poster


We are trained to filthy wreck our tanks right off the bat, by sitting there and watching the takeover. thats a bunk reef rule. I thought it would be fun to discuss a major choice crossroads coming up it’s where the real fun is, seeing something through to the next other side.

Hey Brandon,

Interesting take, currently have a brown bloom which I assume is diatoms, all I have read so far says it should clear itself up? Have been tempted to vacuum the substrate though!

 

[brandon429]

Can try either way. The rule that we sit back and allow total takeover at the start is a bunk rule people made up to justify not tending to their lawns

Removing any bad growths does not harm, and the system isn't benefited by leaving in cyano and gha in February as they'll seed the tank for future headaches. The diatoms are easy to manage and are likely to self resolve. Once you see any invasion taking over, simply force it out via deep cleaning and not additives, work like a lawn physical guidance is where reef control is at


Light diatoms coverage is expected and no big deal at all

The cycle can never be undone by sandbed cleaning, full water changes, or taking rocks out of the tank to scrape things off for a little while. Handy for February algae challenge coming up

 

[TheXpander]

Can try either way. The rule that we sit back and allow total takeover at the start is a bunk rule people made up to justify not tending to their lawns

Removing any bad growths does not harm, and the system isn't benefited by leaving in cyano and gha in February as they'll seed the tank for future headaches. The diatoms are easy to manage and are likely to self resolve. Once you see any invasion taking over, simply force it out via deep cleaning and not additives, work like a lawn physical guidance is where reef control is at


Light diatoms coverage is expected and no big deal at all

The cycle can never be undone by sandbed cleaning, full water changes, or taking rocks out of the tank to scrape things off for a little while. Handy for February algae challenge coming up

Yeah, you need to change your name to Yoda.....;Happy

Re-assured about the bed cleaning as I like things clean and tidy!