Feels like an uphill battle sometimes.

[Super Fly]

That is one huge brittle star! ;Wideyed

I just read your build thread and hats off to you for the amazing DIY skills, WOW. More importantly for the AWESOME JOB on your sobriety and perseverance through all those set backs. BRAVO!!! ;Happy ...BTW, I would never call it a defeat but rather a HUGE victory for you sir!

It would appear the tank is still "mending" itself from those few months of neglect and is not quite there like it was before it crashed... I'd just keep doing what you're doing and patiently wait for the tank to return to its original form while not running the skimmer/GFO/ATS 24/7. When I had a yellow tang, it ate bubble algae but I hear with Tangs it's a hit or miss. I do know Foxface will definitely eat bubble algae.

 

[b4tn]

That is one huge brittle star! ;Wideyed

I just read your build thread and hats off to you for the amazing DIY skills, WOW. More importantly for the AWESOME JOB on your sobriety and perseverance through all those set backs. BRAVO!!! ;Happy ...BTW, I would never call it a defeat but rather a HUGE victory for you sir!

It would appear the tank is still "mending" itself from those few months of neglect and is not quite there like it was before it crashed... I'd just keep doing what you're doing and patiently wait for the tank to return to its original form while not running the skimmer/GFO/ATS 24/7. When I had a yellow tang, it ate bubble algae but I hear with Tangs it's a hit or miss. I do know Foxface will definitely eat bubble algae.

Thats just one, the other one is the same size. They live at opposite ends of the tank lol.

Thanks very much though. I appreciate it. I have had fish tanks from guppies, to cichlid's, to a fairly complex planted tank for probably 30 years. This by far is my most complicated and extravagant tank ever. I am determined lol

 

[HB AL]

I’ve learned over many years not to worry about the little things so long as my fish and corals are thriving.
Aiptasia, bubble algae for me are no big deal. My blonde naso loves the Bubble algae, the aiptasia I use aiptasia x once a month or so to keep it in check where visible, a little cyano on the sand bed no biggie, neither of which affect my fish and corals. Some times you need to step back and not worry about the little things so much or you find yourself adding additives and such to combat these things and make things worse in your waters chemistry and corals and fish end up suffering. In my current tank I have a lot of fish and corals, I don’t do water changes, nothing is automated. I manually dose alk, calcium, and magnesium, add around 5ml or so of nopox daily, Red Sea abcd elements since I don’t do water changes, have all of the above in the tank buts it’s never been healthier than it is now. My sump is simple, I have a vertex skimmer in the 1st chamber, rock rubble and chemipure balls, a bag of phosgaurd, purigen and carbon in the 2nd chamber and a couple return pumps one that flows through a uv light. I pretty much let it do it’s thing. I feed my fish( have a lot) 8 cubes a day and don’t really feed the corals. So just to clarify don’t worry about the little things and you’ll enjoy your tank much more instead of it being a chore. I do have a ton of rocks in my dt and I know that definitely helps things stay balanced. Here are some pretty recent pics of my basic tank setup.

 

[b4tn]

Amazing! You are one of "those guys" I was talking about lol. One of the reefers I know locally doesn't dose anything, no controller, just adds a teaspoon of kalk and does water changes. His tank looks like yours!

 

[mdbronco]

@b4tn - I feel your pain, though 4 years shows that you are in it for the right reasons. I just posted this, so I'll raise a glass to you on this Friday and hope things get more pleasurable soon!

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/g...ng-things-hammer-problem.552374/#post-5681084