Fisker's Macro-focused 20 long!

[Fisker]

Hello! This tank has been up and running for a while now (in various forms), and this is the latest iteration of it, and probably the most permanent. A 20 long is basically about as big as I can go in my current room, and with me starting classes soon, it's about as big as I want to go for the time being. It's nowhere near being complete, though - I don't even have the real rock in, yet. The tank is cycled with filter sponges, which do the trick. The tank is just a bit ugly right now, but hopefully that'll be remedied relatively quickly.

Equipment:
20 Gallon Long Glass
Aquaclear 50
Aquaclear 30
Koralia Nano 240
Aqueon 50W heater
Wattshine 140W LED Box (no optics)
ABI 23W Tuna Blue PAR 38 (soon to be replaced)

Livestock:
Valentini Puffer
Pair of False Perculas
Various Hermit Crabs
Green Toadstool Coral
Green Star Polyps
Hammer Coral (hanging on for dear life)
Rusty Gorgonian
Caulerpa Mexicana
Caulerpa Racemosa Pelata
Gracilaria Hayi
Christmas Tree
Shaving Brush (?)

This tank is going to be a pretty simple macroalgae dominated tank, with some gorgonians and softies mixed in. The plan is to have a pretty simple rockscape, lots of open substrate for macros, and a few large gorgonians. The tank's structure will hopefully stem mostly from the different macros and gorgonians rather than from the rock itself. The tank is definitely in an "in-between" stage right now, as I upgrade equipment for this larger tank. My main concerns right now are getting the rock in and lighting, both of which will take some time - the rock needs to cure, and saving up for a second Wattshine fixture will take time.

In the meantime, enjoy a half front-tank shot (due to the different color temperatures of the two lights) and a picture of my puffer sleeping on the GSP - cause he can.

 

[Big G]

Nice tank. Great shot of the puffer sleeping.

 

[Fisker]

Thanks. He does that on basically every surface of the tank - the Gracilia Hayi, the GSP, the C. Racemosa, and even the gorgonian. Freaked me out at first.

I sorta scaped the left side of the tank, as that's all the rock I have at the moment - I'm looking for some more rock that I like, but have yet to find any.

 

[Devaji]

keep the updates flowing!

 

[Fisker]

I noticed a few long strands of dark brown hair algae this afternoon, and decided I'd do a water change and vacuum out the algae tonight when I got home.

When I got home, I noticed that the absolute majority of the algae is gone. So, I'm wondering if maybe my hermits got it, or if it's possible it was some sort of bacteria that comes and goes.

Thoughts? I don't have any pics of it, sadly.

 

[lizzyann]

Dinoflagellates perhaps? They tend to go away when it gets dark and can gather in long brown strands.

 

[Fisker]

Pretty sure I've got it ID'd as some sort of hair-like cyano. Doesn't disappear like dinos do, and actually grows at night.