Inland Reef's Coastal Lagoon

[inland_reef]

Good to see this tank again, it might be my favorite. I'm finding I'm losing interest in mixed reefs and biotope type tanks are becoming more interesting.

Really appreciate that! I’m glad that the hobby is now starting to trend in new directions (or maybe come full circle ). I feel it’s ever changing what the style people are after in this moment. Biotope style tanks can be as incredibly rewarding as keeping a successful mixed reef too. I just like going against the grain haha. Experimenting and learning how to push boundaries. For example, heres the update on my 2 gal Sw mangrove pico. I changed out my Marco rock to Hakai river stone in hopes to create a sort of tidepool esk look. Hakai stone is usually used in fw aquascapes but is inert so it really should effect the water chemistry in Sw. I guess time will tell.

 

[inland_reef]

Update time. Tank is still going strong. Still full of macros although I have trimmed them back a ton. They were not helping with the overall flow pattern of this peninsula. Had to add a nero3 along with the two mp10 to help with the flow as things grew in. As you can see, the other tank has hit one of the hardest Dino’s I’ve ever dealt with so that tank has been reset and is currently cycling with a really cool concept. More to come soon! Now let’s get onto the best part. The massive photo dump!

Also moved the pico over to the fish corner. Think it fits in well!

 

[littlefishy]

My favorite tank still. That shot before trimming is stunning in a macro way.
How do you manage bubble algae and bryopsis without harming your macro? Ive had to use emerald crabs and they eat everything that's not coral.

 

[KingTideCorals]

Looking amazing, the new tank will be amazing and even better than the original plan!

Love the photo dump, well done my friend, well done.

 

[inland_reef]

My favorite tank still. That shot before trimming is stunning in a macro way.
How do you manage bubble algae and bryopsis without harming your macro? Ive had to use emerald crabs and they eat everything that's not coral.

There is bryopsis and bubble algae in this tank and a lot of of it. I’d say I do a little clean up here and there of the bubble algae but in a macro tank where it has already been introduced it’s kind of hard to get rid of. In my mind it’s not a terrible nuisance as the other macros are fueled to grow with the same nutrients as the bad macros. So more of a manage and enjoy it for its beauty as well.

 

[inland_reef]

The mangroves are starting to grow finally. Did a little shopping a while back to keep them from not becoming super tall. Good to see new healthy leaves.

But the tank got overrun with hair algae after the huge trim. Whoops the downside of macros. Trimmed too much and didn’t reduce the dosing of elements and the little bit of hair algae became a lot of hair algae! Yikes

So I decided flow was also a factor in the hair algae outbreak because of all the gorgonian growth blocking and growing into the flow. Time for a rescape and thinning of extra gorgs! After talking with my good friend @KingTideCorals about the new concept a cool idea formed. I’ve always loved the look of an isolated reef. Just a rock with a bunch of corals trying to live their best life. So the picture below is the first iteration. I removed some rock so I’ve took this really slow as I’m now disrupting a year plus old tank

C. serrulata I believe and a weird piece of Gracilaria parvispora or red ogo. This is a shorter blade caulerpa that I’m using to try and force perspective of the island reef. It’s going to mimic turtle grass fields growing around the island and creating a break from the main rock work the mangroves are growing on.

Some really neat macro sold to me as dragons breath but I believe it’s some halymenia sp.

also wedge wants to catch fish daily. Maybe one day she’ll get one. I really hope she diesnt

the first island iteration after the clearing of all the gunk in the water from stirring up the sand.

These pictures below are from today. I went in and did a big overhaul about a week after the first one to really create the island scape. We’ll see how things grow in in the next few months. Time to keep my hands out of the tank for a while and let nature do it’s thing!

Hope you enjoyed this little update. I need to make a thread for my new setup!

 

[Lowlandreef]

Awesome tank Tyler! Definitely my favorite tank to watch on instagram. It looks so natural. I also really enjoy the video on bahama llama coral's youtube channel. Keep it up

 

[inland_reef]

Thank you!!! I’m trying to bribe Bahama llama coral with macros to come back over and do an update video again for his new setup More time come!

 

[littlefishy]

That red algae growing in your seagrass "meadow " is exactly how my red grape macro looks after it loses its "grapes" and starts growing new stems. Maybe you've identified it by its Latin name, not familiar with the one you mentioned.
This is my favorite tank to watch too.

 

[inland_reef]

@littlefishy i believe I actually mislabeled it. Now that it’s grown in a little, it’s a young shoot of bryothamnion or commonly called red razor macros. It’s sometimes really hard to identify macros from small pieces. Hope that helps. Although I also have botryocladia which is red grape macro in the tank. It’s just also very small but it places on the other side of the tank.