Is this normal?

[goody]

I've posted a few questions here lately because I started a macroalgae tank and I appreciate the responses. This tank is not a refugium or a display tank but one to hopefully propagate different macros.
The lights aren't great but seem to be working, and the only other equipment is a heater and powerhead. I also recently acclimated 4 mollies to be in the tank.
Some days there is a lot of tiny bubbles on the algae. Is this just the plants producing oxygen? Is it normal and a good sign of growth? It's not always this many bubbles which led me to question if things are normal.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Is there proper flow around the tank and surface?

 

[WitheredMantis]

Dinoflagellates. I get them in my macro display sometimes too. They will disappear with time - make sure nitrates & phosphates don’t bottom out & I find dosing nitrifying bacteria helps!

 

[goody]

Is there proper flow around the tank and surface?

I believe so. I have a Jaebo ow-10 on one end of this tank, and I'm getting movement on opposite side.

Dinoflagellates. I get them in my macro display sometimes too. They will disappear with time - make sure nitrates & phosphates don’t bottom out & I find dosing nitrifying bacteria helps!

I do have Brightwell's NeoNitro and NeoPhos. And thought it might be dinos because you can see some brown stringy stuff mixed in with the bubbles, but I thought all the macro would keep dinos from being a problem.

Came home today and nearly all bubbles are gone.

 

[vlangel]

It does look better. My macroalgae in my display never get bubbles on them.

 

[ptrusk]

You have dinos and cyano. Lots. Tank needs serious cleaning. @brandon429 might be of assistance.

 

[ptrusk]

You didn't say what size tank but I have 2 Ow 10s in a 10 gallon. They are pretty weak. Adding a bit of iron is also good for macros. You really need to clean out the dinos and cyano and get the macro to do it's thing. The lowest members of the food chain are pulling everything out. Removing them decreases competition.

 

[brandon429]

hey that is a neat and rare setup.

with plants in it / as the main focus in the system we can't harm them with chems or altering params to try and starve off dinos in my opinion

if that was my tank it would be disassembly cleaned of all dinos, sandbed rinsed / following skip cycle rules and the plants would be washed off in saltwater, washed in clean saltwater while that growth is rubbed off and rinsed away. the tank would be made spotless by cleaning and then install UV filter/turbo twist for the sustain. tank cleaning first

 

[WitheredMantis]

I’ve found dino’s to bloom in my display if I overdose iron & then they disappear in about a week. I’ve also used Chemiclean in my macro display multiple times before for cyanobacteria with no losses to the algae at all.

 

[goody]

I’ve found dino’s to bloom in my display if I overdose iron & then they disappear in about a week. I’ve also used Chemiclean in my macro display multiple times before for cyanobacteria with no losses to the algae at all.

I believe this to be my problem. Being new to a macroalgae tank, I read they needed regular dosing of iron so I have been using Brightwell's Ferrion without testing as well as occasional dose of ChaetoGro. Read an article last night that said same thing you are. Also dosed Brightwell's NeoNitro and NeoPhos when I started this tank because I didn't think my nitrates and phosphates were high enough for the macros.

You didn't say what size tank but I have 2 Ow 10s in a 10 gallon. They are pretty weak. Adding a bit of iron is also good for macros. You really need to clean out the dinos and cyano and get the macro to do it's thing. The lowest members of the food chain are pulling everything out. Removing them decreases competition.

It is an odd shaped ant farm tank that was used as an ato reservoir on a previous tank. I was recently using it as a refugium on a temporary tank in my garage. The dims are 29"l x 6"w x 16"h, so I believe a little more than 12 gallons. I had the OW-10 on lowest speed and was getting decent movement of macros on opposite end. I just turned it up to the third light for speed. I didn't want too much flow because some macros are free floating.

hey that is a neat and rare setup.

with plants in it / as the main focus in the system we can't harm them with chems or altering params to try and starve off dinos in my opinion

if that was my tank it would be disassembly cleaned of all dinos, sandbed rinsed / following skip cycle rules and the plants would be washed off in saltwater, washed in clean saltwater while that growth is rubbed off and rinsed away. the tank would be made spotless by cleaning and then install UV filter/turbo twist for the sustain. tank cleaning first

Hey Brandon. We've recently been talking regarding my classroom tank and the rip clean on that tank (probably do next one before spring break or let it go until I have to break it down for summer).
This whole system here is an interesting set-up and something new I thought I would try. All of the macros may just end up in a refugium for my 80g build or put some in my classroom tank or in a Fluval 13.5 I recently purchased used. But for now, I have been enjoying it and love learning more about the care of the macros and as long as the macros are growing, I'm okay with it not being a "pretty" display tank.

Some photos of tank tonight.

 

[brandon429]

You could keep dwarf seahorses in there so well wow