An update since it has been 10 days since my last update:
Tested water a week ago (5.9.2022), only thing thing that changed was:
PH rose to from 8.2 to 8.3
ALK dropped from 8.3 to 7.7
Salinity rose from 33 to 34
Planning on retesting later this afternoon to see what impact, if any, the water change had this weekend.
Did an approximate 25% water change on Saturday 5/14/2022, first one, not counting the initial change after cycling and before adding fish.
Added 4 astrea snails on Friday 5/13/2022.
Tank is still going through the ugly stages. As of now, I do not have a way to test phosphates and my nitrate test kit is salifert. My plan is to start to 'blow' the rock off with a kitchen baster daily to help loosen up some of the growth of whatever it is I have. Will also up my filter floss changes to every couple days instead of weeks.
As far as feeding go, I feel I am light on my feedings. I turn the return pump off, then put a very small pinch of pellet food into the tank to allow the clowns to eat. When they are done, there are typically I would say 10-15 pellets left over.
Fish and single coral seem to be happy, it seems the coral is filing out the frag plug more and more.
I am adding microbacter 7 occasionally to help with the beneficial bacteria diversity and quantity. I do have a bottle of biospira I purchased for the initial cycle, but did not use it because the cycle seemed to progress well enough on its own. Maybe I should add some of it as well to help with the 'diversity'?
Some pictures:
Full Tank:
Close up of ugly stage growth, also for possible suggestions on what it is?