Tigahboy's Macroalgae Tank(s)

TuxUrchin07 · Jun 25, 2021

Nice tanks!

Tigahboy · Jun 28, 2021

My UNS 45A has been battling dinos (specifically ostreopsis) on and off a few times now. This most recently bout was pretty bad. Check out the photo below from last week.

I typically fight them off with UV sterilizer, upping nitrates/phosphates, adding pods and phyto, but it usually takes a few weeks. Based on some discussions I had with another reefer on Instagram (@cristata.reef), I decided to dose iron after noticing I had no detectable iron in this tank (I used Brightwell Aquatics Ferrion for this purpose). After 4 days of dosing iron, all visible dinos are gone! Check out the after photo I took yesterday.

Supposedly the added iron helps the macroalgae better compete with the dinos, but I'm definitely no expert on this topic and don't want folks to construe this post to mean iron is the magic solve for dinos. So please do your own research and of course, individual results may vary.

cristata.reef · Jun 29, 2021

Tigahboy said:
My UNS 45A has been battling dinos (specifically ostreopsis) on and off a few times now. This most recently bout was pretty bad. Check out the photo below from last week.

I typically fight them off with UV sterilizer, upping nitrates/phosphates, adding pods and phyto, but it usually takes a few weeks. Based on some discussions I had with another reefer on Instagram (@cristata.reef), I decided to dose iron after noticing I had no detectable iron in this tank (I used Brightwell Aquatics Ferrion for this purpose). After 4 days of dosing iron, all visible dinos are gone! Check out the after photo I took yesterday.

Supposedly the added iron helps the macroalgae better compete with the dinos, but I'm definitely no expert on this topic and don't want folks to construe this post to mean iron is the magic solve for dinos. So please do your own research and of course, individual results may vary.

Thanks for the shoutout!

Tigahboy · Jul 15, 2021

Trying out something new. Re-did my UNS 60S to really showcase the mangroves in there that were just tucked away towards the back previously. I added an AI Prime HD Freshwater version over the mangroves to the right and an AI Prime HD Reef version to the left so I can add some coral as well. I plan to make this a Florida-specific "biotope" and include things you would find in Florida waters (at least that's my initial plan). Let me know what you think.

Soren · Jul 15, 2021

Tigahboy said:
Trying out something new. Re-did my UNS 60S to really showcase the mangroves in there that were just tucked away towards the back previously. I added an AI Prime HD Freshwater version over the mangroves to the right and an AI Prime HD Reef version to the left so I can add some coral as well. I plan to make this a Florida-specific "biotope" and include things you would find in Florida waters (at least that's my initial plan). Let me know what you think.

I think that looks really neat and is a very interesting plan! I hope to have mangroves on one end of my 125 reef, so I may be a bit partial to this look...
Are those air plants on the driftwood to the right? ...or bromeliads? Whatever they are, that makes a nice little display also.

Tigahboy · Jul 15, 2021

Soren said:
I think that looks really neat and is a very interesting plan! I hope to have mangroves on one end of my 125 reef, so I may be a bit partial to this look...
Are those air plants on the driftwood to the right? ...or bromeliads? Whatever they are, that makes a nice little display also.

Thanks! And yes, air plants.

Soren · Jul 15, 2021

Tigahboy said:
Thanks! And yes, air plants.

Very neat! I am again inspired by your thread!

VR28man · Jul 15, 2021

like the concept. Any ideas on what you might specifically be keeping in there?

-XENOMORPH- · Jul 17, 2021

Tigahboy said:
Update on my UNS 5N. Been battling dinos in this tank for weeks. But I've finally gotten things under control after adjusting a bunch of things, but I'm going to add a UV sterilizer to finish them off once and for all as well. A few recent shots of this tank (pretty filled in now!).

Lot more halimeda in this tank. Trying to give it a different look than my other tanks with more rigid and delicate looking algae.

Hitchhiker ulva/sea lettuce.

Pretty centerpiece feather duster.

Coming together!

Is that neotherm set at 86 ? Are all ur macro tanks set at a higher temp?

Tigahboy · Jul 17, 2021

VR28man said:
like the concept. Any ideas on what you might specifically be keeping in there?

Aside from macroalgae and maybe gorgonians, still up in the air.

Tigahboy · Jul 17, 2021

-XENOMORPH- said:
Is that neotherm set at 86 ? Are all ur macro tanks set at a higher temp?

I have my heaters attached to inkbird temperature controllers set at 76.

WheatToast · Jul 22, 2021

Tigahboy said:
Aside from macroalgae and maybe gorgonians, still up in the air.

seagrass...
Seagrass...
SEAGRASS!!!

https://aquaticusplants.com/shop

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-04/sl/index.php

Marine Plants in the Aquarium

macroalgae, marine plants, caulerpa, refugium substrate, marine macroalgae for sale

www.marineplantbook.com

Syringodium filiforme, Halodule wrightii, and Halophila engelmannii would probably do best with their low lighting requirements.

Also, have you considered adding a clingfish (not the Urchin clingfish)? LiveAquaria sells "Caribbean black clingfish" on Diver's Den occasionally (they're labeled as Arcos rubiginosus but I believe they are actually Stippled clingfish or Gobiesox punctulatus). Gulf Specimen Marine Lab also sells the related skilletfish, (Gobiesox strumosus). They can become quite tame but they might eat very small fish.

Tigahboy · Jul 22, 2021

WheatToast said:
seagrass...
Seagrass...
SEAGRASS!!!

https://aquaticusplants.com/shop

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-04/sl/index.php

Marine Plants in the Aquarium

macroalgae, marine plants, caulerpa, refugium substrate, marine macroalgae for sale

www.marineplantbook.com

Syringodium filiforme, Halodule wrightii, and Halophila engelmannii would probably do best with their low lighting requirements.

Also, have you considered adding a clingfish (not the Urchin clingfish)? LiveAquaria sells "Caribbean black clingfish" on Diver's Den occasionally (they're labeled as Arcos rubiginosus but I believe they are actually Stippled clingfish or Gobiesox punctulatus). Gulf Specimen Marine Lab also sells the related skilletfish, (Gobiesox strumosus). They can become quite tame but they might eat very small fish.

seagrass would be really cool. great rec!

VR28man · Jul 22, 2021

The seagrass recommendation is interesting - i was told that you need a decent size (more than 1 sq foot) and depth (3" sandbed min for the shallowest species, more for others, and of course a good extra bit of depth - 10+ inches? - for it to grow.

@WheatToast is gour experience different? I'm Curious because I'd also be interested in a seagrass nano

Tigahboy · Jul 22, 2021

VR28man said:
The seagrass recommendation is interesting - i was told that you need a decent size (more than 1 sq foot) and depth (3" sandbed min for the shallowest species, more for others, and of course a good extra bit of depth - 10+ inches? - for it to grow.

@WheatToast is gour experience different? I'm Curious because I'd also be interested in a seagrass nano

Another issue is my tank is only 7" tall. LOL.

Tigahboy · Jul 27, 2021

Bahama Llama/Remy visited my house a couple weekends ago! He made this video about it on his Youtube Channel:

Daniel@R2R · Jul 27, 2021

Tigahboy said:
Bahama Llama/Remy visited my house a couple weekends ago! He made this video about it on his Youtube Channel:

Awesome!

ClownWrangler · Jul 30, 2021

Tigahboy said:
Trying out something new. Re-did my UNS 60S to really showcase the mangroves in there that were just tucked away towards the back previously. I added an AI Prime HD Freshwater version over the mangroves to the right and an AI Prime HD Reef version to the left so I can add some coral as well. I plan to make this a Florida-specific "biotope" and include things you would find in Florida waters (at least that's my initial plan). Let me know what you think.

I don't know what's native to Florida, but I'm picturing a sort of minimalist desert scape with small balls of thicket type macro sparsely spread out up the slope like tumble weed. Something like gracilaria tikvahiae and patches of thick branched coraline. Maybe A few chunks of codium toward the top. Plenty of open space for some little hermit crabs to roam around. Maybe a pair of fire shrimp as well. They will stand out quite well.

Tigahboy · Jul 30, 2021

ClownWrangler said:
I don't know what's native to Florida, but I'm picturing a sort of minimalist desert scape with small balls of thicket type macro sparsely spread out up the slope like tumble weed. Something like gracilaria tikvahiae and patches of thick branched coraline. Maybe A few chunks of codium toward the top. Plenty of open space for some little hermit crabs to roam around. Maybe a pair of fire shrimp as well. They will stand out quite well.

I think I'm ditching the Florida specific concept. LOL. I've actually added a bunch of additional macroalgae and a few new mangroves. I'll try to take some photos over the weekend and post them up.

I'm trying to go for beach vibes now with this tank. I'd like hermits since that seems like a quintessential beach inhabitant, but still trying to figure out what hermits I can keep safely with my macroalgae. I've noticed scarlets going for certain macroalgae, so probably no to that.

ClownWrangler · Jul 30, 2021

Tigahboy said:
I think I'm ditching the Florida specific concept. LOL. I've actually added a bunch of additional macroalgae and a few new mangroves. I'll try to take some photos over the weekend and post them up.

I'm trying to go for beach vibes now with this tank. I'd like hermits since that seems like a quintessential beach inhabitant, but still trying to figure out what hermits I can keep safely with my macroalgae. I've noticed scarlets going for certain macroalgae, so probably no to that.

Blue leg hermits are supposed to be safe. I'm thinking of getting some in my next reefcleaners order. They are like $0.60 each. Another thing that came to mind is that blue hypnea looks a lot better when viewed from above. You have quite a bit in your older tank. Maybe you could transfer some of it a get some more red in that other tank. Then you can give me some of the leftovers. Lol.