The Ugly Phase - Tidal Gardens SPS Show Tank Episode 3 

Can I get a thumbs up for Shrek Than?

Thank you for highlighting this phase so well and explaining it, rather than minimizing or skipping it. Knowing this part is coming, setting expectations, and noting how to get past it is critical for new hobbyist's... That phase almost made me quite in defeat until I understood it was normal and expected.

That's gnarly. Alot of bound up nutrients in that rock. So this is basically your refugium

I thought you said “sps dominant” This is a display refugium 😂;)

In-tank algae filter... nice.. i have had a couple of those.

Makes a novice like myself feel better seeing more advanced aquarists like yourself stumble. I am sure it'll be great looking after it ugly phase!

It's so refreshing to see this and understand that every epic SPS show-tank had their trials. Gives the hobbyist a sense of: "I'm not a failure, I just have work to do."

Thank you! I was going nuts trying to figure out what was powering the algae growth in my 5 month old nano that I scaped with dry rock. I was trying frequent large water changes and rowaphos, hermits and snails. I also scrubbed with a toothbrush constantly. My water was showing no detectable pollutants and I was at my wits end, although my fish, softies and lps were all happy chappies 😄 This was a lightbulb video for me. Mellissa from Australia.

I am dying!!!! 😂😂😂😂 Shrek and that hair algae forest. 😂😂😂 Holy Heavens to Mergatroid!

That thumbnail... *eyes water*' It's... beautiful...

Damn. I have to say Than has taste in style.

I have a wrasse that has jumped out of the tank 3X! The tank has a lid but it's always when I'm cleaning or adding to the tank. He is one lucky SOB. Last time he landed behind the tank and was barely within reach. I swear he has a death wish. He is stunningly beautiful though. As always I enjoyed the video and the calming of your voice.

Nice to see an honest video. A lot of the big youtubers in the hobby fail to mention this stage which is almost impossible to miss. Bank on week 3-5 to start seeing diatoms and blooms.

You need a sea hair for all that green hair algae they work great in my tank.

Than is a rare type of reefer to share downfalls along with high lights. My new dry rock tank is going though the same thing

I like to wear a tuxedo whenever I talk aquarium.

Many thanks it’s great how you show us you getting in wrong like ourselves 👍😉🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

This is way beyond a “super ugly stage”

This is magnificent. I love the videos you post on your site for the specimens you make available, but also for general knowledge. As of yesterday, I'm now also a first-time customer. Cheers!

I've only ever used dry rock to setup tanks and every time I get the mass amount of bryopsis/hair algae. I don't do too much about it. I introduce snails/hermits after cycling, but they don't do much to the long stuff. Always takes about 3 months for the algae to subside. The way I see it, algae is the base of the food chain and helps to begin building the micro fauna of the aquarium.

I can attest to this. I have had a tank going for almost 1.5 years that started with dry rock. Recently I took a rock out to hammer in half to make some space and it was almost like the inside of the rock was dry. Hair algae started right back up. Would be a cool test to see how long dry rock takes to become 100% saturated all the way thru...

Fish are spectacular! 💜🐠🐟🐠

Thane, I think this is my new favorite update. Loved the personal story about the fox face. There were several things I had not thought about. The point about the older hair algae and how the fish would not clean it up and that it would need to be removed so the fish could clean up the new growth. When I went through the ugly stage I had the opinion that if I had added a tang it would solve my hair algae problem, I could not get a tang and I have since come out the other side of the uglys. It was also eye opening when you mentioned that e v e n w i t h 2000+ gallons in the system that the nutrients bound in the rock were fueling the growth. This was my problem when I got into the hobby last February, old dead rock from a shut down system, that sat outside for a year, and that I did not clean/bleach or cure. At the time I was ignorant, I still am just not about everything in the hobby. Tons to learn, and it sure is fun.

Algae.. fighting the good fight🐠🐠🐠

Would you have been better off not running lights for a while? What about a UV sterilizer?

Today is my birthday and I’m starting up a reef tank, And I live in Akron and I will be getting corals from you sooner or later thanks for posting

That’s going to be a cool show tank !🦐🐟🐟🐟🐟🦀🐠🐠🐠🐠

Time to roll up those sleeves and get plucking...lol.

It looks like my tank when I used Pukani!!! It took me forever to get that ugly phase behind me. Keep up the great info.

Good job Than on getting a foot hold on the algae. Having an army of tangs and CUC sure helps.

Love your content keep it up!

That’s a nice refugium

That’s a nice carpet

Those rocks were leaching phosphates. The algae consumes the phosphates before it can be detected in the water. Some lawnmower blennies and a shit load of electric blue leg hermits and a few weeks would have sorted it out nicely.. also, some lights out as well.

Can't wait to see your sps show tank ....🤩

Oof gotta love the ugly phase! 😬 My tank went through a couple ugly phases until I started seeing the rock mature a bit (going on two months now). After the first one I was like cool that was fast and then bam round two 😂. I have been keeping it in check with my snail army 🐌💪🏻. Gotta love snails!

Tidal gardens going for the planted reef, honestly this with mangroves would be absolutely insane and beautiful

That thumbnail is on point! 🤢🔥

Than et all,you could add some reef safe urchins and a Sea Hare.Dont forget to include some bumblebee snails for some extra buzz to the tank and destroy pest snails and mine eat red cyano.I think it is cyano,I am not at the lab and my olde microscope bit the dust. Happy reefing and why does the little mermaid wear seashells? Doc BC

I’d just get a sea hare, that’ll 100% keep you from having to put your hands in the tank. Guaranteed! Nonetheless, awesome video, awesome tank.

Damn Than, you’re spoiling us with all these videos. Love it 😁

You should check out BRS's series of Investigates on the Ugly Phase. Extremely interesting. From what I understand, a healthy copepod population is a really big help.

I find this funny, as I am a beginner in the hobby and want to dip my feet in slowly from freshwater by doing a FOWLR and a refugium, but a the flow and look of the coating that algae shows could be a decoration in itself.

Love the update and more frequent videos lately

"In tank algal filter" Hey! I've got one of those!😀🤨😖 Cheers, Chris

Coming this Halloween 🎃 The Scariest Tank you’ve ever witnessed!!

I don’t know everybody talks about an ugly stage, and I’ve never been through one knock on wood

👍

The Becca scene totally killed me 😂😂😂

If it was green it would have looked awesome 😂🌱

wow i think i found my new favorite suit

"We've added 7 yellow tangs" What a flex hahahah ;)

OMG. I could not click fast enough here. You are always so sharp looking that seeing you not perfect nearly put me in orbit :)

I do not mind the "ugly phase." To me it is just an interesting season and indication that the tank journey is on. That said, I am pretty "laid back" and rarely in a rush. Some novice questions: a. Does this prove a surplus of food limits aggression? b. Do the rocks that a higher than the frag tank act a sight barriers to limit aggression? c. Could one seed the rock with coraline algae to shorten this phase? Thanks for sharing the "ugly" side, Jim

Damn my foxface and tang (spike+fin) love the long stuff! I purposely buy infested rock like that from people cheap just to pop in their tank for them! They love it. Probably a two in a million pair.

Rebecca! your so prettyy!!!

What do you think of BRS idea on adding copepods as part of the end of the cycle set up

The lip sync was great!

You just did a video about quarantining fish, but I haven't heard about quarantining inverts. Would love to see a video about the process on that if it is any different than quarantining fish.

It's the big rock candy mountain for herbivores, those fish must be in heaven

Another great video Than, I have watched this before like I have with many of your videos, I do have a couple of questions, is it safe to keep lots of Fox face together? And do you think cleaner shrimp would be easy to breed if given their own tank? Thanks in advance 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Hi Tidal Garden, I have a water box Cube 20 and is a new tank with three fish and three corals in there with rock and sands... I’ve finally reached my UGLY phase (early stages) ..... anything I can do to get rid of diatoms easily?

that's what my tank looks like

I was really hoping Than would be dressed as Shrek for the whole video.

another great video guys! can you do a video on how to quarantine snails? is it the same process as fish? thanks again! GO JEN!

how is it still in the ugly phase in over an year? looks like you're treating it for like a refugium that's why it's the only tank with algae my reef still hasn't had any blooms or algae so far used dry rock

This is exactly why new reefers struggle and older reefers sometimes think they have it all figured out and give bad advice about blackouts, reducing feeding, etc. If you start with dry rock your tank will be nasty for a while, especially if it's a natural dry rock like Pukani. I'm planning a new tank and I intend to use mature live rock wither aquacultured in the ocean or rock that's been in someone's tank for at least a year.

The fish look small in that tank haha. Lucky foxface! I moved a while ago.. because I am setting up a new tank I kept my fish in temporary systems and in the fragtanks.. my 4 year old yellow tang jumped.. but I was to late when I found him.. 🥺 after that in an other system I lost 20 fish from brook.. I am never going to move again.

I mean... I still love it lol

nice suit

I think this display has volunteered itself as a refugium

Can we get another video about your quarantine process for those snails?

So, is there SPS in the tank now?

I can't remember, did Than soak the rock in RO/DI water for a while before putting it in the tank? Seems like a few weeks in RODI water would have leached out a ton of those nutrients that the algae are using to fuel that growth.

It’s weird cos I used mostly dry rock in my XXL750 and never had an algae problem even though my nitrates were 5+ and phosphates ~.2 for about 6 months with NO algae eating animals. The only thing I can attribute this is to my fuge outcompeting.

You can see the algae in the yellow tang’s stomach😂😂😂

Which snails did you use?

My man just drops 1000 snails 🐌 in a tank 🤯

Do a 5 day blackout and lower your nutrients. LMFAO 🤣🤣🤣 to bad no body needs to purchase some hair algae. Ya never know 🤔

the 500 dollar yellow tangs

were you guys dosing microbacter 7 ?

the Chewbacca tank!

Hey Than. When are we gonna see mom and dad together in a video? Guessing itll be like an Episode of GQ magazine. 😏

Yeah mine was bad I just kept pulling it and letting get over grown and pulling finnaly settles out

What size is this is tank? going to look amazing one's it starts to mature

can i ask what what is that edgeing around the base of the tank 2:40

Does the copper band and the yellow tangs get along? I’ve heard there don’t get along very well

What is the QT process like for 1000 snails?

Looks like it might be lyngbya, not typical debersia or bryopisis. Its slightly toxic, so not much eats it. Best of luck

My Tangs and algae blenny will get rid of this in a few weeks.

Does your fox face eat from the corals? I’m checking for one but did hear they are not reef safe

Is this a extended version of episode 2 👀😇

I'm glad you avoided Tangocide.

HAHA got like 10k worth of yellow tangs in there now.

Damnnnnnn

That s not hair algae as you said, those are chrysophytes. Treat then with Vibrant. And dose ever 2 weeks.

why not quarantine your live 🎸 rock. 3 months or so. A.K.A cooking. In a dark place. With water charges and stuff

Think I’m about to hit this stage

The greatest myth of reef keeping. Cycling the tank. Start asap with as much corals as possible. Using sea water helps. What do you want to grow? Algaes or corals.

Love the update videos. Ugly or not