- What's up coral people,
my name is Remy and today,
we're gonna tie up a couple loose ends
on the macroalgae display tank.
We all make mistakes, right?
How many times during (mellow music)
a new project build
have you had to go to the LFS several times
or go to the hardware store to get plumbing supplies,
back and forth and back and forth?
Well, I'll admit for this build,
there's something that I forgot about.
And there's also something
that I didn't think I was going to need,
but it looks like we're gonna need it.
Let's get started with the piece that I forgot,
an ATO or an Automatic Top Off system.
I thought I was gonna go in one direction,
ended up going in a different direction.
So I needed a new ATO.
Now sure, I could have topped off by hand.
and I have been for quite some time.
Or another option is to get a tight-fitting lid
that will keep all of the evaporation in the tank.
then you don't have to
refill it as much with fresh RO/DI.
For this build and honestly, all my builds,
I love putting an ATO on the tank
because it just makes things more consistent.
And you gotta think with holiday travel,
as well as summer vacations or spring break,
you might be doing a little bit of traveling.
So it's nice to know
that your tank is gonna be topped off while you're gone.
Now I chose the Duetto from XP Aqua.
I love this ATO for the tiny little form factor
that the sensor has.
If you've got a tight fit in an all-in-one tank,
or you just wanna be discreet
when it comes to the sensor like in this case,
this is a perfect ATO system.
We do offer a couple other ATO systems on the website.
You're looking at the Tunze Osmolator
which I have used in the past.
It's actually on the frag tank right now.
Or if you're looking for a more budget-friendly option,
look at the Exo ATO from ReefBreeders.
The name of the game is stability.
And you'll hear me say that a lot throughout the series.
We wanna make sure, especially in a smaller tank,
that the parameters in this tank stay as stable as possible.
And the piece I didn't think I would need,
but I'm gonna need it now is a wave maker.
There just isn't enough flow in this tank.
Flow is critical because it keeps food
and detritus suspended in the water column
so it can be filtered out through mechanical filtration.
It also carries important nutrients to the inhabitants.
It turns over the surface of the water
which helps with air exchange.
And all of that will lead
to hopefully a healthy environment
for your fish and corals.
And because the plants and animals
that we'll be putting into this tank are usually found
in these shallow reefs, more turbulent waters,
I wanna make this tank move a little bit
so it feels a little bit more natural.
I thought I could get away with the flow from the Tidal 35,
but it looks like I'm just gonna need a little bit more.
So why did I choose the Aqua Illumination Nero 3?
Well, A, because I'm an AI fanboy,
I love the AquaIllumination product line
as you can see behind me,
I've got three primes on the frag tank.
There's another over the Pico tank.
And of course, we're using that Freshwater Prime
over the macroalgae tank.
All of their equipment is super easy to pair
with the myAI app.
And it's so nice to have that whole ecosystem right there
so I can control a bunch of different tanks
from one application.
Another reason is these pumps have been around
for a couple of years now
and they've got great reviews.
They hold up well and they're made well,
which is so important.
So as far as placement is concerned,
the small form factor of this pump
is gonna make it super easy to kind of hide.
And I'm gonna cheat a little bit and utilize
the matte black plastic of the hang on the back filter
to mask it a little bit.
So if you're looking at it from a distance,
you're not gonna be able to necessarily see that it's there.
So I picked out a spot earlier.
I'm gonna go ahead and drop it in the tank
and I'll show you where we're gonna put it here.
And how small it is.
So once we get some cable management,
we should be good to go here but like,
it just disappears in that hang on the back filter.
If you are looking at it from the front,
it's a little bit difficult to see which is perfect.
And that's kind of what we're going for.
Gonna give us the flow that we need in the tank,
but also be discreet.
2000 gallons per hour, totally quiet.
I think that's a win in my book.
And if you're looking for something
a little more budget-friendly,
I'll suggest one of my first wave makers, the Sicce Voyager.
It comes in a couple of different sizes.
And if you're not into the wifi controllability
and all of the extra bells and whistles,
then this is the perfect pump for you
because it's literally plug and play.
As you know and what we've talked about in the past,
the name of the game is stability.
Whether that's a large reef tank or a Pico reef tank,
you wanna make sure
that the parameters are as stable as possible.
And proper flow is definitely part
of your life support system in a reef tank.
Oh, so I heard you've been thinking about
starting your own macroalgae display?
Well, perfect because I've assembled a kit
with everything you'll need
from the link right here, enjoy,
and I'll see you in the next one.