125g 2 in 1 Seagrass Reef

[Michael Hoaster]

Funny you should mention that…I bought that sponge! I've had it in my tank for a month or two. Right now it's sitting on the bottom on the sand. It's attached to a frag block. It looks nothing like the picture, at this point, but hopefully it will color up. Once I rip the caulerpa off the back wall I plan to split it up and place it on the wall. If it colors up like the picture I'll be a happy camper.

 

[ThePurple12]

Funny indeed! Maybe they had it under blue light in the Liveaquaria picture, and it doesn't look the same under white light?

 

[Michael Hoaster]

That's very possible, but I hope not! It would be cool to have several different photosynthetic sponges on the back wall.

 

[vlangel]

Michael, my photosynthetic sponge is recuperated enough for me to send you some of it. I am waiting for more temperate weather and I am going to send it better packaged this time around.

Once my shoal grass gets established I too would like to incorporate it in my display tank. I am interested in ThePurple's tank and the balance of seagrass and coral. It's fun being in this all together!

 

[vlangel]

Oops sorry ThePurple, I did not mean to highjack your thread, I thought I was in Michael's thread. My apologies!

 

[Michael Hoaster]

I was thinking earlier that I was hijacking but I figured we're a close knit group, so ThePurple12 was okay with it. Are you? I don't want to step on toes!

 

[ThePurple12]

I couldn't care less:ape:

 

[vlangel]

I couldn't care less:ape:

Thank you for being gracious. I love this group! Everyone is helpful and not so touchy that we have to tip toe about our differing reef views. It feels like we are all learners in this macro/seagrass topic. I really like that.

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Same here! Hijack my thread anytime. Our discussions are dynamic and evolving, and they drift like currents of sea, from one thread to another. It's good!

 

[ThePurple12]

I need to add dirt! The seagrasses aren’t looking great with the fresh sand. Will I add some tomorrow? Stay tuned to find out.

I went to an LFS and found 3 fighting conchs, for $4 each!! I bought all 3 and they are already moving around in the sand. I also brought home 2 acro frags. Pics tomorrow when the lights are on.

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Get dirty! How you gonna do it? Three Conchs and two sticks sounds awesome. Good luck with it all! Pics tomorrow, oh yeah…

 

[ThePurple12]

I was wondering the same thing myself! It’ll have to be done very slowly. Maybe I’ll dump it down a PVC pipe over/in the sand. Might take a while, as I doubt the dirt would sink very fast.

Any better ideas?

 

[Speaker73]

You could use gelatin capsules filled with dirt but that would take forever.

Size 000

 

[Michael Hoaster]

I was thinking about it. It's a challenging situation. How about getting some of those little seedling pots and planting your grasses in those with dirt, and then burying them in the sand. Or maybe some kind of mesh bags. Maybe these ideas will take you to another, better idea.

 

[ThePurple12]

You could use gelatin capsules filled with dirt but that would take forever.

Size 000

Hey Speaker, I've never heard of that, can you elaborate?

 

[ThePurple12]

I was thinking about it. It's a challenging situation. How about getting some of those little seedling pots and planting your grasses in those with dirt, and then burying them in the sand. Or maybe some kind of mesh bags. Maybe these ideas will take you to another, better idea.

That would be an idea, but that's a lot of pots! I don't have any mesh bags either, but that would also a good idea.

That gives me another idea- fill one of those black plant trays with dirt, add a layer of sand, bury it in the sand bed, and plant plants...again. I'll have to see if I have any trays. Thanks Michael.

 

[Speaker73]

Hey Speaker, I've never heard of that, can you elaborate?

You get large gelatin caps and fill them with mts (mineralized top soil) and push them under the sand. The gelatin eventually dissolves and the soil is capped by the top layer of substrate. It's a freshwater planted tank trick we use to put fertilizer in depleted substrates. We normally use osmocote fertilizer but those things don't dissolve and can work their way out so you have a bunch of yellow balls of fertilizer that you need to remove.

 

[ThePurple12]

Oh yeah, I've used osmocote before in my freshwater planted tank. Sounds cool, where do you get the capsules?

 

[Speaker73]

Oh yeah, I've used osmocote before in my freshwater planted tank. Sounds cool, where do you get the capsules?

You can usually get them off Amazon. The larger capsules are size 000 I believe

 

[ThePurple12]

Hmm, looks like they're too small for my purposes. I'm trying to add a large layer of dirt to the sand bed. Though I can definitely see how they would be useful in other situations. Thanks for the suggestion:bounce1: