An idea to erradicate Macro-Algae

[Ardeus]

Piercho: Here's the lemonade :



I hope that the caulerpa will hang to the little branches too. I named it "No hard feelings"

 

[piercho]

Those little branches had me confused for a moment. I see the little bits of Caulerpa on the rock, now. That rock does not look like "live rock" that is received in the US. Is it volcanic rock, or rock local to Portugal?

Back in the 80's, tank-o-Caulerpa was not uncommon for "advanced" marine systems. I look back at pictures from that era and find some of those tanks more attractive than what is considered in vogue now.

 

[Ardeus]

Madeira is a vulcanic island so, yes, it's volcanic dead rock. I picked it up yesterday on the beach. But it's very pourous, so I guess that in time it will turn into good live rock.

I also have some bits of halymeda and some "sprouts" of xenia.

I don't want to put any fish inside. In a few months, just a shrimp (what do you think about a stenopus hispidus?) and a small cleaning crew.

To tell you the truth, I've never seen a photo of a marine planted tank. I'm going to take your hint and try to see how they look and work (I should have done this before).

 

[piercho]

what do you think about a stenopus hispidus?

Not a shrimp I've kept. Does it need a grotto or place out of the light to feel comfortable? I've kept a Pom-Pom crab - Lybia tessellata - in a 1.5 gallon tank with just one piece of live rock and some soft coral and plants. Its a very difficult crab to keep in a regular tank but in that small tank it did fine.

 

[Ardeus]

The stenopus hispidus normally needs a place to hide, so I would have to make a change in the layout.

Pom-Pom crab: Excellent suggestion. When you get the crab it always comes with the anemonies? And the anemonies are hardy?

 

[piercho]

My Pom Pom crab had a small, white anemone in each claw when I purchased it. I think that they may be obligate on the anemone to survive so I think that it would be normal for them to show up with anemones. I fed the tank a powdered plankton substitute (golden pearls) which would stimulate the crab and mysis shrimp in the tank to be more active so I think it was able to get some nutrition that way. These are very small, fragile, and reclusive crabs.

 

[Ardeus]

I already tried to find them for sale but without luck. They're not common around here.