Caribbean Biotope Seagrass Tank

Michael Hoaster said:
Great to hear that you agree, Chasmodes. I don't think there are many that do. I love talking about it. Any one else out there into this nature stuff? I'd love to hear from you! It's funny, I didn't start that post planning to get up on my soapbox, but I got there! It helps me to write this stuff down.

I agree, it would be a monumental task to try and duplicate a natural ecosystem in an aquarium. Luckily, we don't have to. We just need to consider our little ecosystems as a whole, then pick the appropriate community citizens-or at least give them a try-out.

When I pick plants, inverts or fish, I first consider how they can 'help' me maintain my tank. If they don't help, they don't get picked. If they pray on a helper, no dice! It can get tricky, building a community to work well together in these little boxes, but it can be done. I love using nature to do most of the work for me. Figuring out how to do it is half the fun!
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I'm very much with you and massively jealous of what is easily available your side of the pond. Overhere if you ask for live sand you will get a sealed bag of clean sand, devoid of life but supposedly with bacteria, basically without all the things that you would want from live sand. It's also near impossible to get more than a couple of species of macro that aren't caulerpa (and only a couple of caulerpa species are common) because we don't have access to them or they cost more than corals due to shipping. So please keep these updates so I can vicariously live through you experiences.
 
Thanks and welcome, Moort82!

It's nice to know someone else is with me on this Mother Nature stuff. I do get some blank stares when I tell folks that I don't use any man made filtration. I try to explain that nature's 'methods' work well for me. It's not that I'm anti-technology. I just thought it would cool to simplify the whole aquarium experience and let nature handle the automation. Some people get excited about controllers or skimmers, I get excited about seaweeds and worms.

It's good to be reminded how fortunate we are over here. Having a small part of your country that reaches into the tropics is a nice advantage we often take for granted.

I'll keep the updates coming! I doubt at this point you could shut me up! Cheers!
 
Believe it or not this is my tank one week after moving into our new house on April 1, 2017. The trio of Royal Grammas took the move well, as did the breeding pair of Yashas. Although none are visible in the photo.

I have just purchased the overflow and other plumbing parts to finally get a sump w/ cheato, so I hear ya on trying to keep things clean using the gifts from Mother nature.

Been using a canister filter filled with Matrix and bacteria as my main strategy to consume excess nutrients, but now I'm on the macroalgae bandwagon.

Hopefully the calerpa will stop going all sexy on me every 2 weeks and I'll be able to add a larger variety of macros.

One thing I am trying to do differently than my past tanks is to run it at 100 watts or less, tired of 1.5Kw.
 
Gongrats on the new home, rucnnefish!

Your tank looks great! I like the black sand too. Start a thread!

Now of course I have suggestions, because it's me and I can't keep my mouth shut. Your rockscape looks great, but all that rock takes up valuable space for plants. Consider removing some to make more room. If you plan to fill your tank with plants, chaeto in the sump will be unnecessary. It will compete with your display plants for nutrients. Caulerpa going all sexy is a sign that it is lacking nutrients. Got a nitrogen source? If not, go get some stump remover (potassium nitrate) at the hardware store.

OK I'll shut up now. Nice work!
 
haha, sorry i bombed your thread Michael, but it is much easier than starting my own. I just took the matrix and canister filter off line and added 20lbs of rock to the tank, I want to see if i can keep the phosphates from bottoming out or going ballistic. I dosed the floro grow hydroponics ferts. a few months ago and I slightly over did the dosage. My nitrates went up to 60-80, and PO4 went all the way up to 5.0. I thought for sure the microalgae would cover everything but none appeared ( the caulerpa still went sexy). The high nutrients did not appear to effect anything other then my pods. That may be attributed to the copper in the ferts. I have been having a hard time keeping BTA's alive for over 6 months without rock in the tank, hence why all the rock, so in effect I'm trying to kill 2 birds with one stone...
The cheato in the sump is also a 2 birds kind of thing. 1. Material for the Grammas to build nests with, 2. Heavy Feeding for Spawning fish nutrient control, plus should be a good habitat for pods when I get a new batch.

Thanks for the advice, it's very much appreciated
 
Bomb anytime! I just want you to start a thread so there's another one to read!

Sounds like you've got a good plan. Best of luck!
 
If I start my own thread I may even break into the 50 posts column and receive full fledged membership privileges. Getting close now after 9 years. Haha I wonder if this one counts?
 
Trust me, you'll enjoy it! My thread is also my tank journal-so handy! Writing all this stuff down is as much fun as aquarium keeping itself. Plus, it's been proven that discussion leads to breakthroughs. I've fully integrated it into my regular aquarium routine. Observe, adjust, record.

Two packages came today. I got bottles of goodies for the plants, inverts and fish, and I got GCE's refugium pack, plus some cerith snails, whose population I want to increase for diversity. My refugium pack has live sand and basically a red macro sampler. I saw spaghetti worms, so I'm happy. There was some interesting rock rubble as well. I did a quick fresh water dip/visual inspection of each plant, before tossing them in, willy nilly. Once I turned the pumps back on they went where they went. I may try and place a few later. Right now I just want them to settle in, without handling them.

I added the new trace element supplement today. That was the one thing I thought could be lacking. Trace elements get used up quickly in aquariums. I don't want any nutrient to limit plant growth. I've got the big three (carbon, nitrogen, phosphate) covered, so basically I'm checking all the nutrient boxes.

I got grasilaria, grasilaria hayi, botryocladia and few others whose names I forgot. Oh, and some more ulva. As usual, I really got my money's worth with GCE. They were kind enough to customize my pack. Best in the biz!

So the bottom of the food chain is coming together. I may go read some Ron Schimeck articles on sand bed fauna. The guy knows his stuff.

I was thinking, how I keep waiting for explosive plant growth and when is it going to happen. I think it may be happening already, but I'm observing everyday and don't see it. I think it is still adjusting, things are being added and a lot of changes have occurred recently. Growth should pick up once everyone is settled in.
 
Michael Hoaster said:
Thanks and welcome, Moort82!

It's nice to know someone else is with me on this Mother Nature stuff. I do get some blank stares when I tell folks that I don't use any man made filtration. I try to explain that nature's 'methods' work well for me. It's not that I'm anti-technology. I just thought it would cool to simplify the whole aquarium experience and let nature handle the automation. Some people get excited about controllers or skimmers, I get excited about seaweeds and worms.

It's good to be reminded how fortunate we are over here. Having a small part of your country that reaches into the tropics is a nice advantage we often take for granted.

I'll keep the updates coming! I doubt at this point you could shut me up! Cheers!
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I used to run a lfs and could get sea grasses and a few other species that I got for some public aquariums and spent hours going through all the little hitchhiker's. Bagged some really cool cucumbers, medusa like worms, brittlestar etc. I think people thought I was pretty weird as well because I was more interested in what was in the bottom of the bag that came with the nice pretty coral than the coral itself.
I also glaze over when someone starts to talk equipment.

It's not all boring here, we could do a nice temperate native tank. I've meant to start one for years but haven't got round to it yet.
 
I'm also with you on preferring natural filtration. I love the diversity of invertebrate life found in the ocean (including coral). Plants are not only beautiful but they change the scape in our tanks regularly with growth and trimming, as well as, providing homes and food for invertebrate life. I'm fascinated with the ecology of it all. That's part of the reason I enjoy this thread. Not only do I get to live out my passions in your pics, but I also learn so much along the way.
 
I agree, wilder, the ecology is fascinating! You're so right about plants, and how they constantly change and change their surroundings.

I'm so glad you enjoy the thread! It's nice to hear, thanks!
 
Here's a few quick and dirty (really) pics, just to record stuff. I tossed all the new plants in, then left for camping over the weekend. They pretty much arranged themselves.


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So the new reds ended up front & center, which I'm okay with at the moment. I did place a couple of reds on the root and wall.


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With them all piled up in front, I can look at them and decide where to put them. The mollies and the gramma have been rooting around in there. They seem to like it.


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From the left end. All these on the rocks grew there on their own. Plants seem to plant themselves without much help from me just fine.


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Note the new sand bed rubble. Isn't that sexy? So natural! Now I wait for spaghetti worms to appear. I saw a brittle star's legs today.


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Some kind of grasilaria, I think.


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You can just see the codylactis, peeking over the big red pile.


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Life finds a way.


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Right end of the sand bed. Note the tiny condylactis. I think it's still improving. Those two reds out on the sand bed planted themselves there. Cool.
 
Nothing like a GCE order to bring new life to the party!

Sure the plants get the most attention, but I'm more excited about the live sand. Once I feel like I have enough detrivores, I'll be ready to add some fish. The barnacle blennies in QT are looking good.

It's coming together!
 
Thanks rucnnefish!

Ironically, I got the plants because I wanted their live sand. They only offer it with their fuge pack, so I ordered that. Then I asked if they could exclude the chaeto and caulerpa and substitute with plants of their choice. They were cool with it. So I basically got (along with the live sand) a mini red sampler with some ulva added, which was perfect. You know you have a good vender when you're not particular about what they send-it's ALL good!

Not much popping up on the back wall yet. In the brightly lit part there is a tinge of green that looks to be cyano bacteria. It appears to be kept in check by the plague of snails and molly fry. I've planted a few macros on the back wall to see how they'd do. They include ulva up near the top, right under the light, two grasilarias (I think), a botryocladia, and a halimeda. The halimeda is supposed to be one that spreads like a ground cover, but so far, no dice.

I'm still trying to figure out what I want to grow on the back wall. I know that I want something that doesn't require constant pruning, like the caulerpa racemosa I had before. I think ideally, I'd have something that requires very bright light, so it would only grow up near the top. This would create a nice overhang that shades the lower wall. That would free me up to try some sponges and other low light possibilities. Also, having the lower wall shaded would provide a nice backdrop for the seagrasses.

So I'm researching the possibilities for back wall residents, while trying out a few plants that I have on hand.
 
I mounted a few more plants today. I must say it's nice to have more color again.

Now, if I can get some good grass growth, I'll be happy. I guess the manatee grass regressed a bit, during hypo salinity. Plus I pruned down ones encrusted with cyano bacteria. The shoal grass did great and now has the upper hand. I do hope these two can coexist peacefully, as they look so good together! After about 3 rounds of pinching, the turtle grass looks nearly defeated. I only see one new blade just starting.

It's an interesting situation to be in, with this sort of 'reset'. I get another shot at getting what I want and what I don't. If I succeed, it demonstrates that even the confines of a box can't stop an ecosystem from recovering from a traumatic event. If we have some understanding of what nature wants and needs, we can help it, so it can help us.
 
Michael Hoaster said:
After about 3 rounds of pinching, the turtle grass looks nearly defeated. I only see one new blade just starting.
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Cool, I was wondering how that was going and was about to ask. I like the look of the Ulva too. Do you think that you can sustain it long term? Have you had any problems with the Ulva?
 
Yeah, I like the look of the ulva too. I'm not sure if I can keep it long term or not. It grows well but so many 'crew members' love to eat it. During hypo, it was a slowly, losing battle. Now, I'm seeing signs it may be able to out grow consumption. But of course the snails and pods are bouncing back as well, so it's tough to call. I've kept it before and it gradually disappeared over time. I think it could be maintained, with enough light and the right combo of nutrients. The only problem with it, is, it is crack to herbivores!

Are you considering it for your oyster reef? I think it would work visually very well!
 
Glad to hear about how GCE is flexible on the fuge pack, I plan to order it as soon as I get my proper lighting for my 90 macro, I can have them leave the chaeto out and substitute something else. I would rather have small samples of the reds and caulerpas to see what takes than the larger portions they have
 
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