Caribbean Biotope Seagrass Tank

I would advise against moving the root around. Mainly in my experience, the more you move something, the looser it gets​. Next thing you know you're cussing at the root that is sitting in your hand, no longer connected to the rest of it. Lol

How do the rubber bands hold up for you? I have used small little bands to try to keep a toadstool or shroom on a plug, but they​ get brittle and break after a long period of submersion.

Can't you twist the wire on to the root loosely with both hands, then slide the plant in place, and re-tighten it with one hand to cinch it down?
 
I have an idea, what about using clear fluorocarbon 2 lb. test fishing line? Even 4 lb. might work. It is virtually invisible underwater for the most part, although I haven't seen it in an aquarium before.

You can buy a 75 yard spool of 2 lb. test Berkley Trilene fluorocarbon ice fishing line for about $6 from Cabelas. 2 lb. test is very thin. Plus, eventually algae might grow on it making it blend in even more. I believe that folks ice fish out your way so you might find some thin ice fishing fluoro line at a local tackle shop.

Another option are thin diameter green translucent fishing lines that might blend in too.
 
I occasionally knock roots loose when cleaning. They reattach without issue, but I wouldn't want to do it frequently. Since adding rubber bands would be a (hopefully) one-time thing, I think I could get away with it. My main concern is ease of use with this method. Without tying them, I don't get the ends to use as handles, and we're looking at a two-handed operation. Couldn't hurt to try though.

The broccoli rubber bands hold up pretty well for awhile. Then they get brittle and break.

I tried twist ties without success. Might work outside the tank. I've also tried monofilament. Same problem. You need three hands. Could work outside the tank as well, but I'd really prefer to leave the roots attached and in the tank.

Thanks again for the input guys!
 
Just offering alternatives that you might not have considered. Maybe there are some clear zip ties out there that might work too? I was going to suggest them before but they have kind of a large footprint vs. the fishing line that is nearly invisible. Does it matter to you that the rubber bands eventually break? Or would you prefer something more permanent?

BTW, your tank looks great no matter how you do it.

I found these on the web, check these out: http://www.aerorubber.com/clear-bands/?gclid=CPT946ru4tMCFcWKswodq3wCng
 
I appreciate it, thanks! I think zip ties would be too hard for most plants. The rubber bands I'm using do break after awhile, which can be a bummer, but it does keep me looking for something better.

I checked out that site. That looks like what I need, but it looked to be a wholesale, volume situation. I haven't looked at office supply stores to see what they have, so I'll take a look.
 
If your local stores don't carry them, then maybe email Aerorubber or give them a call to see who sells them retail. The might even sell directly to you cheap. Ya never know. They might even send you a sample box or something for free.
 
Good idea, thanks!

I think I finally have enough plant biomass to not feel too lacking. It feels more comfortable. Having the ulva gives me some wiggle room with nutrients and dosing. Controlling its bio mass affords more control.

My sand bed is really crawling with nature, with pods, tiny snails, and worms aplenty. With a magnifying glass, it's pretty entertaining! I can definitely recommend GCE's live sand. And the bonus rubble is divine!

I'm also cautiously excited about the sponges and sea squirts. I've upped the dosing of sodium silicate, and that seems to make an appreciable difference. Silicate is THE key building block material for sponges. My unfiltered tank has tons of DOC, bacteria and who knows what else, plus I dose phytoplankton, so food shouldn't be a problem. So far, I'm very encouraged with growth I'm seeing in all the sponges. I'd be particularly pleased to resurrect two sponges I had written off - the red tree and whatever the purple ones turn out to be. The sea squirts have also multiplied.

This ecosystem is getting up to speed!
 
Thanks rucnnefish. My obsession with the bottom is bearing fruit!

I really do look forward to another gramma harem. Big Daddy 2.0 looks so lonely. But I want to get some smaller guys in first, so it may be awhile. In the meantime I'm enjoying the molly fry. I call them my school of fancy mullet!
 
Thanks rucnnefish. My obsession with the bottom is bearing fruit!

I really do look forward to another gramma harem. Big Daddy 2.0 looks so lonely. But I want to get some smaller guys in first, so it may be awhile. In the meantime I'm enjoying the molly fry. I call them my school of fancy mullet!
 
I don't know about "fancy mullet", more like carp in a duck pond.

And by the way, how can a guy from Colorado, with all that fantastic fishing, not know how to tie a knot to secure that macro, blind folded and with one hand tied behind his back?? Just curious!!
 
Ha! I actually did a lot of fishing when I lived in Florida. When we moved here, I gave fly fishing a try. Not my thing. I came here for the mountain biking, snowboarding and cross country skiing. I'm in heaven!

Now imagine, standing on a step ladder, reaching under the hood and down into a 30 inch deep tank. You need two hands just to tie the knot, which is already very awkward. Now how do you hold the plant in place?

Almost everything I do in the tank, I do one-handed. The cut and tied broccoli rubber bands allow one-handed placement of plants on the roots. First, tying the rubber bands to roots is a two-handed operation. Then, with practice, I've learned to hold the plant in place with my middle finger, while using my thumb and forefinger to gasp the end of the band and pull it away enough to push the plant under it. It's tricky…
 
What about something like this?



My wife occasionally uses these clear rubber band pony tail things. It's about the size of the home button on the iPad. They start out clear and turn yellowish over time so it will blend in well.
They're flat, elastic, and bigger than the dental rubber bands for braces so it won't crush the plants.
 
Michael, you could try those little plastic hose clamps... the kind with teeth that sort of ratchet. You can get white or black. Both would be super easy to use and would not come off. They wouldn't be any more obtrusive than the big rubber bands you were using already.
 
And of course, this plant attachment isn't a big deal, just a minute detail in the grand scheme of things. Your grand scheme is spectacular as is. In time, nature blends everything together eventually.

Glad the sand bed is so alive. I can't wait to do the same thing!
 
Thanks Chasmodes. I am very excited with the sand bed fauna! I've never had so much diversity. I'm trying to give it time to develop and reproduce, while I'm waiting for the fish I want to add next. It shouldn't be too long before I have wall-to-wall 'mouths'.

The condylactis anemone didn't make it. For a while it seemed to be improving, but it never attached and gradually went downhill. I tried to feed it several times and I kept it in good light, but I think it was just too far gone to recover. It is another casualty of the ICH/hypo salinity treatment. I'm not happy about it, but I did what I thought was best in a situation that had no perfect solutions.

I'm also not thrilled with the rate of seagrass recovery. It's so slow! I'm not sure if I did anything to impede progress or not. I think the latest plant tab I used may not have been helpful. I'll look into others. It is possible there is too much competition for nutrients, with the fast-growing ulva. I'm afraid to remove it all right now, but maybe I should crop it back a bit to see if that helps.

Overall, I'm quite happy with the tank's progress. But of course, I'd like to see improvements here and there…
 
Thanks Chasmodes.

Everyday, I see more worms. The bottom community grows more dense.

I was about to post, then I decided to make some quick rounds of my regular fish web sites, to see if anything I'm looking for was available. Bingo, Live Aquaria had barnacle blennnies! On sale! I grabbed three. They're mediums so they're likely bigger than Tim. I'm psyched to get them!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

W
My seagrass tank
2
Replies
23
Views
2K
willychen
W
M
New
Replies
7
Views
420
griss
griss
K
upgrading tank and need more info
2
Replies
27
Views
883
wvned
wvned
J
Algae
2
Replies
23
Views
981
griss
griss
F
Invasive Algae in my tank
Replies
10
Views
603
Timfish
Timfish
Back
Top