Caribbean Biotope Seagrass Tank

[Michael Hoaster]

I did try one non-photosynthetic gorgonian. It didn't make it. I think it may have required target feeding, which I am waaaaay too lazy to do. They are beautiful!

I do have some tiny tunicates that come and go. I think they fluctuate with my sodium silicate dosing and phytoplankton feeding.

 

[Lord_Blackadder]

Cool tank. Not many people keeping seagrass! I've tried Halophila a few times but never had much luck with it. My flameback angels seem to eat it before it gets going.

A few weeks ago I found some Thalassodendron ciliatum growing on piece of coconut husk that was half buried in sand. Thalassodendron is different to other seagrasses in that it doesn't need a deep substrate. In Mozambique I've seen it growing on almost bare rock. It's been in my tank for 3 weeks now. Some of the original leaves are dying off but there are 6-7 new sprouts that are growing about 5mm per day. I'm not sure if this species is available in the US (seems to only be common in East Africa) but it could be a good one to try!

Not my pic but gives a good idea what it looks like:

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Welcome Lord Blackadder!

No I haven't seen that one. Gorgeous! We pretty much only get seagrasses from Florida and the Caribbean around here, and even then, the selection is small and usually out of stock.

Good luck with it! I'd love to hear how it goes/grows, going forward.

 

[Subsea]

Michael,
I am also very interested in NPS, but filter feeders in general. I have kept flame scallops for 18 months and sea apples for two years. By far, the Sea Apple was my favorite. Both move until they are happy where they are. In the case of flame scallop, they don’t like light and hide. Not so with the Sea Apple, one positioned himself/herself/itself at the peak of rocks in middle of tank. After stirring course substrate with big particulate floating everywhere from 25 year old Jaubert Plenum, the Sea Apple went to work. It was pure schronized art. With a circular row of tentacles, each with numerous capture cups on each tentacle. To ingest captured food, only one tentacle at a time can be inserted into mouth. Tentacle enter mouth, mouth closes enough to remove captured particulate as tentacle is withdrawn. The next tentacle with food is already curving downward as the just cleaned tentacle is removed.
I think I have a utube link on my website. I will see if I can post it.

 

[Subsea]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FDt8QTAp0Cs

Video is four yrs old. Tank was 20 yrs old at that time: 75G Jaubert Plenum on top with 30G mud/macro refugium on bottom.

 

[Michael Hoaster]

I have considered flame scallops, and studied them a bit. I'd love to have one. Right now I'm looking at filter feeders that eat particulate, rather than dissolved organinics. So, I'm going to try some feather duster worms. My tank is still accumulating detritus, so I'm trying to fill that niche with appropriate detritus/particualte feeders.

 

[Chasmodes]

Subsea, that sea apple is really cool. Nice vid and tank!

 

[Michael Hoaster]

I've got some duster clusters on the way! Feather duster worms filter particulates. Since I am accumulating particulates/detritus/mulm, these would seem to be helpful in reducing the buildup. I'm kind of excited about getting these growing on the fake root. It should look pretty cool!

I also ordered a red tree sponge. I know they are difficult, but I started getting some growth out of the last one I had, before I treated the tank with hypo. I've been studying up, so we'll see!

I've been VERY tempted to get some new fish into QT. But I want to give it more time to cycle. I don't want to add to their considerable acclimation stress, with nitrite poisoning! I'm not settling for anything less than ideal conditions, so no impulse buys!

 

[Subsea]

Red Tree Sponge in Bright Light

Red Tree Sponge in Bright Light

Would bristle worms help with detritus. Do spaghetti worms as suspension feeders capture paerticulate. However, I agree with you, I much rather “feathers in the air” than “hairs in the sand”.

It has taken my red tree sponges a month to get right. I suggest high current to blow off stuff. It was quite unsightly. Sometimes I even assisted with a soft tooth brush.

Sorry. My picture posting skills are weak. I think that my resolution is too detailed and uses too much file. When I learn to adjust settings, I will be back with pictures.

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Yes, I think bristle worms would help. I had them in my last tank, and they just got out of hand-they were everywhere! I admit I think they are ugly, and I'm pretty happy that none have shown up. I'm hoping to get some reproducing micro brittle stars instead. Spaghetti and other sand-dwelling worms do capture particulates. I'm trying to diversify my particulate/detritus crew, to see if I can get the buildup to stop. I'm hoping that a diverse crew can accomplish this.

I see in another thread, you are attempting a Chili Coral, in your new cryptic refugium. I look forward to following your progress, as they are another particulate filter feeder that Steve Tyree mentioned in his book. Good luck!

The red tree sponge should be right at home in the dimmer end of my tank. I'm hoping this one is attached to a rock. Otherwise, it is difficult to get the sponge 'planted' in a stable position. Given that hitchhiker live rock sponges have done well in my tank, I think there is plenty of food for them to eat.

The duster clusters and sponge should be here tomorrow. Stoked!

 

[McPuff]

Don't remember if you have a cucumber (or more) but this may also be something to consider. The caribbean/florida sea cucumber eat sand (and poop it back out clean) so this would be a cool option to help keep the upper layer of sand clean. They are ugly but that also makes them cool in my opinion. :0)

Yes, I think bristle worms would help. I had them in my last tank, and they just got out of hand-they were everywhere! I admit I think they are ugly, and I'm pretty happy that none have shown up. I'm hoping to get some reproducing micro brittle stars instead. Spaghetti and other sand-dwelling worms do capture particulates. I'm trying to diversify my particulate/detritus crew, to see if I can get the buildup to stop. I'm hoping that a diverse crew can accomplish this.

I see in another thread, you are attempting a Chili Coral, in your new cryptic refugium. I look forward to following your progress, as they are another particulate filter feeder that Steve Tyree mentioned in his book. Good luck!

The red tree sponge should be right at home in the dimmer end of my tank. I'm hoping this one is attached to a rock. Otherwise, it is difficult to get the sponge 'planted' in a stable position. Given that hitchhiker live rock sponges have done well in my tank, I think there is plenty of food for them to eat.

The duster clusters and sponge should be here tomorrow. Stoked!

 

[Chasmodes]

Michael, the new additions should make for a very interesting view on future pics from your dark view photo angle, and fun to watch.

 

[Michael Hoaster]

McPuff, I do have a cucumber. It's a pretty, white one! He's doing a good job, except he doesn't like the bright light over the DSB, which is where I need him the most. So, occasionally, I move him there.

Chasmodes, I agree! Can't wait!

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Well, I got my order in from Aquarium Depot. The duster clusters were very small, and the sponge isn't in great shape, but they're in.

 

[Michael Hoaster]

I've been having a diatom bloom for the last several days. I think it was caused by my silicate dosing, and possibly the brighter light. I did a partial water change and added charcoal and GFO to my canister filter. Diatoms are easy to clean but not easy to export, which I need to do. Last night I figured out an export solution. Towards the end of the day, a lot of it pearls then rises to the surface. I noticed a lot was collecting up there, so I took a net to it and voila! Diatoms exported! I also added some phytoplankton for the filter feeders, in hopes that they will suck up more silicates.

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Pretty quiet, here in the macro section lately! Me, I have to keep posting. It's therapeutic! And it helps me keep up with all my ideas…

As I have noted, I still have some detritus buildup in my tank. I've been researching detrivores and particulate filter feeders, to fill out this critical niche in the ecosystem. One critter I've been interested in for a long time, but never made an effort to get is the Mysis Shrimp. Well today I've made an effort. I have ordered 200 of them, and they should arrive on Wednesday!

From what I've read, they're good detrivores, interesting to watch, and with luck they may reproduce. It would be awesome to get a stable population, keeping detritus down, while also providing a live, hunt-able food source for all my little carnivores.

I'm dying to get new fish, but I'm cycling my QT, so I wanted to take this time to fill in the gaps in the food chain, before the fish parade.

 

[Subsea]

Michael, you should strongly consider a Sea Apple. I have kept them for more than 2 years with a less developed bio diverse system than you have. I have had them die in a tank and decompose for several days while I was away. When I pulled out Sea Apple, it was more than foul smelling, if was putrid smelling. Consider this, they eat a gumbo of detritus, bacteria and larvae of all sizes. Sounds like what we grow in our tanks.

 

[Pandagobyguy]

Michael, you should strongly consider a Sea Apple. I have kept them for more than 2 years with a less developed bio diverse system than you have. I have had them die in a tank and decompose for several days while I was away. When I pulled out Sea Apple, it was more than foul smelling, if was putrid smelling. Consider this, they eat a gumbo of detritus, bacteria and larvae of all sizes. Sounds like what we grow in our tanks.

No poison issue? I've always heard they kill everything when they die

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Thanks for the suggestion, Subsea! I have done a little reading on sea apples. Very interesting creatures. They don't really qualify as particulate feeders though, and that's what I need. They eat phytoplankton, and a lot of it. So rather than helping out with particulate consumption, they compete with other dissolved organic matter consumers, like sponges. I do feed phytoplankton occasionally, but sea apples need it daily, or they gradually shrink and starve to death. I cannot justify the cost of keeping them well fed, in my situation.

If I had a phyto grow out setup it might be worth it, but I don't.

 

[Subsea]

While I have not read anything about apples other than what Live Aquaria says. From my observation while keeping them healthy for two years, they feed on large particulate captured in the water column. I will see if I can find a video of an Apple feeding. It was pure synchronized choreography. With a row of arms surrounding mouth and extending out to end with capture small tentacles. When tentacles capture food, the signal to ingest, triggers the arm to bend inward to the mouth. Tentacles must be completely inserted in mouth triggering mouth closing as tentacles are withdrawn scraping off food from tentacles. As one arm is withdrawn the next arm is bending inward.