Caribbean Biotope Seagrass Tank
- Thread starter Michael Hoaster
- Start date
More grass would be great!
I think if I leave the turtle grass in, it will choke out the manatee grass, as it does in nature, via succession. I was thinking earlier in my tank's life, that I may have to shift focus to the turtle grass, since it was doing better. But now that I've gotten the manatee grass reproducing, I'd really like to focus on it.
Sure, it should eventually outgrow the planter, requiring a manatee/turtle "grazing event" simulation.
I think if I leave the turtle grass in, it will choke out the manatee grass, as it does in nature, via succession. I was thinking earlier in my tank's life, that I may have to shift focus to the turtle grass, since it was doing better. But now that I've gotten the manatee grass reproducing, I'd really like to focus on it.
Sure, it should eventually outgrow the planter, requiring a manatee/turtle "grazing event" simulation.
So, I have this Algae…
So, I have this Algae"¦
It looks like red cotton candy, and I've never been able to fully eradicate it. So if I can't do that, maybe I can put it in a place I don't mind it so much. I remember when there was some on the fake root. It looked cool, billowing in the current. Hmm.
A small collection. Pretty ethereal stuff. Not easy to capture with monofilament.
Got some! It of course came off when back in the tank, so I had to recapture a few times.
Finally I got some tied down. Not a great pic, but you get the idea.
Turns out this may be another freeby/hitchhiker from GCE. They've got something called Hetereosiphona gibessii, or cotton candy algae. The photo shows stalks for theirs, where mine don't have stalks, so I'm not sure.
I turned off the main pump, to give it time to attach. Will leave off for a day or two. If this works, it could look pretty cool, like underwater flames!
So, I have this Algae"¦
It looks like red cotton candy, and I've never been able to fully eradicate it. So if I can't do that, maybe I can put it in a place I don't mind it so much. I remember when there was some on the fake root. It looked cool, billowing in the current. Hmm.
A small collection. Pretty ethereal stuff. Not easy to capture with monofilament.
Got some! It of course came off when back in the tank, so I had to recapture a few times.
Finally I got some tied down. Not a great pic, but you get the idea.
Turns out this may be another freeby/hitchhiker from GCE. They've got something called Hetereosiphona gibessii, or cotton candy algae. The photo shows stalks for theirs, where mine don't have stalks, so I'm not sure.
I turned off the main pump, to give it time to attach. Will leave off for a day or two. If this works, it could look pretty cool, like underwater flames!
Turns out, that project was an exercise in futility. I guess the tang has a taste for cotton candy.
I thought of another method for attempting to get it to grow on the fake root. Next time, I'll try smearing/rubbing the alga on the desired locations. Maybe if I get enough started, some can get a foot hold.
I thought of another method for attempting to get it to grow on the fake root. Next time, I'll try smearing/rubbing the alga on the desired locations. Maybe if I get enough started, some can get a foot hold.
karimwassef
Active member
It was a good feeding clip 
I'm seriously considering removing the turtle grass. Huge PITA.
They're doing well, they're multiplying, but they are not the seagrass I wanted. And, if left unchecked, they will displace the manatee grass, which is the one I do want.
They're doing well, they're multiplying, but they are not the seagrass I wanted. And, if left unchecked, they will displace the manatee grass, which is the one I do want.
saltwater sam
New member
If you were to remove the turtle grass, would you get more manatee grass or would you just let the ones you already have expand?
More manatee grass, for sure.
Removing the turtle grass is going to suck.
The problem is the roots. They are big and spread extensively through the DSB. When I moved a small group of them awhile back, I was shocked by what was going on down there. I didn't get all the roots, and now new turtle grass plants are growing there.
Uprooting approximately 29 plants will be a huge blow to the tank's overall wellbeing, setting it back months, I think. More than half of my DSB would be brutalized. It would be preferable to find another way, less devastating to the system.
What if I cut off all their leaves, halting photosynthesis? I imagine this could work, but it would take a long time, with multiple prunings required.
Or I could rip out small portions each weekend, over the course of a month. This would give everyone more time to adapt.
It seems odd, removing something a lot of folks would be happy to have. It really comes down to the fact that I never planned to grow turtle grass in the first place. It was a last minute decision I made, when ordering manatee grass, which they were in short supply of, at the time.
Let's face it, keeping a planted tank is a form of gardening. What do gardeners do most? Killing and moving/removing undesirable plants.
I'll have to think on this, while I stockpile my gumption for a bit. I'm open to suggestions!
The problem is the roots. They are big and spread extensively through the DSB. When I moved a small group of them awhile back, I was shocked by what was going on down there. I didn't get all the roots, and now new turtle grass plants are growing there.
Uprooting approximately 29 plants will be a huge blow to the tank's overall wellbeing, setting it back months, I think. More than half of my DSB would be brutalized. It would be preferable to find another way, less devastating to the system.
What if I cut off all their leaves, halting photosynthesis? I imagine this could work, but it would take a long time, with multiple prunings required.
Or I could rip out small portions each weekend, over the course of a month. This would give everyone more time to adapt.
It seems odd, removing something a lot of folks would be happy to have. It really comes down to the fact that I never planned to grow turtle grass in the first place. It was a last minute decision I made, when ordering manatee grass, which they were in short supply of, at the time.
Let's face it, keeping a planted tank is a form of gardening. What do gardeners do most? Killing and moving/removing undesirable plants.
I'll have to think on this, while I stockpile my gumption for a bit. I'm open to suggestions!
karimwassef
Active member
Can I ask a question? Have you ever used Miracle Grow to see the effect on your grasses?
I'm laying here on my couch, tank watching. One thing is clear-snails rule. Having two reproducing species gives me an army of tiny algae eaters. I'm sure there are a hundred on my front glass alone. Unsung heroes!
Yes to unsung heroes. Include the amphipods and the copepods in that number. Not only are these guys good detrivores but they feed our tanks. In adult form, pods feed fish and anemone. In larvae form they supply live zooplankton to hungry filter feeders, including coral.
Well, the caulerpa is still growing strong and the tang is fat. The manatee grass grows taller as well. It looks so nice in the current! The royal grammas are behaving like horny teenagers. As soon as they mature, the male is going to be bizzay! The anemone may have settled down in the left rear corner.
Thank you, tajaba. I did have ulva in my tank, up high, very close to the light. It likes plenty of nutrients and bright light. It's a shallow water species, so probably in the 5000 - 6500K range. Hope that helps!
My manatee grass is getting tall. The longest blade is four feet long!
Same here, Subsea. I could watch it for hours. I do!
I do have current in both directions. I have the main pump blowing left to right across the front. I have a tunze classic powerhead hidden inside the fake mangrove root, blowing right to left across the back. This gives me a crude gyre flow.
While I love wave makers, I am going for tidal current characteristics, rather than waves, as the manatee grass prefers strong tidal flow. The seagrasses undulate beautifully in this setup.
I do have current in both directions. I have the main pump blowing left to right across the front. I have a tunze classic powerhead hidden inside the fake mangrove root, blowing right to left across the back. This gives me a crude gyre flow.
While I love wave makers, I am going for tidal current characteristics, rather than waves, as the manatee grass prefers strong tidal flow. The seagrasses undulate beautifully in this setup.
