DYI 600g + -

[lapin]

I read the first & last pages of your tank journal. Good stuff.

Did Timfish help get your large tank moved?

From what I read you don't have rabbits or Tangs. In that event, I could help you with both utilitarian and decorative macro. It depends on your preferences.
Let's talk more about what you want your tank to be. I like a lagoon biotheme with mixed garden tank using macro. Most reef fish will forage and hunt in a thicket of macro. Nutritious biofilms cover macro surfaces feeding both pods and fish.

I like Caulerpa Prolifera with a thin bladed emerald green color, it displays very well. Keep its holdfast in the substrate. It's holdfast required me to treat rock with hydrogen peroxide.

Timfish was my go to on the glue up. I had never worked with 1" and he suggest a 2 part rather than #4. That was great advice. Getting the tank form my garage to the house was done with a dolly. After that, it was 8 of us lifting it up and sliding it into place. Timfish missed that one ))))

The only fish i have now thats eats macro is the lawnmower, and thats all he eats. Keeps the stuff I acquired that came with corals under control.
See picture below. It looks similar, but has many fronds coming from 1 small point. No runners I can see.

As far as corals now I have about 14 mostly LPS. Frogs, Hammers, Duncan, Bubble ect. I plan on adding 2 of the larger anemones when my tank is about 6 months to a year old. I like the wavy movement of stuff is why I think macro stuff would be nice.

Flow is moderate Sort of counter clockwise withe mp60's 1 on low and one about 4 out of 10. 1 central spot has 3 sea swirls mixing it up. Too much for pajamas but they have their hang spots out of the flow.

Since I have spots in the tank i can not reach, I dont want to get into a pickle. Example if or when I get aptasia (fingers crossed) peppermints are the only way im going to get rid of them.

Hope this give you some ideas
Cheers

 

[Subsea]

I just recently purchased a dozen lawnmowers for my too many tanks. Sailfin Blennies are the bomb. They are too comical. That is a perfect nuisance algae eater. It will not bother the macro.
I have grown several differrent Feather Caulerpa’s but not Taxifolia. For nutrient export
C. Taxifolia is a good choice. It’s lacy emerald green fronds display very well. To contrast the green feather Caulerpa, Red Grapes are very nice.
https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebooktaxifolia.htm
https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookbotryo.htm

The links I sent are from GulfCoast EcoSystem in Florida. Use their reference link to research info on macro. Russ Kronwetter, owner/diver, is the most pragmatic source of information on Macro algae that I know. There selection of sponges is very nice. If you have been around Timfish much, you should know of his interest in cryptic sponge filtration. He talked me into it about nine months ago and I converted my 25 year old mud macro refugium into a cryptic zone refugium. With sponges I feel that my biological filter is on steroids. To understand cryptic zone filtration, I keep it simple. A byproduct of macro & coral growth is DOC (dissolved organic carbon). Ken Feldman articles at Advanced Aquaria evaluates effects of protein skimming with carbon dosing using DOC as a control parameter.

Protein skimmers remove 30% of DOC
GAC REMOVES 75%
Biological filter removes > 50%

Cryptic sponges use DOC as food with a by product of Marine Snow and DIC. Dissolved inorganic carbon is a food source for coral.

Look at live_plants.com. To get an idea and we can discuss what you like.

 

[lapin]

Cryptic sponges use DOC as food with a by product of Marine Snow and DIC. Dissolved inorganic carbon is a food source for coral.

Yes I see Timfish has nudged you a bit. I have requested that he give me some advice on the cryptic sponge thing.

Look at live_plants.com. To get an idea and we can discuss what you like.

Timfish sent me 10 articles to read about how the "DOC released by algae promotes heterotrophic microbial populations and has been shown to increase pathogenic populations on corals".
Im going for it anyway.
I looked at the live plants site. He was out of stock on a lot of stuff. I opted for 2 sample packs. Red sampler and halimeda sampler. This will give me some idea of what I like. I can then ask you what you have thats close to what I like and will work in my tank.
I have a concern that my Phosphate and Nitrate are dropping and might not be able to support algaes. Nitrate 0.4 Phosphate .08 . I started feeding more and hope this will counter act the drop. Also because of the addition of neo-mag in my cal reactor to raise a very low mag count, mag is now at 1500.

Cheers

 

[Subsea]

Some fast growing Caulerpa, Ulva or Chaetomorphy would not do well in your tank with low nutrients.
John Mahoney at Reef Cleaners has an interesting article on three groups of macro as divided by growth rate: fast, intermediate and pulse. While I don’t completely agree with his groupings, it is an excellent reference.

https://www.reefcleaners.org/stocking-the-sump-refugium

 

[Subsea]

Timfish sent me 10 articles to read about how the "DOC released by algae promotes heterotrophic microbial populations and has been shown to increase pathogenic populations on corals".
Im going for it anyway.
I looked at the live plants site. He was out of stock on a lot of stuff. I opted for 2 sample packs. Red sampler and halimeda sampler. This will give me some idea of what I like. I can then ask you what you have thats close to what I like and will work in my tank.
I have a concern that my Phosphate and Nitrate are dropping and might not be able to support algaes. Nitrate 0.4 Phosphate .08 . I started feeding more and hope this will counter act the drop. Also because of the addition of neo-mag in my cal reactor to raise a very low mag count, mag is now at 1500.

Cheers

While somewhat jumping the gun, I feel that I can recommend two macros to start with: Caulerpa Prolifera and Bortacladia, Red Grapes. I also like Gracilaria Hayi.

https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookprolifera.htm

https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookbotryo.htm

https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookgrachayi.htm

 

[lapin]

While somewhat jumping the gun, I feel that I can recommend two macros to start with: Caulerpa Prolifera and Bortacladia, Red Grapes. I also like Gracilaria Hayi.

https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookprolifera.htm

https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookbotryo.htm

https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookgrachayi.htm

I received my samples. After some thought I have to say you are right on with all 3 choices. Do you have any of the above? Also can you tell me what the feathery stuff is in the back round of this picture?
https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookprolifera.htm

 

[Subsea]

I have all three in differrent settings. Come get you some. It would be laignappe for an Austinite.

I can’t tell from the picture. There is more than one macro in the background.

 

[lapin]

Update with some pictures. Not good ones but then how good can a iphone 5 be. The reactor is now set at 7.2 and I have achieved a some what steady cal (425 to 450) alk (9.3) . Still got the cyano but it does not bug me much anymore. Just another task to do. I think its slowly going away. One thing that has me baffled is the low nitrate and phos. No pink in the test for nitrate. Phos .05. I am feeding more but that just makes the phos go up a little. 14 smaller fish plus the clowns, sand sifter and lawnmower, I do have some green spots appearing on the sides of the tank. Coraline maybe. Also a lot of green starting to appear on the rocks. I do have some macro algae growing. But its not really a lot and its not really growing. Wife says all corals are growing. Some really fast.

 

[lapin]

Stage coach just arrived from Abilene. Tyree starter sponge rocks. Cryptic so, no light, no pictures, no air. Packaged for the scientist. 

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Awesome! Where are you putting your cryptic rocks? I read his book-cool stuff!

 

[lapin]

Awesome! Where are you putting your cryptic rocks? I read his book-cool stuff!

I purchased one of those plant baskets for ponds. its 12" x 12" x 8" deep. I cut out some random holes all over including the bottom. I think the small holes it has, could clog down the road. I tie wrapped 2ea 1" rods to the bottom. That lifts it up for better flow underneath. That went into my sumps middle chamber just before the final set of partitions. I figure it holds about 15 lbs of porous reef rock. I had a bunch of smaller pieces left over. when i emptied out my curing tank. My sump is not lit and has nothing in it. I would call it semi cryptic, ambient light reflection. Its has a lot of pineapple and other small erratic shaped white sponges growing on the acrylic now. Maybe down the road i can get rid of the filter socks. As soon as the live plant guys get back from vacation I'm gona get some more macro for the display. The Gracilaria Hayi seems to grow well in my tank. I will surround some red grape with it. Still playing with the idea of a field of shaving brush and mermaids fans. They both have sprouted new shoots in my tank. Too many choices. Never enough room.

 

[lapin]

Accident waiting to happen. I made this screen for my overflow to keep new additions out of the box. It looks like it makes a good algae scrubber.

 

[lapin]

I have added a 20 gal remote fuge to the setup. It has a under gravel filter with rock rubble and reborn media on top. Instead of sucking water thru it then out, I reversed the flow. Now water is pumped under the filter and comes up thru the rubble bed. Should help the plants stand at attention. Flow looks like about 600- 600 gph. I have some red macro algaes I got from live-plants.com. The light is a viparspectra 300w grow light. It draws 136w so its not really a 300 . I hung it 18' over the water level. I used 2 media baskets as pod towers.I will rotate them between the fuge and the tank. While the fish are snacking on one the other will be filling up in the fuge. Pods come in next week.
The calcium reactor has settled in. 7.0 ph in the reactor and cal 450, alk 8.9, and mag 1485. Tanks ph is between 8.1 to 8.2. The cyano is now gone execpt for a few quarter sized spots in between some of the trumpet coral branches. We now have more hair algae. I ordered 50 more various snails to help me out.

 

[lapin]

Remember that nice clean fuge... Well now its covered with a 1" layer of ulva. Lots of other green stuff growing in there too.
I moved all the red macro to the DT. Here you can see fish at one of the plant beds eating pods or the macro.

 

[McPuff]

Maybe an FTS for the followers?? :0)

Also, did you know that Ulva can be eaten safely by humans (apparently it tastes good too). FYI.

 

[lapin]

Maybe an FTS for the followers?? :0)

Also, did you know that Ulva can be eaten safely by humans (apparently it tastes good too). FYI.

I would not eat the ulva in my fuge. To many pod flat worms that might not be good for me. Hum maybe cooked like spinach for dinner. Little butter and slivered almonds.

I really hate to upload FTS. My old iphone camera is not the best. I have very bad reflections no matter what time of day. The windows (no curtains or drapes) let in a lot of light and at night the tank lights play the same game. Here are 2 shots of the tank at 6 months. I even let the back glass get covered with green stuff just to cut down reflections. Didnt really help a lot.

 

[McPuff]

I don't blame you for not eating it. :0) It was more of a "did you know" sort of comment.

The tank looks great. You could try some cheap gel filters to get better color rendition. It may even help to reduce some of the glare. Otherwise you'd have to try and remove all other light sources.

 

[Tony414]

looking good

 

[lapin]

A little update. Added a torch, 2 wrasses and an angel fish. Happy with all of it. The new fish have changed the dynamics. All fish are swimming around a lot more. Had the cyano come back. I was dosing, trying to get my N and P up. Cyano loved that. I stopped dosing now waiting it out again. Got the bubble algae. Prob from the macro. Added 3 emerald crabs. It has stopped spreading. Need to add about 6 more. Need to find big males. Im hopping to get some tank shots soon. Getting a go pro. I think I can get filters for it. Saw 2 peppermints last week. Early am before the lights came on, hanging upside down on a rock cave. First sighting in about a month. No aptasia. Seeing a lot of tube worms forming on the rocks. They look like little flowers when open and feeding. Expect they came with the sponges I put in the sump. Lot of rain the past 2 months. TDS into the RO is now down to 11ppm. Cant beat that. Clowns been laying eggs every week in one corner. They clean the glass for me in that 1 spot *-))))

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Isn't it cool the way adding fish changes everything? It sounds like your tank is coming along nicely! Having tube worms popping up is great. Happy clowns too! I look forward to pics! Peppermints worked for me too.