High Nutrient Macro Algae/Sea Grass Reef

Nice haul from the frag swap. I love eagle-eye finds! Good books are still nice to have. I've collected a number of them over the years. I look forward to seeing your new ricordea and gorgonian.

Guardian looks like he's in charge of the fuge. He's pretty too!
 
Now all my ricordia look the same color, how did that happen? I still like them however.
 
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I caught Tommy nipping on my shaving brush last night. I wondered why it was getting shorter, doh! I just thought it would be too fibrous for him to be interested, WRONG! Today I moved it down into the fuge.

Also I forgot to mention that last weekend I was cleaning the glass in the back near the rock and SNAP! Rice Krispies apparently thought that I was too close to his lair and he got me. It did not hurt but it surprized me plenty. Dave heard the snap all the way in another room! Funny shrimp.
 
Tommy's not supposed to do that. Doesn't he read the literature?

Shrimp attack?! I bet that was a shock. The closest I've had to that is a cleaner shrimp getting on my hand and start eating a scab. That's the only time I've fed a critter with my own flesh. Circle of life?
 
Michael Hoaster said:
Tommy's not supposed to do that. Doesn't he read the literature?

Shrimp attack?! I bet that was a shock. The closest I've had to that is a cleaner shrimp getting on my hand and start eating a scab. That's the only time I've fed a critter with my own flesh. Circle of life?
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I suspect that Tommy is an illiterate eating machine! He is such a fat, sleek ( as in smooth beautiful scales) fish. He continuously forages in the sandbed and the silicone joints for algae or detritus. When I put food in the tank he gobbles up as much and as fast as he can! I get enjoyment just by watching how much he likes to eat.

I also have had cleaner shrimp jump on my hand and clean 'I do not know what'! Dead skin cells I guess? My current cleaner shrimp has never jumped on my hand however. Occasionally I have seen him clean a fish, namely Marmalade but that is about it. I am hoping that is a sign that my tank is relatively parasite free. Or maybe he is just a lazy cleaner and prefers to wait for me to provide all his sustenance with prepared foods!
 
You'd think my Tomini Tang has read too much and is afraid of her own shadow! She's gradually coming around to the feeding time feast. It's good to hear yours is a glutton. I look forward to that.
 
Michael Hoaster said:
You'd think my Tomini Tang has read too much and is afraid of her own shadow! She's gradually coming around to the feeding time feast. It's good to hear yours is a glutton. I look forward to that.
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Maybe she is afraid of her shadow because she watches too much news! That makes me nervous, Ha ha!

I still think that she will come around and get comfortable when she has had enough time, especially since she is not letting the damsels her. I say to her: lets see those scalpels!
 
Still no sightings of the missing grammas I guess. I know how it feels to keep going every day without any glimpses and losing more hope. Its discouraging!
 
Yes, it is. Man, I wish I could've caught those Damsels! It's frustrating knowing a solution, and not being able to accomplish it.
 
I hear ya! I love the color and activity that my damsels bring to the display but they are the main reason I am afraid to reintroduce Guardian by himself. I do not trust the damsels.
 
I did another WC today in an attempt to get the salinity dialed in better and to add more calcium. I think not enough calcium is why the Halimeda from KPA did not do great. The sample pack from live plants.com are doing much better but I have been more mindful of calcium now. I still do not have any coraline algae so I could probably add even more.

In general the display looks very nice. The sand bed cleared up from whatever was causing the rust color in spots and it is pretty and white now. Most of the living things are doing well but a closer detailed look does reveal that some of the life is languishing. Only 1 feather duster opens since I moved them. I should have left well enough alone. Also my GSP and Xenia just are not flourishing. Everyone can grow Xenia and GSP so I sure don't know what the problem is???? I have nutrients but maybe not enough of the right ones. Still, I am enjoying the tank so that is what matters.
 
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It does look nice. Sorry to hear some of your critters aren't thriving. Keep plugging away, and you'll figure it out. Wish I could help but that's out of my area of expertise. I bought a jar of Kalkwasser a while back at my LFS. Maybe that could help?
 
The feather dusters was my fault. They were all doing the best that I ever had feather dusters do and then I decided to move them. I should have left them where they were but my 'ideal' was that I would eventually put shoal seagrass there. As it turns out, I do not have a lot of shoal seagrass thriving in the fuge much less move any upstairs to the display. The best laid plans of mice and men!

I am pretty sure I know why KPA's Halimeda did not do well and that is because of too little calcium for a carcareous macro algae. Of the 3 I can only still see 1. It does not look great but it is getting fresh green buds/sprigs on it which is encouraging. I have not given up hope that the other 2 still have something living under the substrate that could also send up shoots.

The most discouraging thing I am facing is the recession of the xenia and gsp. I really have no idea why they are receding. I used to keep gsp and throw mats of it away when it grew so rapidly and I could not find anyone who wanted some. xenia has always been a challenge for me but I was hoping that this time would be a charm. It does not appears so.

On a positive note the gorg that survived the frag swap ride home looks great, as do the new ricordia.
I have been seeing Connie the Conch this past week out and about. It had been buried for several weeks without any sightings and then all of a sudden there it was vacuming the surface of the sandbed. It really is a cool creature. Guardian is definitely large and in charge of the refugium. He's a great fish and I really like him.
 
Sorry to hear about your feather dusters. Good to know though. Place 'em and leave 'em. It shouldn't be long before we can do the swap thing and you'll have lots of shoal grass. This week looks good actually, finally. I'll see what level of gumption I can muster on Sunday. Bump that calcium up and the halimeda could bounce back. I had some pop out of the live rock, when I added a small amount of Kalkwasser.

Green Star Polyps were one of the few corals I had success with, in my reefing attempt. I wish I could help, but I have no idea what I did right for them. Maybe they just need more time to adjust to your tank.

Conchs are cool! Ricordia are gorgeous.
 
I am ready for a trade when you are. I have some nice rainbow nems, codium and purple sponge. I am hoping to have a 2nd chance to do better with the shoal grass.
 
I'm not quite there but I should be ready soon. I got two thirds of the caulerpa cleared from the sand bed today. Once I get that done, I'll be ready to pull Shoal Grass. I'll keep you updated on my progress.
 
Take your time Michael, I am definitely not pushing you. I am just ready whenever you are.

Clearing a tank of caulerpa is a painstaking endeavor. Like you, I wished that I had resisted the temptation to add it, but like you I couldn't resist the quick growth and gratification all that lush greenery provided. I have mine pruned enough that other macros are finally getting nutrients but I prune and remove it pretty much every week. Its not a lot of time involved but it needs to be done regularly to keep it in check.
 
There is not a lot to report on this week. All is well. I did my end of the week water change and that was about it. I have not even cleaned off the glass but it doesn't look all that bad either. A lazy week I suppose.
 
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