High Nutrient Macro Algae/Sea Grass Reef
- Thread starter vlangel
- Start date
I need to catch up on some tank maintenance as well. It seems like I'm behind on everything!
vlangel
Premium Member
I did my tank maintenance which included (3) 4 gallon water changes on 3 different days. I gently upped the salinity from .023 to .024 for the shoal seagrasses benefit. I am still not sure how they are doing. Some are a nice vibrant green but there is a lot of brown too. On a positive note, there is no nuisance algae on the seagrass at all. I guess it's just a waiting game to see what happens.
Yes, it's a waiting game. I think you get a lot of die off at first, then new blades will emerge. Hang in there!
vlangel
Premium Member
It's been a while since I gave an update. Mostly that is because the tank and it's inhabitants are perking along just fine. There just isn't much to report.
I still am holding out hope that some of my seagrass that Michael sent is going to take root and begin to get established. There is still brown but also there is still bright green blades too. None of the grass in either the display or the fuge has any algae growing on it. Maybe I hit on just the right amount of snails to keep it clean. ( Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while, ha ha!).
Guardian, my yellow watchman goby continues to thrive in the fuge, along with donated percula clownfish and the salt acclimated sailfin molly. I would love to move them to the display but I do not want to rock the boat, so they will remain in the basement fuge.
Rice Krispie has finally settled down enough that the display is not a constant cloud of dust! I still hear him snapping so I know that he is alive and well. I have not seen the masked goby for quite some time and I wonder if it fell prey to Rice Krispie? Other than that everyone else seems to be doing very well.
The coral and macros are ok. I have quit fretting on getting exact outcomes and accept that what I have adds a natural beauty to the fishes' environment and I guess that has become my new objective. Fish have always been my 1st love. So overall, things are good.
I still am holding out hope that some of my seagrass that Michael sent is going to take root and begin to get established. There is still brown but also there is still bright green blades too. None of the grass in either the display or the fuge has any algae growing on it. Maybe I hit on just the right amount of snails to keep it clean. ( Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while, ha ha!).
Guardian, my yellow watchman goby continues to thrive in the fuge, along with donated percula clownfish and the salt acclimated sailfin molly. I would love to move them to the display but I do not want to rock the boat, so they will remain in the basement fuge.
Rice Krispie has finally settled down enough that the display is not a constant cloud of dust! I still hear him snapping so I know that he is alive and well. I have not seen the masked goby for quite some time and I wonder if it fell prey to Rice Krispie? Other than that everyone else seems to be doing very well.
The coral and macros are ok. I have quit fretting on getting exact outcomes and accept that what I have adds a natural beauty to the fishes' environment and I guess that has become my new objective. Fish have always been my 1st love. So overall, things are good.
Nice to hear everything's humming along so well!
I'm sure the Shoal grass will come around. I was thinking about it, and I wondered if it is difficult for them to adjust to the different dirt we have in our tanks. But since they are a pioneering species, they should adapt. They very well could be making unseen progress beneath the sand. The cooler water you have may be signaling them to prepare for winter, so you may not see a ton of growth until Spring. I've definitely seen growing seasons with mine.
I'm sure the Shoal grass will come around. I was thinking about it, and I wondered if it is difficult for them to adjust to the different dirt we have in our tanks. But since they are a pioneering species, they should adapt. They very well could be making unseen progress beneath the sand. The cooler water you have may be signaling them to prepare for winter, so you may not see a ton of growth until Spring. I've definitely seen growing seasons with mine.
vlangel
Premium Member
When it rains, it pours (literally)! Not only did I wake up to discover that some of Ida's residual rain here in PA found its way into our basement, but also the return U tube that hangs over the rim of my display had sprung a leak! (Of course compared to folks in the south who were in Ida's path, this is nothing and I will not lose sight of that). My things were mere inconveniences that were fairly easily remedied. I put every fan we own down in the basement and they are doing the job. Then I went to Lowes and bought JB water weld. The leak was small and I was hoping that would work. I had the return pump turned off for about an hour and a half so the weld could set and harden some. When I turned the return pump back on, the patch seems to be holding! I ordered a new U tube return from Bulk Reef Supply that should be here in the next week or so. I guess it might not hurt to keep a bucket under that area, ha ha! Never a dull moment! That's what I get for saying that things were humming along nicely, not that I believe in jinx's.
vlangel
Premium Member
My tank and system is humming along very well. Maintenance of the display seems to be only cleaning the glass every other week and using the turkey baster to blow off the detritus that settles on stuff from Rice Krispies stirring everything up, LOL. I really wished I had put him in the sump instead of the display but alas he is here to stay now. I do enjoy hearing him snapping from time to time.
I unexpectantly took a job at a Pet Supplies Plus. It is a new store and I was looking for something for my aunt's dog. They had a help wanted sign up and I enquired as to what they needed and shared with the owner of the franchise that I had petstore experience. It is a good fit as I could pretty much pick my hours(weekdays 3 Xs/week 8-2) and my main responsibility will be care of the animals. There is a lot to learn even though I have a fair amount of knowledge from my former job. I feel a bit overwhelmed but I like my bosses (a husband/wife team) and I like the work. It's a big adjustment however.
I unexpectantly took a job at a Pet Supplies Plus. It is a new store and I was looking for something for my aunt's dog. They had a help wanted sign up and I enquired as to what they needed and shared with the owner of the franchise that I had petstore experience. It is a good fit as I could pretty much pick my hours(weekdays 3 Xs/week 8-2) and my main responsibility will be care of the animals. There is a lot to learn even though I have a fair amount of knowledge from my former job. I feel a bit overwhelmed but I like my bosses (a husband/wife team) and I like the work. It's a big adjustment however.
It's so nice how your tank hums along! Mine seems to need more of my input than I'd like, which is almost nothing, this time of year.
The new job sounds great! I'm sure you'l be out of the overwhelmed phase in no time. Have fun with it!
The new job sounds great! I'm sure you'l be out of the overwhelmed phase in no time. Have fun with it!
Chasmodes
Well-known member
Dawn, I was thinking about your shoal grass situation. I've tried these in the past in my river tank and my grasses died out this spring in my tank, so I didn't think to suggest them then. But, I've since collected more river grasses and after re-planting my river tank, I put a bunch of the Jobes Fertilizer Spikes into my gravel, and my plant growth took off this time. I posted a video on my thread. Maybe these would work for you? What do you think Michael?
All I did is cut them into thirds, then shoved them into the gravel under the roots of the plants. I have a pretty high bioload too, so plenty of nitrates for them LOL.
I also used the Miracle Grow ones and they seemed to work just fine too, although they tend to dissolve a little faster, so you need to get them into the gravel faster.
All I did is cut them into thirds, then shoved them into the gravel under the roots of the plants. I have a pretty high bioload too, so plenty of nitrates for them LOL.
I also used the Miracle Grow ones and they seemed to work just fine too, although they tend to dissolve a little faster, so you need to get them into the gravel faster.
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I've tried those. It's really hard to tell with seagrass whether it helped or not. With their slow growth, I was never sure when to expect results. When my tank was a freshwater planted tank I had good results with them.
Since Dawn already has dirt in her substrate they might be overkill, but you never know.
Since Dawn already has dirt in her substrate they might be overkill, but you never know.
vlangel
Premium Member
Thanks guys, I appreciate any tips. The seagrass just keeps diminishing although there are some green sprigs in the sump.
At least the fish are doing great and most of the coral. The red macros are looking amazing but some green sure would add to the tank. Maybe I will let a small patch of caulerpa grow but then I worry that the caulerpa will suck up all the nutrients.
At least the fish are doing great and most of the coral. The red macros are looking amazing but some green sure would add to the tank. Maybe I will let a small patch of caulerpa grow but then I worry that the caulerpa will suck up all the nutrients.
Well that's kind of a bummer. It seems like they should be taking off by now. I wonder what's holding them back. I know they like very bright light, more so than macros. Hmm.
vlangel
Premium Member
Yeah, I am perplexed as to why they are not doing well either. Maybe it is the lighting but the bulbs in the fuge are grow bulbs so I thought that would work. Usually under T5HO I could keep anything I wanted but maybe not seagrass. Anyway I am about ready to accept defeat on this one. I am still pleased that the overall tank system is doing well.
It happens. I have tried some plants twice, even three times, without success. That's when it dawns on me, I just can't keep this plant in my setup, as it is. So I let it go and accept defeat. Lot's of other plants in the sea!
vlangel
Premium Member
Yes it does happen. Every system has different trace minerals and metals, so there are variables that we really do not measure or consider significant. Without my knowledge perhaps there is something lacking that they need or there is something detrimental to them. Who knows? Not me, that is for sure.
There are still some seagrasses in the the corner of the fuge that are green and maybe they will begin to grow and thrive and give the seagrass the foothold they need to get started in my tank. I will just have to wait and see how it goes.
My guess is that your dirty sand bed should provide most of the nutrients they need, except maybe Carbon, which is their most-needed nutrient. Adding CO2 and brighter lighting might remedy the problem, but those are pretty big upgrades. Seagrass was never your priority, so I doubt it would be worth it.
Fish are your priority (right?), and you have an amazing community that few could pull off. I agree that getting more macro growth would be good, to help out with bio-filtration.
How do you like working at the fish store? I bet it's pretty cool!
Fish are your priority (right?), and you have an amazing community that few could pull off. I agree that getting more macro growth would be good, to help out with bio-filtration.
How do you like working at the fish store? I bet it's pretty cool!
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