Macro Algae Tank Journal (dialup Warning)

[The_Wonderboy]

I wanted to share this, too:

 

[yrema]

that my friend, is reaallly kick-arse! makes me wanna give my corals away and restart a planted SW tank.

 

[dzeadow]

dude, I love it! now to just get some plants started!

You might have answered this somewhere along the line, but what are those black u-tubes on the right, some kind of overflow?

also, if you ever start selling some of your clippings and are willing to ship, let me know. you've got some cool macros in there that I'd be interested in. Beautiful tank, and as stated before... so refreshing to see something that's not totally SPS dominated. I doubt it'll get much look to it, but I'm going to submit you for TOTM just so people can look at something different for a change!

 

[Reefersteve]

Wow, I really love your set-up. I would love to do a cub lagoon set up like this. I would love to add red bubble tip or two also.

Do you find that you have to do a lot of maintenance, ie glass cleaning?

What is your feeding regime? Do you use phyto plankton?

Thanks for sharing

Steve

 

[worlds under]

can someone say

TANK OF THE MONTH?

you have my vote!!!

 

[dzeadow]

i gave his name and this thread to Melev today just for that purpose. Let's see what happens.

 

[djfrankie]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12020302#post12020302 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by worlds under
can someone say

TANK OF THE MONTH?

you have my vote!!!

Got my vote too!

djfrankie

 

[matt880305]

i love the tank my only ? is. you have that think overflow on you yet?

 

[djfrankie]

What is the photoperiod?

Also, do you foresee any problems of running a similar system in my current sump for my mixed corals (SPS/LPS) reef tank?

The only thing I keep in there now is LR and Chaeto to help with nutrient export.

Thanks and keep up the great work!

djfrankie

 

[dzeadow]

dj, I'll let wonderboy also jump in, but there's a lot of people w/ SPS/LPS tanks that run sumps full of macro, usually it's just limited to caulerpa and chaeto tho since they're the fastest exporters of nutrients. some of the macro's wonderboy has are a little slower growing.. such as most of the red macros. Plus w/ a fuge you can get away with cheaper lighting such as CF bulbs (6500k) put into a clip on garage fixture for $15. Unless of course you're doing a display fuge in which case, I believe a system like this would be perfect. It'd allow you to feed your tank a little more with the ability to remove the nutrients via fuge.

Since my crabs are eating my macros when I put them in the tank, I was thinking of doing a small 10g display fuge, but that's all I need, one more tank !

 

[Kolognekoral]

Frankie,

my 320l refugium is attached to my reef and runs with T5 lighting on an extended day of 18 hours. Other than the typical Caulerpas and Chaetomorpha I have a few red macros plus lots of small critters. It's a fascinating tank. One I would recommend to any reefkeeper. Mine has a DSB, but this is not necessary.

 

[djfrankie]

Thanks for the reply guys!

I have maintained Chaeto for a while now with some LR in there as well, but after seeing Wonderboy's tank I'm truly inspired to take it a step beyond.

I have some reading to do and any links will be greatly appreciated.

Jamie, got any pics?

Any fears of any of these macros taking over your main display or herbivores will take care of that issue?

TIA,
djfrankie

 

[The_Wonderboy]

I'd imagine that if you've got some herbivores in your main tank, you wouldn't see any algae successfully growing in your main tank.

Thanks everyone for all the positive feedback - I just wish you could see it in person - it's such an entertaining system, as with most reef tanks and well balanced systems.

Since a lot of you are saying that you may give something like this a try, be sure to post your progress not only on RC, but also here: Marine Planted Tanks (New forum, but hopefully it can better the planted side of marine aquarium keeping) :]

 

[dzeadow]

Hey Wonderboy... I bought a couple of hi-fin shrimp gobies, the ones with the yellow heads like you have. How long did it take for them to get used to the tank so they were out more often? I never see mine but during feeding time... one of them (in a seperate tank) doesn't even come out then. Would the addition of a pistol help with this? And how much noise do those pistols make? I've got the tanks in my room so if there were constant clicking noises all night it might drive me crazy! I also don't want to lose to many inverts.

 

[The_Wonderboy]

dzeadow, I have never kept any shrimp gobies without a pistol shrimp, so I'd imagine that you don't see yours because they're missing their hole digger, and perhaps they don't feel very safe without a proper hole. I'd definetly get them a shrimp. You said you've got a couple of hi-fin bandeds, and I've personally seen mine share holes in different ways - I've seen them with 2 gobies per 1 shrimp, 1 goby per 1 shrimp, and 1 goby per 2 shrimps. If I were you, I'd try for 2 shrimps seeing as the way they pair up is completely up to them (2 randalli or 2 tiger pistols - not one of each). If you're worried about noise - I must say I've not heard mine click EVER. I keep five randallis in this tank and have not heard a single noise to date. I have only kept one tiger pistol before with a yellow watchman in another system, and I never heard a sound from him either. I imagine it is a defense feature, and since I have never kept any predators to these shrimp, there's been no need for them to "shoot". Hope this helps - let me know what you end up doing... :]

 

[The_Wonderboy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12022093#post12022093 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by matt880305
i love the tank my only ? is. you have that think overflow on you yet?

No - but close - I came home to find a snail on my float valve holding it down, the tank was filled up to a few millimeters from the edge - next project: plastic guard around my float valve

 

[dzeadow]

Thanks for the info. I'm kind of torn between the two shrimp! I have one hi-fin in a 20L w/ a pair of very small onyx clowns and 5 sexy shrimp, so I may just leave that guy be and hopefully he'll come out on his own once he settles in. The other 2 I have are in a 45g w/ a couple clowns and a clown goby. But I like the look of the tiger pistols, but the randall's add more color.. plus it doesn't look like anyone that I normally order from has either, so I'm just gonna wait and see what happens. I might add another hi-fin to the 45 as well, in hopes that 2 of the 3 will pair up.

 

[Young Frankenstein]

I like it

 

[lakshwadeep]

A great alternative to the more conventional, and sometimes boring, coral dominated tanks! I'm guessing that your nitrates are effectively zero from all this algae, right? One question: did you mainly get the different macroalgae from local LFSs or online?

 

[The_Wonderboy]

Thankyou. And, yes, nitrates are always undetectable... :]
I got the different algaes from select local fish stores mostly - only one algae specie (codium) was purchased online. In fact, some of the stores I got algae from saw it as a pest, and they were happy to get rid of it - lol