Gorgeous jaw fish! Really vivid yellow heads!
My Caribbean Biotope Tank Build
- Thread starter jraker
- Start date
nawilson89
New member
Jraker! It's coming along beautifully! I love the jawfish! Hoping my next build will have them too! You have an awesome set of macros and they look great!
jraker
New member
Thanks guys, KP sent some really nice jawfish. I was out of town for a few days, and when I came back, I could see right away that the macros have grown a ton since I left. I will have to start pruning soon, because it is growing so fast. I took some photos to show how much the caulerpa has grown:
Some of the halimeda is also growing nicely. Some of the plants are already growing new sprouts:
Almost as soon as I put the gorgonians in, I noticed that they had some flesh coming off of them. I thought I was frying them under my light, so I moved them towards the middle of the tank where the light isn't as strong. Over the next few days, I noticed that there was more and more flesh coming off of them, but they were all opening their polyps, and seemed pretty happy. I looked into it a little on the internet, and found out that they were shedding. I didn't know that gorgonians did that, I thought it was just leather corals. It doesn't appear to be harming them, because all of them are opened up happily:
The jawfish seem to have stopped moving around, and have made permanent burrows. Three of them are in the front where I can see them, but one is all the way in the back of the tank, where I cannot see it too well. Since adding the blennies, I haven't really seen them, and I have to assume that they died, because they are not showing up at all. My chalk bass is almost always out now, and doesn't hide in the rocks very much now. He seems to really like the overhang on the right side of the tank, though:
I have noticed some diatoms on the sand, hair algae on the rock, and some cyano on the halimeda, so it may be time to get more snails and start manually removing some of it before it gets too bad. This tank is very new, so I completely expected some nuisance algae to start growing.
FTS:
Some of the halimeda is also growing nicely. Some of the plants are already growing new sprouts:
Almost as soon as I put the gorgonians in, I noticed that they had some flesh coming off of them. I thought I was frying them under my light, so I moved them towards the middle of the tank where the light isn't as strong. Over the next few days, I noticed that there was more and more flesh coming off of them, but they were all opening their polyps, and seemed pretty happy. I looked into it a little on the internet, and found out that they were shedding. I didn't know that gorgonians did that, I thought it was just leather corals. It doesn't appear to be harming them, because all of them are opened up happily:
The jawfish seem to have stopped moving around, and have made permanent burrows. Three of them are in the front where I can see them, but one is all the way in the back of the tank, where I cannot see it too well. Since adding the blennies, I haven't really seen them, and I have to assume that they died, because they are not showing up at all. My chalk bass is almost always out now, and doesn't hide in the rocks very much now. He seems to really like the overhang on the right side of the tank, though:
I have noticed some diatoms on the sand, hair algae on the rock, and some cyano on the halimeda, so it may be time to get more snails and start manually removing some of it before it gets too bad. This tank is very new, so I completely expected some nuisance algae to start growing.
FTS:
nawilson89
New member
That's great! Things coming along nicely!
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Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
jraker
New member
The hair algae has grown a lot in the past day or two. I am also seeing some more cyano. I have a few extra turbo snails in my reef tank, so I think I will temporarily add them to the biotope, because they have demolished algae for me in my reef tank. Hopefully they will control the hair algae before it gets out of control.
The hair algae is also growing on the substrate, I think it is because I have crushed coral, which provides a good holdfast for microalgae.
The cyano has noticeably grown also.
2 days ago:
Today:
The hair algae is also growing on the substrate, I think it is because I have crushed coral, which provides a good holdfast for microalgae.
The cyano has noticeably grown also.
2 days ago:
Today:
Maybe let the macros over grow to out compete the hair and cyano. Feed a little less to your fish. Manually remove what you can, and get some snails quick. Don't let your macros get coated. Tiny snails are best for that. Oh, and water changes!
Sorry for the unsolicited advice. I just can't help myself!
Sorry for the unsolicited advice. I just can't help myself!
lifeoffaith
Member
I'd be very interested how well this works. I suspect that you are thinking it will be similar to a clown harem tank? I had a 120 FOWLR that had 3 in it and that didn't work. One of the three ended up getting taken out by the others.
jraker
New member
Thanks, all advice is great, and I appreciate it. I fed less, removed some hair algae, put turbo snails in, and got all the macro with microalgae on it out. I will get some more ceriths and nerites next time I get to the LFS.
I don't know exactly, but around 3" in the front, and 4" in the back. Maybe more. I have actually never measured it. I think the more important thing is that the substrate is mostly crushed coral, which the jawfish seem to like. It holds together better than finer sand. As they dig, they spit out the rocks above their burrow, making it even taller. I will take measurements soon.
IMO, five is the least number for schooling fish. I have seven blue/green reef Chromis in my 75G tank. The larger numbers diffuse aggression.
jraker
New member
The water has been getting a little cloudy lately. Nothing too bad, but just a little odd. I have let the caulerpa grow more, and I haven't pruned it at all. I thought it would outcompete the hair algae for nutrients, but it hasn't. Both macro and microalgae are growing quickly. I think I can manage some of the hair algae on the rocks, by manual removal and snails, but I don't really have a solution for the algae on the substrate. If I try and manually remove it, I will just lift up the crushed coral. I don't really want to remove much of my substrate. Any bright ideas on how to get rid of the hair algae on the crushed coral? I did get some astreas yesterday, and they seem to be doing ok so far.
No way that I know of to remove substrate algae without removing substrate. Cloudiness could be a bacterial bloom. You might try a 3 day black out to get rid of the algae. Maybe don't feed the tank either. Also some phosphate absorption media could help. And don't forget water changes.
Keep those macros growing. You may need to clean them manually to keep them from getting smothered. Algae sucks. Kind of a right of passage though. Once you get through it, you're gold.
Keep those macros growing. You may need to clean them manually to keep them from getting smothered. Algae sucks. Kind of a right of passage though. Once you get through it, you're gold.
nawilson89
New member
Yeah, I think just waiting it out and hair algae will go away. My 29g had a lot of it for a while and I just did nothing. Now I have a snail covered in it and that's all i see.
Also my mollies chomp on hair algae if it pops up.
Now my most annoying algae is Ulva. It grows where it wants and takes over a good bit. There is almost like a sheet of it in the middle of my tank. It grows on the back walls of the tank and grows on the filter outtake.
Also my mollies chomp on hair algae if it pops up.
Now my most annoying algae is Ulva. It grows where it wants and takes over a good bit. There is almost like a sheet of it in the middle of my tank. It grows on the back walls of the tank and grows on the filter outtake.
Don't you just love it when doing nothing is the best coarse of action? Salt water ghost shrimp ate all my ulva back in the day. Pods love it too.
nawilson89
New member
It's wonderful! I dose weekly, top off and every once in a while squeeze in a water change.
Ghost shrimp wouldn't survive 20 minutes in my tank. Belted sandfish eat anything the can fit in their bass-like mouths. I've lost everything from mithrax to porcelain crabs to them.
jraker
New member
I am trying a 3 day black out on the tank. The hair algae has been growing at an insane rate, and I am trying to slow its growth. Hopefully lots of manual removal and no light will help the caulerpa to outcompete it for nutrients.
I have thought about additional methods to remove the HA, but there really isn't anything that would affect the HA that wouldn't affect the macro. Microalgae is a simpler form of algae that grows faster and uses less energy, and is adapted better to survive than macroalgae, which is more complex and requires more nutrients and light. So there is really nothing I can do about the HA without harming the macro. I might try some GFO because I do have more macro than microalgae. But really, manual removal and letting the tank mature seems to be the better and more natural way to go.
I have thought about additional methods to remove the HA, but there really isn't anything that would affect the HA that wouldn't affect the macro. Microalgae is a simpler form of algae that grows faster and uses less energy, and is adapted better to survive than macroalgae, which is more complex and requires more nutrients and light. So there is really nothing I can do about the HA without harming the macro. I might try some GFO because I do have more macro than microalgae. But really, manual removal and letting the tank mature seems to be the better and more natural way to go.
Right on! Don't do too much. Keep it natural.
I think you'll be pleased with the black out results!
Do you have enough snails? My plague of snails may be the most important players in my tank. Their population is self-adjusting. Get biggish Ceriths-that are ready and willing to lay eggs. You'll get generations at different sizes, that will clean your macros for you, and pretty much everything else.
I think you'll be pleased with the black out results!
Do you have enough snails? My plague of snails may be the most important players in my tank. Their population is self-adjusting. Get biggish Ceriths-that are ready and willing to lay eggs. You'll get generations at different sizes, that will clean your macros for you, and pretty much everything else.
cHRoNzZe 619
New member
Great looking tank .... I enjoy how macro tanks look like...as for the sand I would add 2/3 fighting couches and 2 /3 sand shifting star and a few more snails that will slowly move the sand around .... Are any of your algaes turning white ?
jraker
New member
Thanks. I was thinking of adding some conch snails. Next time I go the the LFS, I will get one or two. I put some carbon and GFO on the tank, and it has cleared up a little.
I manually removed some of the algae, and I will export some more hair algae tomorrow. The blackout seemed to help by slowing the growth of the HA. Some of my macros are turning white. My mermaids shaving brush is all white, and I guess it died, but I have a few more of them. They grow pretty quickly.
I don't really see any other way to remove the HA on the substrate other than more snails.
The smallest jawfish spent today redecorating his burrow. I don't see any of the larger jawfish work as hard as this little guy, and he did more a pretty considerable amount of sand today.
They other jawfish like to hang out and peek out of their hole. They are out pretty often now. They don't seem timid any more, and love to compete with each other and the chalk bass for food.
Apparently, astrea snails are good at cleaning macro also :rollface::rollface:
I manually removed some of the algae, and I will export some more hair algae tomorrow. The blackout seemed to help by slowing the growth of the HA. Some of my macros are turning white. My mermaids shaving brush is all white, and I guess it died, but I have a few more of them. They grow pretty quickly.
I don't really see any other way to remove the HA on the substrate other than more snails.
The smallest jawfish spent today redecorating his burrow. I don't see any of the larger jawfish work as hard as this little guy, and he did more a pretty considerable amount of sand today.
They other jawfish like to hang out and peek out of their hole. They are out pretty often now. They don't seem timid any more, and love to compete with each other and the chalk bass for food.
Apparently, astrea snails are good at cleaning macro also :rollface::rollface:
