looks great, by the way I trust my aquamedic multi too, went thru several skimmers including reef octopus and always found that the aquamedic multi was an awesomwe skimmer compared to the others and always pulls great skimate and I believe is often underappreciated, Just MY two cents
New Planted Macro Tank 125 gal 72"
- Thread starter pitmindi
- Start date
Saltliquid
New member
This beautiful macro tank of yours has cyano everywhere; it’s in the chloroplasts of all that algae!
Cyano is how anything that photosynthesises is capable of photosynthesis, including corals symbiotic algae with in their cells.
That tank so far had enough macro to take it beyond the available nutrients that are from the oxidation processes of the bio system.
Your algae are not abundant enough with in your waters to take out and convert more then there is in there and an undesirable form of cyano is making use of it.
It’s most likely your substrate, there’s part of your problem!
Try disturbing it and see what happens, that of what equates to sulphur and CO2 is leaching out now after aging has gone on long enough.
If you can achieve an abundant mix of algae to have a balance of nutrients and all areas are kept clean, the cyano will disappear.
This is one of mine with algae with in the aquarium and a massive amount of algae externally that takes care of near all the nutrient balancing.
I trim it and throw away 4 to 6 kilos of it away each 6 days,leds grow all that I have.
Plantbrain
Active member
Caulerpa serrulata would look very nice in the white sand foregrounds and would be an easy appropriate sized macro for the tank.
It makes a nice green foreground weed.
Not quite as easy as C. prolifera, but much smaller and nicer as a lawn foreground.
This will address any of the Cyano also since it'll block the light and exposed sand regions, add some O2 perhaps to the sediment.
It makes a nice green foreground weed.
Not quite as easy as C. prolifera, but much smaller and nicer as a lawn foreground.
This will address any of the Cyano also since it'll block the light and exposed sand regions, add some O2 perhaps to the sediment.
Don Quixote
New member
I am inclined to agree with the three most recent comments. Beautiful tank, cyano problem (standard), and a dense fast grower thats short enough to foreground but tall enough to shadow seems apt. I might also suggest a reproducing snail like stomatella, collumbelid, chiton, or combination thereof et cetera for the algae that does grow and is a pain to remove. A large colony of stomatella, 1000+ would greatly improve the overall biodiversity and utilization of available nutrients i.e algae. When they (and their many children) demolish what's already there you can always supplement their diet with algae tabs, and seahorses love their larvae, thus the circle, while small, is a step toward completion.
P.S Oxydators could also be used to reduce viral load and bacterial counts.
Tom also posted a thread quite a few years ago about Cyano removal that's still relevant today. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=665129
P.S Oxydators could also be used to reduce viral load and bacterial counts.
Tom also posted a thread quite a few years ago about Cyano removal that's still relevant today. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=665129
Seakrait
New member
Florida and dwarf ceriths will help with the micro algae, and won't harm your macro. You could also add some blue legged hermits, mine love cyano. Just keep an eye on the hermits and remove any trouble makers. I doubt they would harm your macro either, being you feed the tank well. Of course your puffer may eat all of the cleaners I've named making my suggestion pointless. My ceriths are critical for my macro tank. They keep my sea grass alive.
thanks for the suggestions. I have to admit that I had a hugh anemone hermit crab in that tank and he might have been what destroyed the blue ocho, just by crawling around. I got him when the plants looked great and things looked bad afterwards. I still am not sure he was to blame. I gave him away a month ago and I will see if that helps. I am certain that there is too much tiny uneaten food particles in that tank. Every time I get snails, I see their shells empty a few days later. I also tried small hermit crabs but I dont see any around and any uneaten pellets will lay at the tank bottom for days. I will try again to get snails, hermits and maybe some pepperment shrimp. I do need a clean up crew. Still, with all the extra nutrients in that tank I would think the macro plants would thrive. I recently but some xenia in there from another tank and I hope it takes over and uses up the extra nutrients. That tank is hard because it is a closed system. It is a 6 foot 125 gallon tank with one hang on skimmer that seems only minimally helpful. There is no overflow or refugium. My fish are thriving. I now have a fat puffer, a birdwrasse, a blue face angel and a yellow angel.
Macro algae absorbs 100:1 nitrate to phosphate. Some fast growing Caulerpa absorb 20:1
With puffers that size, expect your phosphate to build up. They will decimate your detrivores and your CUC.
Consider using calcium nitrate as a nitrate source, thereby reducing your phosphate input. In my large grow out tanks, I use NH4 liquid concentrate.
Patrick
With puffers that size, expect your phosphate to build up. They will decimate your detrivores and your CUC.
Consider using calcium nitrate as a nitrate source, thereby reducing your phosphate input. In my large grow out tanks, I use NH4 liquid concentrate.
Patrick
Hi, will you kindly explain your above post to me and others. I thought ammonia is bad and phosphate is bad for coral but good for plants. I tried to find calcium nitrate but couldn't. Do you mean purple up? Is it Seachem Florish brand like for freshwater tanks? I'm still confused
Saltliquid
New member
Mate NH4 is ammonium and it is relatively harmless, unlike ammonia.
Oh and calcium nitrate is a salt and there are many forms of salts.
I use calcium chloride as hexahydrate a great deal for me and the aquarium,not sure of the spelling, and it is a salt as well.
Oh and calcium nitrate is a salt and there are many forms of salts.
I use calcium chloride as hexahydrate a great deal for me and the aquarium,not sure of the spelling, and it is a salt as well.
SantaMonica
Well-known member
What again are the orange ones?
I purchased calcium nitrate from live-plants.
Most macro absorb nitrate and phosphate in the ratio of 100:1. Fast growing Caulerpa absorb nitrate and phosphate in a ratio of 20:1. If there is a cyno problem in your tank Caulerpa would assist with phosphate control.
The cyno problem in your substrate coud be eliminated with a proper detrivore and CUC. However, your puffer will make a quick meal on the janitors.
Patrick
PS. My comment in general addressed using food for fish as a nutrient source for macro. Food will always contain phosphates. If phosphates are high enough in your macro lagoon system, then introduce a source of nitrate only. When macro grows it will use up both phosphate and nitrate thereby assisting phosphate control. In my 10K greenhouse grow out, I use NH4. As your macro grows, it also uses iron. If iron is depleted it can be the limiting nutrient in your system.
Patrick
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