Sea grass for nano 12g

[edvitto]

Hi,
I'm setting up a nano reef 12X12X20" tall (12g), DSB of 6", plumbed in line with other 2 nano about 15g and 26g. Lighting is a DIY fixture with 3X10W LED (white 10k, blue royal and mixed red/blue for plant growth).
The tank is working since 6 months, only with sand, a live rock and chaetomorpha.
The idea is next September to leave the chaeto and put in some sea grass, like syringodium isoetifolium and halophila ovalis, and a team of 4 apogon parvulus.
Any suggestion?

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Sounds cool! If you buy them from Florida Pets, you may also want to order some live mud or sand for your grasses. Cerrith snails reproduce in your tank, so you get a variety of sizes, including tiny ones that can climb and clean your grasses. Since they grow in shallow water, bright light in the more daylight range (5-65K) may be better than lots of blue. If you really want to push growth, you can inject CO2 and/or dose nitrate.

Stoked to hear of another seagrass grower! Good luck!

 

[jraker]

Florida Pets is good to order for seagrasses. I agree that yellower light (6500k) would be better for seagrasses, but I do think that something like 10k would do fine. You might want to change your LEDs to a spectrum with less blue.

This article may be helpful: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-04/sl/index.php

 

[edvitto]

Thanks for your suggestion!
Unfortunately, Florida Pets don't ship here in Italy... my only resource is Marine Life, and there are only Syringodium isoetifolium, cymodocea serrulata and halophila ovalis...
I hope my experience could incourage other reefers to keep marine plants, 'cause here there are very few interested in seagrass.

In your opinion, the tank is tall enought for syringodium isoetifolium?

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Well, I'm not familiar with that species, but with a quick google search I found that it can grow from 5-10cm, up to 50cm. I would expect that it would adapt to the depth available, so I think it could work in your tank. I haven't tried seagrass in a small tank either, but I don't see why it wouldn't work.

 

[edvitto]

Finally, arrived Cymodocea serraulata halophila ovalis and syringodium isoetifolium.
Any suggestion about reef(?)scaping?

 

[Michael Hoaster]

That looks great as is! Good luck with it!

 

[jraker]

Looking pretty good. Good luck.

 

[edvitto]

 

[JZinCO]

That's great that you found halophila ovalis. I can't seem to find it anywhere.