The Littler and Littler book should have the that alga genus in it.
It's the best Caribbean plant book I know of. Nice to have drawing and pic's both.
I have a couple of sources I bring to key things out and that's one of them. I get it from the library whenever I need it but I'm not buying it, well maybe later when I get a real job. It ain't cheap.
No, I was not referring to Joe's as that species.
Yea, some of the reds can be pesky, but some picking and scrubbing might be needed. Some species are bad but generally most of the reds here are nice.
Regular maintenance is just par for the course as long as it's not weekly etc. I don't mind a good cleaning and picking once a month or so.
But I have a differnt approach to aquascaping with plants than reef oriented folks. I don't use rocks much if at all. I use the plants to from the aquascape only right now. I only need to pick loose any that might infect other stands of algae/plants and wipe the glass. No corals/rock to worry over etc.
I'm threatening to add a piece of rock encrusted with C racemosa on it in one corner as I feel it would compliment the tank nicely. I moved the Pencillus around it's not bounced back yet and the SeaGrass needs to fill in a bit. Then the tank will be well balanced and look nicer.
Pencillus has a lot of potential for nice aquascapes IMO. Many of the reds from the Keys have good potential.
Joe, can you get a better close up of that red?
You should tell the other half this: "Dear, haven't you wanted to come to a beautiful tropical island, Shopping and clubbing/dancing in Maimi south beach, Disneyworld for the kids(and Adults) etc" There's something here that most folks can be bribed into. "Naw, I'd rather see some field of wheat and corn dear......" I just don't see the other half saying that. Should be an easy con. Not really a con as the other half will enjoy it also. Would they dislike snorkleing on a reef or seagrass bed or tidepooling? Unlikely.
Nov is an excellent time here. Get away from the cold up there. We always come here to collect for Turkey day weekend. Actually it's Conch and lobster day there. We spend most of the weekend here collecting and doing presses and counting how many species we get other horrid drugery
I TA for for a class on Seaweeds at UF. Not a bad deal to get paid to do this. Hopefully tagging sturgeon this summer for work neat the Yellow river and the Suwanee. Not bad getting paid to fish for flatnoses
Nov is a good time for reds and others. Spring seem better for nuisance algae, Acetabularia etc.
Each side of the island will have quite different habitat. Don't take fish or harm the reef in anyway, damn boats do enough damage.
Wet suit to avoid jelly stings is also wise. You can camp on the beach in Long Key which is a nice central location on the Keys.
Some nice species I have found:
Dictyosphaeria, Valonia, Neomeris is very pretty(attaches to crabs even, very nice line green tiny finger looking alga), Dasycladus, there are a few ball forming algae, like a Caldophora and some red ball forming species also,
Avrainvillea is a very under rated plant, grows well, feels velvety, if anyone finds or has A. asarifolia, let me know. These are very good subs for Udoteas. A number of Udoteas, Rhipocephalus is often glanced over as a Penicillus, Padina is present but not a lot from what I've seen, Champia is somewhat common is some locations, Heterosiphonia, Daysa's are very nice. I could not find these during the spring but they were all over in Nov. Trichogloea and Chondria also.
Jania, Amphiroa and Neogoniolithon are also present and very nice.
I'd like to get some of these when I gone back in July.
I wonder if the red plant Joe has is Flahaultia?
I'll be keeping coldwater when I head back to Ca in a year or so. There are so many nice cold water plants and inverts there. I think many of these plants are tough to ship though.
Regards,
Tom Barr
