Weeds

Thanks SereneAquatic! The tank is looking better everyday. I would have posted pics to show off, but I've been sick the last couple days. I think I'm on the mend, so pics should be forthcoming.

I'm glad to hear the natural approach is inspiring you. I know it is difficult to 'pick a winner', with all the choices in this hobby. I'm very impressed with all that you have learned in such a short timeframe. Keep it up!
 
Simulated Manatee Grazing Event

I finally gave in to my urge to do something about the algae-covered-seagrass. I've read that manatee grass responds well to pruning, as it is grazed upon often in nature. I pruned the top parts that were most heavily coated. I was also able to knock some off without pruning. It's nice to see green again! I pulled a few plants up in the process, by accident, but it gave me the chance to see how the roots were doing. They look good! It's definitely encouraging.

Another thing I did was start up CO2 injection. Hopefully it's not too early in the tank's life. If it is, it may start another algae bloom. My justification for doing it was to raise the nutrient supply to the grasses, just as they are now getting much more light, after the cleaning and pruning. I'll keep an eye out for new algae, and shut down the CO2 if needed.

The water's not completely cleared, but here's a couple of pics:


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The water column is noticeably more clear. I like seeing the ulva growing on the new fake wall on the left side of the tank. Its looking so cool.
 
That's great to hear, Dawn thanks!

I like the ulva too. I can't believe it survived and magically popped up! You should see it moving in the current. There's some rolling around in the grasses too. It competes with less desirable algae. I think it's pretty. And pretty useful, in a closed system.
 
I'm enjoying the sand bar. It's different, especially in a marine tank. Besides looking cool, sloping the substrate addresses a very practical matter. I can almost see the whole substrate surface, from my spot on the couch, favoring the most important species - me!

I look forward to adding new live rock to the dead rock on the right end. It will add a little more structure and a lot more diversity. I look forward to seeing growth in the manatee grass, and the maturation of a small ecosystem. The fun part!
 
I said it before, and I'll say it again, the work you've done on the wall(s) looks fantastic. I'm glad that the tank is clearing up some, the grasses are doing well, and things are falling in place.

Having a gramma being picked on is a bummer, but, there is a bright side to that, that it wasn't being picked on by other grammas (or so it seems). Are you going to keep the damsel in sort of a species tank anyway?
 
Thank you Kevin, for the compliments on my fake wall! Having it work out is a huge relief.

It's a bummer the springer's damsel got all nippy. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. Keeping it as a permanent QT resident is not a good option. Maybe my LFS.
 
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Here you go, SaltSully. I took this with my phone, shooting through a magnifying glass. Lots of tiny pods too. Cerith snail right?

I found a second hermit crab. It was wearing a mini strombus shell. I moved both into QT.

I got an early look at the tank this morning. It seams the barnacle blennies enjoy morning sex! It also appears that I have four females and one male. The male's head turns dark and he does his dance, in and out of his barnacle. Only one does this. The rest, one by one, pay him a little visit, have a quick 'session', then head back to their own holes in the rocks. He periodically ducks into his lair, apparently to tend to eggs. I would think he's getting quite the collection in there, as I witnesses three sessions in under a half hour. These fish are so entertaining!

I still haven't found the perfect setup for the wave box. I've decided not to do any of the mods I'm considering until after I get the main circulation pump going. I need to know what effect it has, before I make permanent changes. I'm wondering now if the shape of the new fake wall is interfering with getting better wave height. Its uneven shape sort of splits the left end wall in two, providing an uneven surface for waves to bounce off of. How's that for irony! The fake wall built to hide the wave box mitigates the waves!

Even with the small wave I'm getting now, it's still worth it. The back and forth water movement is so natural!
 
Michael Hoaster said:
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How's that for irony! The fake wall built to hide the wave box mitigates the waves!

Even with the small wave I'm getting now, it's still worth it. The back and forth water movement is so natural!
Click to expand...

I am sorry Michael but the fake wall's effect of reducing the waves made me laugh. Its just like us humans to have things turn out that way, LOL.

Still it has to be soothing and peaceful.
 
It just figures doesn't it? Hopefully I'm wrong! It doesn't really matter. I'm most interested in how it moves the plants. The back and forth motion is soothing and realistic. I'm diggin' it!
 
So cool that the barnacle blennies are breeding! That must be a fun thing to witness, and a tribute to your tank plan as well! Are you going to try and rear them some day?

As you know, mine keep laying eggs and I get fry about once a week. I don't have the setup to rear them yet, but I'm going to do that in the near future. My bet is that a similar setup will work on your fish. Do you have room to do something like that? With your blennies, you could probably do it in very small tanks since the adult fish are so tiny.
 
Kevin, the barnacle blennies spawning behavior is hilarious, like the rest of their behavior! I have no plans to attempt rearing any. My wife would kill me! She's anticipating me getting rid of all the extra tanks I've had up for months.
 
Thanks Sam! That kinda looks like my root! I've been thinking about it. I still haven't decided what I want to do. With so much other stuff going on, I'm not focusing on that right now. It would be cool to do a new one that looked better than the original. I've even pondered trying a real one.

For now, my focus is on the manatee grass, as well as the overall ecosystem development. It's like a wild west frontier in there right now! With new algae popping up, pods that somehow snuck in the with grasses, and the amorous blennies, there's no shortage of distractions. Let's revisit the root remake a little later.

Have you seen Kevin's new roots? They're pretty impressive!

And how about an update on your tank.
 
I love the contrast of the tropical setting of my aquarium, to the winter paradise I go out to play in. So different! After a cold day of winter sports outside, I get comfy on the couch and enjoy my little slice of life in the tropics. Ahh!

The ulva is still growing. The grasses look happier, without the coating. I hope to see new growth soon. My water still isn't as clear as it could be. It looks alive with phytoplankton - even with the UV. There's still a fair amount of diatoms on the sand. New life is bursting out all over. I'll continue to add biodiversity, over time, and watch to see what happens.

Assembling natural elements of a functioning ecosystem is very interesting to me. I only have a loose understanding of what's going on, but Nature always knows what to do!
 
I like your approach Michael. Although I like the root, you can always add that at any time. The establishment of your ecosystem is a good priority. A new root, or revamped one, would be a nice project for you once your tank is pretty much self sustaining.

A root would provide additional cryptic space, and that's intriguing. Not many tanks incorporate that into their display. You still have some of that though, with the darker side of the tank as it is now.

That's a cool display Sam, thanks for sharing.
 
Exactly. The root's a possibility. Right now, my focus is elsewhere.

I decided to suspend CO2 injection for now. I think it's too much of a good thing, too early in the tank's development. I expect to see a succession of algae, but I hope to keep it under some control. It may be best to delay CO2 until I have the algae that I want.

I need to diversify my snail population. I read that Nerite snails reproduce. I like reproducing snails a lot. Some more Ceriths and a couple Nassarius snails too. And worms and pods.
 
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