what good books do you keep/recommend?

[ubgone]

hello,

I'm trying to get as much info as I can on planted tanks and I don't know anything right now...

I would like to get some good books on marine planted tanks(not in that context necessarily)

my plan is to build a double system: 30G reef connected to a 30G planted. my plan is described here:


http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=992101

The main Q is(like I asked there):
will a planted tank serve the same purpose as a fuge?

thanks guys!!!!!

 

[graveyardworm]

will a planted tank serve the same purpose as a fuge?

It depends on what purpose you want your planted tank to serve, and what livestock you put in there. "Fuge" is short for refugium, and the purpose of a refugium is a safe place for critters like "pods" to live and breed without predation. In this case you would carefully select what you put in there to insure to insure it remains a safe place.

If you are looking to reduce nitrates and phosphates and arent concerned with the refugium aspect of it then yes it could serve that purpose as well. I feed fairly heavily and still have to dose nitrates to keep my plants happy.

 

[graveyardworm]

Sorry missed your original question. I havent found any books devoted to planted tanks. The majority of the info I've found is right here, and in various other places on the net. Some magazine publications have run articles discussing marine planted tanks. Try a search for marine plants and the author the Littlers. I havent personally read any of their stuff, but have seen it highly recommended for plant info.

 

[ubgone]

thank you!

I will keep at as a planted tank for seahorses...
I havn't found a beginner's guide or a summary on what you need on planted tanks so I don't know from where to start reading
do you know any good info sites?

BTW
I understand some plants require calcium reactor's, is that true and what types do need it?


thanks

 

[Samala]

Try the links at this page: Seagrass Articles and References for a decent starting place. They span academic journal articles, to hobby articles from Anthony Calfo and some others. Good stuff.

Currently there are no marine planted tank books available, its too new! But we have some literature out (see Reefkeeping earlier this year) and more is in the works. Honestly, one of the best places to learn is here, check out the Forum Favorites stickie at the top of this forum. Its full of good information planted tank maintenance and husbandry.

Above all, please do feel free to ask away with questions.

*Some plants do uptake calcium during their growth at a higher average rate than others. These include the calcified (or calcerous) macroalgae like Halimeda, Udotea, Penicillus, etc.. I'm not sure a calcium reactor is necessary solely to maintain them. Good water changes meet their needs in many aquariums.

>Sarah

 

[piercho]

I don't know from where to start reading

A book that covers basic water chemistry - temperature, specific gravity, pH, total alkalinity - would be the best starting point, IMO. The Reef Aquarium: Science, Art, and Technology, Vol. 3 is a new reference and offers fairly thorough descriptions of several tank management techniques and supporting equipment.

I would like to get some good books on marine planted tanks

Dynamic Aquaria: Building Living Ecosystems, now in a just released 3rd edition, has several sections dealing with plants and their potential role in aquaria. This book was the great grandpa of algae filtration and refugia concepts. The are also detailed sections on water chemistry. I don't recommend this book for most people as it is fairly academic, and focused primarily on ecosystem modeling. At the other end of the spectrum, Algae: A Problem Solver Guide is a great little picture book of algae you are likely to encounter in the hobby. It also has a fairly good front section on marine plants in general, and good suggestions, IMO, on controls for aggressive plants.

will a planted tank serve the same purpose as a fuge?

Strictly speaking, no.

 

[graveyardworm]

Excellent Sarah, thanks for putting all those together in one place.

Strictly speaking, no.

I'm curious why you say no. Without predation a planted tank could contain as just as much infauna/diversity as a typical fuge, and if planted heavily enough it could be competetive with a fuge for nutrient removal.

 

[piercho]

I'm curious why you say no.

From an earlier post by ubgone:

I will keep at as a planted tank for seahorses...

IMO, its a misconception that plopping plants in tank plumbed to the main tank automatically functions as a refuge or as an effective vegetative filter. The construct of "refugia", as I understand it from Adey (Dynamic Aquaria), may be a more defined set of parameters than what it has come to mean for most people. IMO a seahorse tank plumbed to the main system is not likely to recharge many of the invertebrates grazed from the main system.

I understand some plants require calcium reactor's, is that true and what types do need it?

A calcium reactor provides calcium and carbonate to the tank in a balanced ratio. Some means to replenish carbonate on a regular basis is mandatory for most any saltwater tank you try to keep, regardless or wether you have coral or calcifying plants. There are simpler and cheaper ways to do this than a calcium reactor system which is fairly complex, expensive, and can cause deadly pH events in the system. Dr RH Farley has a good article on just this subject. Reef Aquarium Vol 3, linked above, is also a good resource.

 

[graveyardworm]

Ahh yes, understood. I tried to capture that in my first post.