[Michael Hoaster]

Today I did a decent sized export of ulva. I left some small fragments about, to restart them. I just have to knock it back so it doesn't shade the grasses.

I found some chaeto growing unchecked in the grasses. Hopefully I got all of it. I'm not crazy about it in the display. It's like kudzu!

Hypnea is gradually replacing the brown grasilaria as ground cover between the grass. I think I like it better. The color is more green-to-blue, rather than gold-to-brown.

The two small plugs of turtle weed I planted high on the back wall don't seem to be making it. Maybe it can bounce back. This is turning out to be a challenging plant. The mother plant is doing very well at least. I've just had no luck getting it to spread. I've still got it against the back wall. I may try the push pin trick again, with bigger weed plugs, and maybe lower on the wall. I may have placed the other two too high up, and they were shocked with too much light.

I'm really liking the petticoat algae on the back wall. The more it grows the better it looks. One of these days I'll have good plant coverage on the back wall.

The remaining codium seems to be dying back, while at the same time showing new growth. It looks like the old plant material will die, and the new growth will start a new plant.

Everything seems to be humming along. My mini ecosystem is maturing. My sea cucumber is growing. My fighting conch is happy too. Having the two biggest bottom feeders in great shape are good indicators!