High Nutrient Macro Algae/Sea Grass Reef

[vlangel]

First I syphoned off some of the top layer of sand.
I just turned off the pumps, filled that clear cup with straight soil. Then I very slowly began to submergerge the cup of soil into the refugium. When the cup of soil got to the sand I tipped it and let it slide out slowly.
Yes,the tank has come up about a degree in the last week. We have had a warm spell, in the 50s today.

[vlangel]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ogNoeKtkGw9wD4649
Here is what my display looked like after I turned the pumps on. Not clear but not bad. I think I will keep adding dirt once a week or so untilI am satisfied and then I will put the sandback on top. I need to keep letting theseagrass grow so I do not smother it under the dirt.

[Michael Hoaster]

That sounds like a good approach. You think your corals and inverts will be okay? I guess you could take your fuge offline if needed. I did something similar with mud in v1, but I quickly covered the mud with sand. Leaving your dirt uncovered for weeks sounds a little risky. The possibility of an algae bloom is my concern. But you're breaking new ground, so to speak. Keep us apprised!

[ThePurple12]

Cool, I'm still waiting for my dirt to stop floating! Are you planning on putting dirt in the display?

[vlangel]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

That sounds like a good approach. You think your corals and inverts will be okay? I guess you could take your fuge offline if needed. I did something similar with mud in v1, but I quickly covered the mud with sand. Leaving your dirt uncovered for weeks sounds a little risky. The possibility of an algae bloom is my concern. But you're breaking new ground, so to speak. Keep us apprised!

The dirt I added to the fuge last night does not seem to have had any effect on fish or inverts in either the display or the fuge today. Everything looks as it should.

I will keep a very close eye all the inverts, coral and fish looking for signs of oxygen deprivation or an algae bloom. I would expect that the grass shrimp living in the fuge would be the first to go into distress if something were to go haywire. I can take the fuge offline if I need to.

I think you might be right Michael about rhizome activity happening with the seagrass and I do not want to interfere with that. The grass definitely looks greener and healthier which is probably due to the new lighting. It's my hope that the addition of dirt will only enhance the seagrass all the more, ( although as a scientist I should only be changing 1 variable at a time to truly know what is effecting the change!).

[vlangel]

Originally Posted by ThePurple12

Cool, I'm still waiting for my dirt to stop floating! Are you planning on putting dirt in the display?

For now I am not planning on putting dirt in the display but if I see that the shoal grass really takes off in the fuge after the dirt's addition I could change my mind about that. I am still aways off from adding seagrass to the display so I will wait and see what happens in the fuge.

[Michael Hoaster]

I'm glad to hear all is well! My main concern with leaving the dirt exposed is cyanobacteria. I noticed with the recent cyano outbreak I had, that most of it formed on small patches of exposed dirt. I just wanted to share that experience. Brand-new lights over exposed dirt sounds risky, but I'm curious to see what will happen. It would be interesting to see before and after water tests for nutrient levels. You tested pretty recently, didn't you? That could be your 'before' test.

In Dianna Walstead's book, where I got the idea of using dirt, she concluded that her dirt/substrate contained a 3 year supply of Iron for her heavily planted tank. I don't remember if she mentioned other nutrients, but surely there will be plenty, especially in 'Dawn's Gold' miracle garden soil.

I understand you're kind of in a rock and a hard place situation, with your grasses. You're excited for new growth, and you don't want to mess that up. If it helps, don't forget you've got more on the way!

[vlangel]

Thank you Michael for sharing your experience with cyano appearing on the bare patches of dirt. I was not sure what the concern there was and now that I understand it better I need to think more seriously about covering it up. Maybe I can add the rest on the sides where the seagrass is not growing and then cover all of it at once. I can expand the seagrass garden on both sides where I put the new dirt. This might help me in my 'being between stock andahard place' situation! I definitely do not want a cyano outbreak!

I did not know exactly what good stuff the dirt offered but am glad to hear about the iron supply. That is a wonderful benefit. I am sure there are many other benefits as well. Ha ha, Dawn's Gold is close to what I call my compost dirt when it is ready...Black Gold. Adding the compost dirt to our PA clay can make for a great combination the flower garden. Hopefully in the refugium too.

[Michael Hoaster]

You're welcome! I don't want you to get a cyano outbreak either. If I was in your situation, I'd cover the dirt with at least enough sand to prevent the light hitting it. I would think even a half inch would do it. Dianna added an inch or two in her fresh water tanks. The pic you posted of your dirt had a gold-ish color, so I thought, "Dawn's Gold"! I have no doubt it's going to work great for you. You've put decades of love into that dirt.

I know you don't want to mess up your grass's progress now, but keep the long term, big picture in mind too. You have the luxury of being able to take the tank out of the loop, and there's more grass on the way!

[vlangel]

Well, for good or bad I added the rest of the dirt in that gallon ice-cream bucket and then covered it up with sand. I did stick my turkey baster down into the substrate as far as I thought the original sand was because I was afraid that putting that much new dirt and sand would smother the aerobic life on the surface of the original sand. (I did that years ago when adding new oolite to an existing sandbed and the ammonia spiked because of the life that was smothered on the surface). From then on I always mixed some of the old sand into new sand that was added. Since I could not do a total mixing I thought sucking up about 8 baster fulls of old sand should help reseed most life, or at least that is my hope. I will let you all know how this goes. I am not so worried about an ammonia spike since the sump and display will probably offset that but I hate killing off the biolife that has been developing in the fuge.

I also moved (or tried to ) move my feather duster garden. I had no idea just how deeply those creatures went under the substrate. I hope that I did not injure them in the move but I fear that I have. I will have to wait and see how many reopen.

[Michael Hoaster]

That sounds like a tricky situation. Mixing old and new sand makes sense. Would it help to take the fuge offline, during this turbulent time? I hope it all works out.

[vlangel]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

That sounds like a tricky situation. Mixing old and new sand makes sense. Would it help to take the fuge offline, during this turbulent time? I hope it all works out.

It probably is a bit risky but I did it early this morning and so I can watch how everything is doing now. I have not seen anything that is concerning at all. I am running up and down the stairs to check on both the grass shrimp in the refugium and also the fish and inverts in the display. Nothing looks off so far but I can and will take the fuge offline if I see anything suspicious. I like keeping the whole system running together if possible because the display and sump will help stabilize the fuge.

Both display and sump have live rock to offset any ammonia spike. I should test in about 3-4 days to double check though. I am making water now if I need to do water changes. Amazingly nothing really clouded very much. I am running filter floss in an aquaclear filter on the fuge and then more floss in the drain chamber of the sump so it was not bad by the time it got to the display. I will let you all know how this went.

[Michael Hoaster]

Woo! I was worried there for a minute. It sounds like all is well. What a relief!

[vlangel]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/RRkaD2g4xeWV15j86

Here is a pic of the refugium now. I think it looks pretty good considering. To

[vlangel]

I just remembered my fighting conch. I just went downstairs and dug him out from being totally buried. I am guessing that they need that lil' snork thing to breathe by??? Anyway, he looks to be ok.

[Michael Hoaster]

Wow, that looks amazing good, considering what you did. I don't know how you did it. That floss came in handy. Nice work!

Good to hear about your conch. Mine has disappeared for a month or more, so I doubt yours was in danger, but it's nice to be sure!

[vlangel]

Thanks Michael. Actually all I did was very slowly submerge the container with the dirt, allowing tank water to just seep in. Then when it was full of tank water and the dirt was thoroughly saturated, then I just slowly lowered it to the sandbed and slightly tipping it. That allowed the dirt to slide out with minimal dust, (ok not dust in a fish tank) more like a minimal cloud. I guess the operative word is SLOWLY. And yes, filter floss can be very handy.

Tonight I made a discovery; Rice Krispies moved in with Flame, the fire fish goby! Or maybe he just stole Flame's den but he is definitely in there. I can plainly see his claw and front leg. I will need to keep watching if Flame goes back in. That would explain why I saw a masked goby in the barnacle. Instead of musical chairs my fish tank is playing musical dens!

[Michael Hoaster]

That's impressive! I'll say it again, nice work. Ha ha, musical dens! That's good, nerdy entertainment!

[vlangel]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

That's impressive! I'll say it again, nice work. Ha ha, musical dens! That's good, nerdy entertainment!

Nerdy entertainment indeed. It would appear ever since I got my order from KP Aquatics that someone/s have been very busy tunnelling under all my rock. Fortunately the bulk of my rockwork sits on the glass bottom so it's not in danger of being undermined. I don't know if Rice Krispies did all those tunnels himself or if the masked gobies have done some of it too. Those gobies are so secretive I only catch glimpses of them on rare occasions.

[vlangel]

This morning I went downstairs to check on the fuge and sump. All looked very good and the fuge was totally cleared. I removed the floss at the drain of the fuge going into the sump but am going to leave the Aquaclear filter continue to run floss in the fuge for a bit. I noticed the conch (who I have decided to name Connie) was half buried in the new sand looking very normal as were all the shrimp. I did a small water change, about 5 gallons and switched the lights to an opposite photo phase as the display. That is suppose to help with pH swings which is something I never have worried about but there is no reason not to do it and even things out.

[Michael Hoaster]

That's great. I have to admit I worried. I am thrilled everything worked out so well. Whew! I mean, you added dirt to a tank connected to your reef! Never been done! You took a situation that was far from ideal, and nonchalantly got it done! Unbelievable.

That is a good thing to do with your fuge lighting contra to your reef. It does help smooth out pH swings. It might me good to have some overlap, so that you have time during the day to look at your fuge with the lights on.

Glad to hear Connie and the shrimps are looking normal.

[vlangel]

Ha ha, I have to confess that I chuckled when I read your post, "that I took a situation that was far from ideal and nonchalantly got it done". You put it so nicely and make me sound like a pioneer! I am the one who created the less than ideal situation by not having the foresight to put more dirt in my fuge when I had the chance. And then I remedied it by perhaps a reckless action! What can I say, I am a risk taker by nature. Riding a motorcycle is proof of that!

Adding dirt should be like simulating a flood event where rivers, and streams deposit fresh dirt and silt into the ocean. Of course my tank system is far from the stability of the ocean, but that was at least my thought process with adding the dirt.

Today I will check for ammonia in case the new substrate of dirt and sand contributed to die off on the the surface of the sandbed. My gut feel is even if that happened the size of my display with it's bio-filter along with the sump and live rock in it should be more than enough to offset any ammonia from die off. It will be good to know however how the parameters are after my unconventional action.

Yes, I agree about giving thought to when I work on the fuge in regard to the photo phase change. I have chosen to have the lights turned on in the fuge from around midnight to noon. I nearly always work in the fuge in the morning and generally after lunch I do not do anything more with it.

[Michael Hoaster]

It did sound a little reckless, but the way you went about it was smoooooth. I was also nervous because I felt some responsibility for what you were doing. I knew it was a shaky situation, and the added uncertainty of the attached reef had me sweating. You are cool as a cucumber…

[vlangel]

You were definitely not responsible for what I did. I read the facts in your thread as they unfolded. You were sharing your experience and all us readers appreciated that. What we do with those facts regarding our own aquariums is on each of us and us only. I feel kind of bad that I caused you consternation over it. Sorry about that. At least it turned out well!

Today I very narrowly averted a different tragedy. I was outside on the patio looking for signs of life in the flower garden when I saw a frog caught in the netting I use to keep leaves out of my pond. The poor thing had squeezed himself through a hole and was very constricted at the waist. I was horrified but quickly got garden scissors and proceeded to cut him loose. As far as I could tell he did not appear injured in anyway. Frogs are sluggish this time of year because they are not fully out of hibernation. I laid him in a partly submerged pot of water iris that sits on a shelf in my pond. Hopefully he will find a comfortable spot to burrow down into until it's really time for him to wake up. In the mean time I removed all the netting. I am going to have to rethink how I winterize my pond from now on.

[Michael Hoaster]

Okay maybe I wasn't responsible but I was invested!

Good to hear you rescued your frog neighbor. It's hard to imagine Springtime here with snow on the ground, but my mother-in-law in Florida is already dealing with pollen!

Maybe a finer mesh on the pond?