High Nutrient Macro Algae/Sea Grass Reef

[vlangel]

Originally Posted by ThePurple12

I’ve also wondered about flow for seagrass. I assumed it doesn’t really matter, but I haven’t done anything to find out if that’s true.

I just picture the seagrass swaying back and forth in the ocean, which is why I wondered.

And yeah, I am so grateful that the BTAs never clogged my drain or standpipe! My overflow is a HOB overflow box so no emergency drain. A clogging nem could be pretty bad. It would probably mean 5-10 gallons of saltwater overflowing the display onto the living room floor and carpet! Uhhhg, perish the thought!

[Michael Hoaster]

Your Conch has different colored eyes and the shell looks more like a Queen Conch. But I don't think it is. I've seen several species of fighting conchs available. I've had mine for years and it's still under two inches. In general, I'd say yours is prettier!

Your experience with Botriocladia and G. hayi mirrors my own. So I'd say you are spot-on.

I don't think you need to add more flow for the shoal grass. My tank has much less flow than in v1, and the grasses are doing great. Honestly, I like it better this way, because the grasses grow more erect, rather than being blown sideways all the time. I don't think it would hurt them though, if you wanted to try it.

If you have an extra BTA, that would make for a good trade if you wanted more shoal grass and/or dove snails. Just a thought!

[vlangel]

Michael, I would be more than thrilled to send you a BTA! Mine are rainbow BTAs and have nice color. As soon as I look ahead and see a temperate time where the weather is not too extreme, I will plan to do that. This time of year it should not be too much longer.

[Michael Hoaster]

Awesome! Thanks Dawn! I've kept BTAs before I like them a lot. The rainbow version sounds great. I'll have to go back and look at your pics! I'd be happy to send you some more grass and snails if you like. I love the trading thing!

Oh, I also wanted to mention that the back and forth motion is great with the grasses, so if you could find a small powerhead that had a start-stop mode, that might just the ticket!

[vlangel]

I am leaning toward cutting the coral spire that the BTA in the display is on. It will probably let go during transport but that way I do not risk injuring it's foot. Also I am thinking BTAs are better in my refugium than the display since at the moment the fuge does not have a power head. Even if I put a power head to sway the seagrass, it will be a small one and less of a threat to a nem.

A few snails might really help with the algae on the seagrass, too and I would be grateful.

[ThePurple12]

For moving BTAs, I've found blasting them with a powerhead-- full force-- to work well. Eventually the nem will start to move away, making it easy to detach from the rock. I suppose there is a risk that it would detach and get sucked into the powerhead, so you would have to keep an eye on it.

Those snails, they're worth their weight in gold!

[vlangel]

Originally Posted by ThePurple12

For moving BTAs, I've found blasting them with a powerhead-- full force-- to work well. Eventually the nem will start to move away, making it easy to detach from the rock. I suppose there is a risk that it would detach and get sucked into the powerhead, so you would have to keep an eye on it.

Those snails, they're worth their weight in gold!

I too have heard that blasting a nem with a power head helps encourage them to let go. Perhaps I will try that first since that spire is shared with a RFA.

[Michael Hoaster]

Sounds like a plan. I'm glad I didn't pull the shoal grass yet. I will wait until it warms up a bit, and we can ship to each other at close to the same time. That should be easier on the anemone and the snails.

Another technique for removing anemones is to tap the base with your fingertips, so that your fingernails meet it at the bottom of the foot. I've seen this done at my LFS.

[vlangel]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

Sounds like a plan. I'm glad I didn't pull the shoal grass yet. I will wait until it warms up a bit, and we can ship to each other at close to the same time. That should be easier on the anemone and the snails.

Another technique for removing anemones is to tap the base with your fingertips, so that your fingernails meet it at the bottom of the foot. I've seen this done at my LFS.

That sounds good if we both ship around the same time. The end of this week here in PA we are having a significant warm up. I will check to see what the beginning of next week looks like. Maybe if the weather holds we both can ship then?

Good tip on getting the nem to release.

[vlangel]

My bulbs came today, a day early. I changed out 2 of them and will watch the seagrass and macros and see how they respond. The lights I chose are specifically for growing and planted tanks so they should be good.

[Michael Hoaster]

No warm weather in my forecast. I'll keep checking but we may not be able to ship at the same time. I'm fine with that. I just don't want to send you dead snails.

How do the new bulbs look? Did you get all the same color temp?

[vlangel]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

No warm weather in my forecast. I'll keep checking but we may not be able to ship at the same time. I'm fine with that. I just don't want to send you dead snails.

How do the new bulbs look? Did you get all the same color temp?

Well, I do not want to send out your way either if it's still cold. I will wait to hear it's warming in CO as well as PA.

The new bulbs look the same as what I took out, ha ha! They are all the same, 5000k (which the bulbs look reddish). I only replaced 2 of the 4 leaving in an actinic and a 10k.

[Michael Hoaster]

It could be another month. Or not. Let's both keep watching and stay in touch.

That sounds like a nice color combination. I bet it looks good.

[vlangel]

That sounds like a good plan and I do not mind waiting until the weather is favorable for all the animals.

Here are some pics of the refugium cleaned up and with the new bulbs.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZsEigMSixzdgiWFG9
So many of my pics look the same but in this one I pulled out all the caulerpa I could find on the bottom 6".
https://photos.app.goo.gl/J3D1A9r61bvjF7EWA
Finally this last pic shows how I can clip up the light fixture with carabiners to maintenance the tank!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/SHiR9ghZmoBckswd8

[Michael Hoaster]

Great setup! I think the plants will be very happy. I was wondering how you were going to get the lights out of the way for maintenance.

How does the Codium do for you? It gradually withers away for me. I even tried lowering the temp to 77. It seems to like being in bright light, but still it fades on me. I wish I could find the secret to keeping these plants going. I'd buy more but they just don't last. For some folks it grows like weeds…

[ThePurple12]

Hmm, maybe it’s getting outcompeted by something. It does well for me, but I don’t have as many macro species as you.

[vlangel]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

Great setup! I think the plants will be very happy. I was wondering how you were going to get the lights out of the way for maintenance.

How does the Codium do for you? It gradually withers away for me. I even tried lowering the temp to 77. It seems to like being in bright light, but still it fades on me. I wish I could find the secret to keeping these plants going. I'd buy more but they just don't last. For some folks it grows like weeds…

Thanks Michael, yes I am extremely pleased with how well clipping the fixture up works for maintenance. I have all the room I need and still plenty of light to work by. It's great!

Another handy diy project I did on this tank is I used the tube holder from an old ATO and I keep my syphon hose (one end in the tank and the other end through the tube holder) filled with water but above the tank level so its always ready to dispatch tank water for a water change. No more sucking on a syphon hose to start the gravity flow through the tube, ha ha! I did it that way for years and 'almost' never got a mouthful of tank water. My drain is right next to the tank so it's perfect.

My codium was 'meh' for a long time but just recently it has started to grow well. I really hope the new light fixture does not have a negative effect on the codium. My tank runs cool though, about 75 in the winter, (although I suppose the T5s might warm it up a little). I will send you a little with the BTA in case my codium is a bit different than yours and is more hardy.

[vlangel]

Originally Posted by ThePurple12

Hmm, maybe it’s getting outcompeted by something. It does well for me, but I don’t have as many macro species as you.

You might be on to something ThePurple, because I do not have near as many macros either. Do you feed your tank heavy? I feed mine pretty heavy so maybe that has something to do with it? Who knows, sometimes it just seems like some things like some tanks more than others!

[Michael Hoaster]

That auto-syphon thing is slick!

I think you two are right about nutrient competition. With my caulerpa monster, I'm sure it's slurping up as many nutrients as I can give it. I'm not positive, but I think Codium tends to bloom after high nutrient events in estuary/lagoon environments, so it may like high nutrients too. If my Caulerpa is a faster competitor, that could explain why Codium struggles in my tank.

[vlangel]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

That auto-syphon thing is slick!

I think you two are right about nutrient competition. With my caulerpa monster, I'm sure it's slurping up as many nutrients as I can give it. I'm not positive, but I think Codium tends to bloom after high nutrient events in estuary/lagoon environments, so it may like high nutrients too. If my Caulerpa is a faster competitor, that could explain why Codium struggles in my tank.

If you are right about codium liking high nutrients too but caulerpa sucking them up first, that could explain why my codium is beginning to do better. I have been reducing the amount of caulerpa in my fuge so maybe the codium is now able to get some nutrients? I will continue to pay attention to that possibility.

[Michael Hoaster]

I think it might just work. If I am able to completely defoliate the back wall, I'd be tempted to try Codium again!

[vlangel]

I will definitely send some with the BTA.

[vlangel]

Today when I went downstairs to check on the refugium, I noticed loops of seagrass in the sand. It looks like maybe those loops are new sprigs but I am not sure. That would be really exciting of it is as I will know that the t5 lighting is having a positive effect on them. I will keep an eye on it and let you all know.

[vlangel]

Another thing I did today was dig up garden soil and added about 3 cups to the refugium.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/SKGcLm7THKgpcS96A
Even with the garden dirt the fuge began to clear immediately. I also added filter floss to the sump to catch particles before they get to the display.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/3onz46xEtaWUt1Ci8

[Michael Hoaster]

That kind of sounds like rhizome growth! Is the water temp on the rise? You could be going into a Spring growing season.

That looks like good dirt! How did you go about adding it?