Weeds

[Michael Hoaster]

The water hasn't cleared yet this morning, but I wanted to post a few quick snaps. I guess the downside of not confining the dirt to the depths of the sand bed, is that it takes longer for the water to clear. Hopefully it will settle down at some point. I noticed a few tiny pods on the glass this morning. I guess some of them made it through the fresh water dip I put the grasses through.



Full tank width. The grasses stop at the barnacle cluster.









Mom, the fighting conch, taking a look, trying to decide whether to wake up this morning.

[vlangel]

Thanks for the pics! Even though it is still cloudy, we can see where things are going and I for one, like it!

[Michael Hoaster]

Thanks Dawn! Getting the manatee grass planted is good progress. I'm so excited! It's not much to look at right now, but it's a start, and good to record it. I tried to get pics of the ulva but the water is too cloudy and the ulva too small. Once things clear up, I'll be posting more pics.

[Chasmodes]

Lookin' good Michael! I really like the new wall. Once your water clears, it's going to really show your grasses off.

[sam.basye]

Looking good!

Might want to invest in a cheap power filter with carbon filter pads you can stick on the rim to clear the water whenever you start digging around and remove it once the water clears after a couple days.

[Michael Hoaster]

Thanks Kevin! So far, the wall's doing great. It's getting a good patina of assorted life, and it's staying put.

[Michael Hoaster]

Thanks Sam! You know, I do have charcoal in my canister filter right now for that reason. Some of the cloudiness may be pelagic diatoms, if there is such a thing. And the tannins leaching from the dirt. SaltySully warned me it could happen. He was right.

I'm sure it'll clear up again. It looked pretty good before I planted the grasses.

[SaltySully]

You could also use a diatomaceous earth filter to polish the water. I had one for years and would use it when I would move stuff around or when I would blow the detritus from in the rock work/sand. They are a great temporary filter to remove super tiny particles from the water column.
I would use the Vortex DE filters. The one I had was fron the mid '70s got it from an old fish collector down here.

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[Chasmodes]

Originally Posted by SaltySully

You could also use a diatomaceous earth filter to polish the water. I had one for years and would use it when I would move stuff around or when I would blow the detritus from in the rock work/sand. They are a great temporary filter to remove super tiny particles from the water column.
I would use the Vortex DE filters. The one I had was fron the mid '70s got it from an old fish collector down here.

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I had one of these filters too and used it for many years. It was a terrific filter. Vortex still sells them.

[Michael Hoaster]

Hmm. That's not a bad idea. Let me do a little research. This morning it looks no clearer than yesterday. This leads me to believe it may be a bloom of some kind. Before coughing up the cash, I may try getting my UV back online, and see if that helps. If my tank was much more mature, I might have added a sponge or two, to naturally filter it out.

Thanks for the suggestion, gentlemen!

[McPuff]

Doesn't the media in those filters cause cancer? Yes, it can clean very well, but I'm pretty sure it's not good stuff for humans...

[sam.basye]

Originally Posted by McPuff

Doesn't the media in those filters cause cancer? Yes, it can clean very well, but I'm pretty sure it's not good stuff for humans...

Maybe that’s why SaltySully and Chasmodes are suggesting it?? haha

I bet it’s because you won’t put the root back in...

[SaltySully]

Anything with a small particle size is bad to breath in, using proper protection devices lowers the risk to acceptable levels.

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[vlangel]

Originally Posted by sam.basye

Maybe that’s why SaltySully and Chasmodes are suggesting it?? haha

I bet it’s because you won’t put the root back in...

Ha ha, when you do not heed our 'suggestion' to put the root back in, there is a price to be paid!

[Michael Hoaster]

Haha! You guys!

As it turns out, it's a bloom. I noticed that it got worse over the coarse of the day, indicating that the light is powering it. So, I've re-plumbed my UV back into the canister filter's pipes. That should take care of it. The tannins are another matter. I'll do a little research on that, but I bet the combination of charcoal and another layer of sand on top of the substrate will take care of it. I'm off to Googleton!

[SaltySully]

Are you running a skimmer?

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[Michael Hoaster]

No, I'm not running skimmer. I never did in v1, and no plans to use one this time.

I did find that charcoal will clear tannins. Combining that with a thicker blanket of sand, I think should do it.

[Michael Hoaster]

Well, my attempt to re-plumb the UV in with the canister filter failed. So, this morning I got a more ghetto setup going, similar to the one I had when I was battling dinoflagellates. This time I'm able to hide the pump in the side chamber, so it's not an eye sore. The tank is a big, green box at the moment. I need to get it cleared up quickly, so the new grasses get adequate light. No panic, but some concern for sure.

I'm still trying to figure out what's going on with the gramma in QT. Prazipro seemed to have no effect. A little research made me think it was velvet, but further research made me doubt it's that either. I was talking with the owner at my LFS and he said it could be bacterial, which makes some sense. Bacterial infections often pop up after another illness or stress. So I came home and dosed some erythromycin. This morning they all look a little perkier, so I'm hopeful.

[Michael Hoaster]

It's funny, the difference age and experience makes, when encountering these hurdles. Having been through much of this in the past makes it much easier to deal with now. And a lot less stressful. The younger, less experienced me would be panicking!

Being tuned in to what Nature is up to is also a big help. Noting that ulva growth is consistent with rising nutrients, it was easy to conclude fairly quickly that I am experiencing a phytoplankton bloom. In the big scheme of things, it's probably good for the ecosystem. It's another life form added to the chain. I wonder what other life forms snuck in with the seagrass. I did find a few cerith snails.

Bottom line, I think the measures I'm taking will work, and the tank should clear up soon. And though I've never had much luck curing sick fish, I have hope. With better information and better treatment options these days, we all have a better chance of success.

[lapin]

Looks like things are progressing at light speed now. The grass looks very nice. Beware, Ulva grows like crazy. Once it gets going no stoppin it. I like the tannins. Reminds me of killifish I used to raise many moons ago. Would boil peat moss on the stove then whe n cool add it to my tank so they could lay their eggs. Best Holidaze wishes....

[Michael Hoaster]

Thanks lapin! Well put! Light speed…

I'm happy with the seagrass for sure. Now if I can just get the water clear enough for them to photosynthesize. I don't mind the tannins so much either, but not if they hinder the grasses. Kind of a double whammy, with the phyto bloom.

I have some experience with ulva. It's quite the nutrient sponge. I'm hoping it will compete with less desirable algae. I like it.

Happy Holidaze to you too!

[Michael Hoaster]

Well, the tank is still cloudy/green, but it's clearing slowly. Maybe I'll keep the light off tomorrow, to speed up the process. I hate to not light the seagrass, but it may be worth it. One day shouldn't hurt.

It's ironic that the last good look at the seagrass I got was right before I planted them. Ha! It's always something! I hope they're OK. From what I can see, it looks like they are coated in diatoms or something. I should get some more snails in there! I've got plenty more in the holding tank, along with the spaghetti worms.

I've got family stuff tomorrow, so it'll have to wait (or I'll have to be sneaky).

Cheers!

[Michael Hoaster]

I snuck a little aquarium time in this morning. A water change and another round of erythromycin for the QT. More snails got acclimated and added to the display. And I kept the metal halide off for the day. I wanted to give the UV a little help, clearing up the phytoplankton bloom. I adjusted the canister filter output towards the surface, to facilitate oxygenation.

Merry!

[Michael Hoaster]

My aquarium is clearing. Not there yet, but it shouldn't be too much longer. The day without the light helped. I'm not crazy about using the UV to kill phytoplankton, but it is the best option I can think of, for this situation. I'd much rather use biological means, like filter feeders, such as sponges. But the tank is way too young and unstable at this juncture.

The silver lining of the bloom is that I'm finding a lot of tiny pods and stuff on the front glass, even though I haven't yet specifically added them. So I'm getting additional biodiversity in the formative months of the ecosystem.

As soon as I have time, I'd like to transfer the worms in my holding tank to the display. This will necessitate breaking down the tank, which will trigger the need to re-set up my in-cabinet QTs. So it's a multitask task.

The next steps will be aimed at adding biodiversity. Worms, pods, live sand and live rock are next on the list. I'll also add some more reproducing snails of different species. I'd like to get all this done before the next round of fish go into the display, so they can get established without predation.

Despite the pea soup I'm in right now, I am enjoying this phase. Laying the foundation of a functional ecosystem is fascinating! While it's not particularly pretty, it's looking good for the future.

[Michael Hoaster]

Happy Holidays everyone!

The UV is clearing up the water. It's nice to be able to see! I need some quality time, just observing. That'll inform my decisions going forward.

Mostly, it just needs time. Lot's going on in a tank that's what, two weeks old? Chemical reactions, bacterial colonization, algae, detritus, micro and macroscopic creatures. New life and a new ecosystem starting up. Lot's to learn! Fun stuff!