Weeds

[Chasmodes]

Originally Posted by sam.basye

How long did it take to prune your fingers like that? lol

I thought the same thing, that maybe you were swimming in there

Thanks for sharing your recent pics. Your tank is really coming along nicely. I love the look of the wall and Ulva along with the grasses.

Spotting the blennies is like that I spy kids book. Very cool little critters. They blend in very well.

[vlangel]

I just thought of a question Michael, are you feeding the fish? And if so, what and how much/how often?

[Michael Hoaster]

Thanks Dawn! I think some of the seagrass is getting taller. Also some is getting shorter - as a result of my pruning. I don't mind the look of the white mollies either!

[Michael Hoaster]

Thanks Kevin! If it was big enough, I'd love to take a dip!

My tank is coming along satisfactorily. With funds getting low, there's not a whole lot to do but observe and think right now. So I export algae to favor the grasses and reds. Maybe a water change is in order…

I thought you'd get a kick out of blenny hunting!

[Michael Hoaster]

Dawn, I was feeding three times a day. Now it's more like one to two times a day. I want to keep the mollies hungry, so they eat algae. I feed frozen mysids and flake lately.

[lapin]

Wow. The tank looks so clean. I cant believe you had success in keeping that algae off the grasses. From what you described, I didnt expect to spot the sea grasses.
Salty fingers make for burning eyes at my house *-}

[Michael Hoaster]

Thanks lapin! I have had success getting algae off the grasses, but not keeping it off. Did you see the pic with algae covering the grasses? It's quite a job, picking clean sixty plants! I think if I can get it to a certain level, my crew should be able to take over and keep it down. I'm waiting for them to reproduce to get there.

[Michael Hoaster]

Dawn, I got the impression your question about my feeding regime was leading to something. Was it? Don't be shy, I love the discussion! It is helpful to have people question what I'm doing. You might well point out something I hadn't considered. Fire away!

I'm amazed how fast algae and cyano bounce back. I really picked the sand bed surface clean, and then buried it under a hefty layer of new sand. Two days later, it's all back again!

[vlangel]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

Dawn, I got the impression your question about my feeding regime was leading to something. Was it? Don't be shy, I love the discussion! It is helpful to have people question what I'm doing. You might well point out something I hadn't considered. Fire away!

I'm amazed how fast algae and cyano bounce back. I really picked the sand bed surface clean, and then buried it under a hefty layer of new sand. Two days later, it's all back again!

Well, it was a question of gathering info. Since the idea of your tank is a natural eco system I was wondering with its size if it was able to sustain the few fish you have. The barnacle blennies would eats pods and so they would not be competing with the mollies who would primarily eat algae. I did think since it is so new that maybe only the blennies would need fed as algae seems to be plentiful, (although maybe not their favorite varieties) and pods may be still in the growing stage.

[Michael Hoaster]

Ahh! I see. I love the self-sustaining aquarium ideal. I do hope to have some natural, hunting and eating behavior, but I want more fish, so I'll need to feed. It would be nice right now, with all the algae I have growing, to not need to feed, but I think I should let Nature take its course. Not feeding at this point would likely throw off the development of the ecosystem.

That would be awesome to reach the point where the system is self-sustaining. If there were only mollies in there, I definitely wouldn't need to feed the tank. I did add pods a few weeks ago, but they need to multiply to have more of an impact. Once their population gets big enough, they will also consume a descent amount of algae. The pods I got are more benthic, so the blennies likely don't even know they are there. They are more pelagic plankton pickers. I've yet to see them hunt and eat any pods. I suppose I could add some pelagic pods.

What I'd really like to do is add some mysids! In an ideal world, they would help out with algae and detritus, reproduce prolifically, and sustain a population that could feed all the carnivorous fish in the tank indefinitely. Unfortunately, I'll likely end up with too many carnivores. In fact, I doubt I could maintain enough, in this size tank, to feed the five blennies I have now.

Mysids are actual, natural residents of seagrass beds. I'd love to have them! If I can figure out a way to keep a sustainable population going, that would be awesome. I wonder if my overflow refugium would be big enough to make it work. Or, after I have added all the fish I want, I could convert one of two QTs into a mysids grow out tank. Hmm…

[vlangel]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

Ahh! I see. I love the self-sustaining aquarium ideal. I do hope to have some natural, hunting and eating behavior, but I want more fish, so I'll need to feed. It would be nice right now, with all the algae I have growing, to not need to feed, but I think I should let Nature take its course. Not feeding at this point would likely throw off the development of the ecosystem.

That would be awesome to reach the point where the system is self-sustaining. If there were only mollies in there, I definitely wouldn't need to feed the tank. I did add pods a few weeks ago, but they need to multiply to have more of an impact. Once their population gets big enough, they will also consume a descent amount of algae. The pods I got are more benthic, so the blennies likely don't even know they are there. They are more pelagic plankton pickers. I've yet to see them hunt and eat any pods. I suppose I could add some pelagic pods.

What I'd really like to do is add some mysids! In an ideal world, they would help out with algae and detritus, reproduce prolifically, and sustain a population that could feed all the carnivorous fish in the tank indefinitely. Unfortunately, I'll likely end up with too many carnivores. In fact, I doubt I could maintain enough, in this size tank, to feed the five blennies I have now.

Mysids are actual, natural residents of seagrass beds. I'd love to have them! If I can figure out a way to keep a sustainable population going, that would be awesome. I wonder if my overflow refugium would be big enough to make it work. Or, after I have added all the fish I want, I could convert one of two QTs into a mysids grow out tank. Hmm…

Your explaination is exactly what I thought. I figured that you couldn't possibly have enough pods yet so I figured that you must be feeding. In fact I also did not think your size tank could sustain the blennies but I couldn't remember how many you had. (I read a thread years ago where a seeded 40 gallon breeder tank was tried out to keep dwarf seahorses. It could almost keep 2 but had to be reseeded from time to time. The dwarf seahorses were eating pods, and mysid larvae shrimp. It would work until the seahorses ate the adult mysid.) Anyway then I began to wonder what foods would be best to start the food webs or even if that mattered. Maybe detritus and fish wastes in any form work. I am trying to understand the workings of your tank for future reference.

[Michael Hoaster]

OK, good. Sorry I was a bit long winded, but you got me going! I am trying to understand the workings of my tank too. In a sense, all aquariums are the same, as far as natural processes, that are there, working in the background. No matter how we go about it, Nature always makes it work. That's amazing!

[Subsea]

Originally Posted by vlangel

Your explaination is exactly what I thought. I figured that you couldn't possibly have enough pods yet so I figured that you must be feeding. In fact I also did not think your size tank could sustain the blennies but I couldn't remember how many you had. (I read a thread years ago where a seeded 40 gallon breeder tank was tried out to keep dwarf seahorses. It could almost keep 2 but had to be reseeded from time to time. The dwarf seahorses were eating pods, and mysid larvae shrimp. It would work until the seahorses ate the adult mysid.) Anyway then I began to wonder what foods would be best to start the food webs or even if that mattered. Maybe detritus and fish wastes in any form work. I am trying to understand the workings of your tank for future reference.

BRS TV video series Friday release was on coral nutrition and was quite advanced tying in to a 6 part Advanced Aquaria series on Coral nutrition by Dana Riddle. It was quite an eye opener. Between BRS, World Wide Coral and Triton Method research scientist there was much agreement that to run a reef tank requires a lot of food input. Surprisingly, the single biggest component in a reef tank nutrition to coral was fish feces kept in suspension with turbulent flow.

[vlangel]

Originally Posted by Subsea

BRS TV video series Friday release was on coral nutrition and was quite advanced tying in to a 6 part Advanced Aquaria series on Coral nutrition by Dana Riddle. It was quite an eye opener. Between BRS, World Wide Coral and Triton Method research scientist there was much agreement that to run a reef tank requires a lot of food input. Surprisingly, the single biggest component in a reef tank nutrition to coral was fish feces kept in suspension with turbulent flow.

Hhmmm, that sounds worth checking out. I really like those BRS videos and I have learned a lot from them.

[Michael Hoaster]

Today I did a water change and I fired up the UV as well.

[Michael Hoaster]

A quick shot of the tank after algae export. Note how the ulva on the back wall casts shadows, allowing the grasses to pop visually.




The seagrass is growing! The plants seem well rooted too. These grasses are getting established much quicker than the ones I had in v1. That's great news!

I've still got lots of algae. I suspect it's going to hang around until I can get more desirable algae growing. And my crew needs more time to reproduce. So for now, I'm helping to keep the grasses clean. With steady export, I should reduce nutrients in the water.

It's funny. At this time, I'm trying to keep nutrients lower to combat algae. Later on, I'll be trying to keep nutrients high enough to keep my favored weeds growing!

[vlangel]

Its looking good and I like the magnifying glass in the foreground! I have one on the end table next to my tank as well.

[lapin]

Magnifying glass. I have one too. A bit bent and rusty but who isnt.

[Michael Hoaster]

Right on Dawn! We've got tiny things to see. I look forward to when I have a sand bed wriggling with life. I still have a ways to go, but we're moving that direction.

[Michael Hoaster]

lapin, you crack me up! Who isn't!

[Michael Hoaster]

I pointed out the shading on the back wall to confirm that plants would achieve the same look as adding material to the back wall for overhang. Yay!

Did I mention I have algae? It gets better! Dinoflagellates are now part of the mix. The only reason I noticed that the grasses were taller was because the dinos were bubbling up and lifting the blades higher. That's why I fired up the UV again the other day. I had success in v1 using UV, so I have similar expectations. Combined with export, it should come down in a couple of weeks.

I wish I had more plants to compete with the algae. Hopefully the funds will improve shortly. The selection online, in the dead of winter isn't so great, plus I'm trying to be more selective in my choices.

My little ecosystem in a box still has a long way to go.

[vlangel]

I love the quiet confidence that you announce that you now have dinos and will deal with them. I read post after post of folks who lament the dreaded dinos.

[lifeoffaith]

Originally Posted by vlangel

I love the quiet confidence that you announce that you now have dinos and will deal with them. I read post after post of folks who lament the dreaded dinos.

I was pleased by this approach too! It's part of nature. Embrace it and deal with it the way nature would! Personally I am a firm believer in an intelligent creator. For that reason I try to avoid using chemicals if at all possible and just treat issues with natural remedies, assuming that means I don't kill the natural remedies by not being able to keep them fed or alive in my tank.

[Michael Hoaster]

Thank you Dawn! I too have read the horror stories. The problem with dinos is there is so much conflicting info on them. The reason for that is because there are more than one type of dino, and each responds to treatments differently. So it can be a very demoralizing battle.

In v1, I found UV to be effective with 'my' dinos, so I'm starting with that strategy. And I will keep exporting.

[McPuff]

I apologize if this has been stated, but just curious if you're running carbon. If not, I suppose you could just apply as needed. Bent and rusty... ha ha!