Weeds

[vlangel]

Michael, have you ever tried a hoffer gurgle buster? You can see how they work on youtube. I used one for a while to stop bubbles and siphon drain noise. I did worry about macro algae getting in it and plugging the holes and for me that would be disasterous. Eventually I was able to just drill holes in the standpipe and added a hole at a time until the right amount of water was drawn into the drain. I added a foam sleeve over the standpipe which quieted it even more and I bet would help with micro bubble. In a sense the foam sleeve acts like the hoffer gurgle buster's sleeve except it does not limit the water going into the drain very much. I control the water flow with my variable return pump. I can draw a pic of the hoffer gurgle buster if you like?

[sam.basye]

Drill a small hole in the top of your question mark. I used a T fitting with a cap at the top and 90° off the side. Experiment with different sized holes to get the water level right so it doesn’t flush like a toilet. I bought multiple caps to test with.
Durso standpipe, cheap and pretty effective.




Water level should be about halfway up the horizontal part

[Chasmodes]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

The Manatee Grass is doing phenomenally well. I planted it on December 18, 2018. Four months have passed. 4! Right now it is multiplying like crazy in an orgy of asexual reproduction. New rhizomes and blades are everywhere. It took at least twice as long to get this far in v1. Big dif!

That's awesome. You paved the way, and you're proving your theory! I'm happy for you.

Good luck with the stand pipe issue. I'm sure that you'll figure it out sooner or later.

[Michael Hoaster]

Thanks Dawn. I hadn't seen the Hofer design before. I checked it out. Pretty slick! I hadn't considered adding a vent hole to my contraption. Maybe that's the missing ingredient!

[Michael Hoaster]

Thanks Sam! That looks great! I'll try adding a vent hole on top. To think that all my troubles could be solved by a quarter inch hole, is just typical! I'm not sure that it will solve the problem or not, given this is a closed loop. I'd REALLY love it if it did!

I've been reading up on closed loop designs. One thing that stands out is that the suction side (outgoing water) should be IN the tank, which I don't have. Mine is in the side chamber, with plenty of flow impediment, which seems to be the problem. Eliminating the overflow weir in the chamber looks like a possible solution, but making that kind of change would be complicated with a full tank. If I could seal off the chamber from the tank and drain it, that might work. Then I'd need to figure out what kind of power tool I could fit in there to do it.

Needless to say, I'll try the quarter inch hole first!

[sam.basye]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

Thanks Sam! That looks great! I'll try adding a vent hole on top. To think that all my troubles could be solved by a quarter inch hole, is just typical! I'm not sure that it will solve the problem or not, given this is a closed loop. I'd REALLY love it if it did!

I've been reading up on closed loop designs. One thing that stands out is that the suction side (outgoing water) should be IN the tank, which I don't have. Mine is in the side chamber, with plenty of flow impediment, which seems to be the problem. Eliminating the overflow weir in the chamber looks like a possible solution, but making that kind of change would be complicated with a full tank. If I could seal off the chamber from the tank and drain it, that might work. Then I'd need to figure out what kind of power tool I could fit in there to do it.

Needless to say, I'll try the quarter inch hole first!

Start smaller, try a 1/8” hole first, then 3/16”, then 1/4” if those don’t work.
You can also drill it out and if it’s too big stick some airline tubing in the hole to reduce it back.
I think mine is 3/16”.

[Michael Hoaster]

Thanks Kevin!

I'm bursting with pride over my Manatee Grass! Dirt theory! Now if I can just get my circulation system functioning properly…

[Michael Hoaster]

Thanks Sam, and Dawn for your suggestions! Sometimes it takes a village! I'm off to do some drillin'!

[Michael Hoaster]

Well, a simple hole did not solve my problem. I really hoped it would! I tried an eighth inch hole first, then a quarter. The water level stabilized but the vent hole introduced air, so micro bubbles galore.

Had this been in a sump arrangement, I'm sure it would have worked. Closed loops are a different animal. I've done some more reading. Closed loops should be submerged so no air gets in. I need to make the outgoing chamber to be just like it's in the tank. So I need to remove impediments between it and the tank. So the overflow weir, or part of it has got to go. I think I can probably get that done using a dremel.

We're getting there!

[Chasmodes]

Good effort by trying drilling the hole in your standpipe. It's an easy fix it if had worked, and an easy thing to correct if it didn't. Trial and error...eventually you will solve it. I think that you're on the right track.

[Michael Hoaster]

Thanks Kevin. I'm open to suggestions! I think my next step will be to take a dremel to the overflow weir, to lower it's height. If I can reduce impediment to flow-through, I just might get it.

Quick update on living elements: The two remaining barnacle blennies are living it up, and as cute as ever. The female molly is pregnant. Hopefully she'll have a good brood. Having a bunch of tiny fish looks very natural, and they basically just eat constantly. The neon and tuxedo damsels are doing well, but I have seen them scratching.

I resumed CO2 injection. I had stopped because I was seeing oxygen bubbles on the grasses, which I thought indicated dinos, but I'm not seeing any dinos on them at all. If they were there, they'd grow and become obvious - they're not. So I guess the grasses are 'pearling', which is a very good thing. At least two grasses have reached the water surface. The snails have completely relieved me of seagrass cleaning. It's a huge relief, with so many new blades.

I still have several tiny macros I can't ID yet, but they're growing. The newest ones are tiny halimeda plants. A couple of others got munched by something but there is some remaining to grow back. With my army of snails, there are some macros I just can't keep. It's a worthwhile trade off, relieving me of a ton of work.

I still plan to add a few more green macros next month.

[Michael Hoaster]

Nov 23, 2018. The dirt.



Dec 19, 2018. Manatee Grass 24 hours in.



Jan 10, 2019. Ulva popping up.



Jan 27, 2019. Less algae.



March 7, 2019. Codium and red sampler. Grass looks taller.



April 5, 2019.



April 13 2019.

[vlangel]

I love seeing the progression since late Nov. last year. Seeimg how much the manatee grass is getting established is really neat.

[Michael Hoaster]

Thanks Dawn! I thought it would be fun to see the progression. I hope to get more seagrass pics up close to show the growth and reproduction that is happening.

Having kept these plants before in v1, I'm keenly aware of how much better it's going this time. Experience is a good teacher!

[vlangel]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

Thanks Dawn! I thought it would be fun to see the progression. I hope to get more seagrass pics up close to show the growth and reproduction that is happening.

Having kept these plants before in v1, I'm keenly aware of how much better it's going this time. Experience is a good teacher!

Are you able to post a v1 pic at this time in its development so we can compare v1 with v2?

[Michael Hoaster]

I found one at about the five month mark in the Caribbean Biotope Seagrass Tank thread. Not really a fair comparison, since I started with much fewer plants. But it's worth a look!



The Turtle Grass is visible, the Manatee grass not so much. Not a good pic, but it was the closest I could find to the same time frame.

[vlangel]

Thanks Michael! I understand that it is not exactly a fair comparison but even at that I can tell how much further progressed the v2 is in establishing an ecosystem. I don't even see any macro algaes yet except maybe a small sprig of ulva in amongst the grasses. No wonder you are so encouraged because you must have still been doing a lot of algae removal at that stage. Thanks again for the comparison pic.

[Michael Hoaster]

Thank you Dawn, for the suggestion! I think at that point, five months in, I hadn't even gone through an algae phase yet. I kept the tank low nutrient to stave off algae and it only delayed it. Then it was three lovely months of cyano. I now believe it's best to get the algae going asap, to start up the food chain.

[vlangel]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

Thank you Dawn, for the suggestion! I think at that point, five months in, I hadn't even gone through an algae phase yet. I kept the tank low nutrient to stave off algae and it only delayed it. Then it was three lovely months of cyano. I now believe it's best to get the algae going asap, to start up the food chain.

An invaluable learning experience for you and us who are following!

[Chasmodes]

I love the progression pics. Wow, what a difference between the two 5 month pics too. It sounds like your critters are all happy, and you CUC is doing a fine job. You mentioned that you might rearrange your rocks again, does your last v2 pic above?

[Michael Hoaster]

I have done it yet, but I have an idea what I want to do with the rocks. Basically, I just want the arrangement to look more natural. Right now it looks a little squarish, which fits the space well, but it looks a little too man-made.

I'm glad to hear y'all liked the progression pics. I should do that more often!

[Michael Hoaster]

Oops, I meant to say I "haven't" done it yet, above.

I was away for three days camping. Everyone's accounted for. Tank looks a little shaggy. A little tidying to do. Pretty smooth sailing, here at the Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon. Mostly just watching plants grow.

[McPuff]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

I have done it yet, but I have an idea what I want to do with the rocks. Basically, I just want the arrangement to look more natural. Right now it looks a little squarish, which fits the space well, but it looks a little too man-made.

I'm glad to hear y'all liked the progression pics. I should do that more often!

There are lots of examples of square (or geometric) features in nature.

Progression pics are the best. Keep them coming! :0)

[Michael Hoaster]

I agree McPuff, but my squarish rock arrangement looks unnaturally so, within the square shape of the tank. Know what I mean? I have a plan to move just a few rocks to make it work. With all my rocks on the sand, it's easy to do.

I'm very happy with the control I have with the aesthetics in this tank. I've never had so much. In v1, I had a jungle, this time it's more of a garden. It's a pretty loose garden, but I have only the plants I want. I was surprised how big of a difference that makes.

I did some post-camping tidying up today. I exported a lot of Ulva, and a few small weeds growing on the grasses. I had to do a proper scrape on the glass to get some tougher algae off. Other than that, I can find almost no algae at all. It's weird! I also noted, after my 3 day absence, that the Neon Damsels have grown. They're getting prettier too.

The Codium continues to flourish, which amazes me, since I'd never had luck with it in the past. It looks good down amongst the ulva and seagrass. The green variations and textures are sweet. I've got one more green to add to the sand bed - Tufted Joint Algae. It's a very light green, and the segmented stalks topped with the little plumes are gorgeous. A few more greens for the back wall, and I should be just about set for plants.

I edited down some of the reds I got with the red sampler pack. Only my very favorite reds will do. Plus I have new beauties growing from the rocks. Halymenia Elongata has long, tubular branches, similar to Nemastoma. Botryocladia, or Red Grapes are also showing up. Add those two to the String of Pearls and that gives me three 'balloon animal' reds. Another small red I have looks like it could be Halymenia Floridana, which is a plant I've coveted. It resembles a red ulva. The Sargassum Weed looks like it might make it. Something eats it occasionally, but it is gaining ground.

Today I spotted a new resident. I wasn't sure whether it was a plant or animal, until I saw one of the 'branches' fold inward, like feeding tentacles towards a mouth. It's in the rock, so I'm guessing it's some rock-boring, filter-feeding worm. Welcome, Filter Feeders, to our little ecosystem! I guess it's about time to invest in some phytoplankton.

I've cautiously added ammonia dosing to the routine, which includes CO2 injection. The median C:N:P ratio for seagrasses is 474:24:1. CO2 is their favorite form of Carbon, and Ammonia is their favorite form of Nitrogen. Fish food doubles as the Phosphate and trace element source. It's a simple recipe for plant success. Waiting until after the algae phase is a good idea.

[McPuff]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

Today I spotted a new resident. I wasn't sure whether it was a plant or animal, until I saw one of the 'branches' fold inward, like feeding tentacles towards a mouth. It's in the rock, so I'm guessing it's some rock-boring, filter-feeding worm. Welcome, Filter Feeders, to our little ecosystem! I guess it's about time to invest in some phytoplankton.

The description sounds like a vermetid snail. Do a search to confirm. If it is a vermetid, you might consider snuffing it out with putty or something. They can turn into a nuisance!