Weeds

[Michael Hoaster]

Thanks ThePurple12! Should have pics some time today.

That's cool you're going through my old thread. Lot's of good stuff in there.

Butterflies and zoanthids? Oh, if I recall, I was exploring the idea of keeping butterflies and a fast-growing coral to keep them well fed, enjoying zoas without them taking over the tank.

[ThePurple12]

Hey Michael, other than those damsels, what other fish do you have in there?

[Michael Hoaster]

I have one remaining Barnacle Blenny, for a total of five fish. I'd really like to build up a decent sized community. But it's not happening in 2020. I am constantly researching possible new fish, so I'll be ready when the time comes.

[ThePurple12]

Yes, prices are ridiculously high these days. Green chromis used to be $5. Now, my LFS is selling them for $30!? I know there must be a reason for it, but still...

What happened to your fish from the previous build?

Actually, don't tell me- no spoilers!! I'm still reading!

[vlangel]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

I have one remaining Barnacle Blenny, for a total of five fish. I'd really like to build up a decent sized community. But it's not happening in 2020. I am constantly researching possible new fish, so I'll be ready when the time comes.

Is there a reason why you are not doing a gramma harem like in version 1? I know they are omnivores but will they decimate the bio-life in the sandbed? I remember them in your prior version and thought that was a super cool idea. I was not a faithful follower back then, ( and actually was a bit intimidated since I was not real knowledgable about macroalgae and even less on seagrass), but for all I know they killed each other in a 'Then there were None' scenario! Oooh sorry, that sounds awful and overly dark. Scratch that, I am sure they lived long productive lives! Ha ha!

[vlangel]

Also are there any more barnacle blennies in your future? I also only have 1 left but I would like to get some more.

[Michael Hoaster]

Kind of a tease, but here's a night pic. I knew I needed to clean the glass before shooting, and the light went out before I finished. So I went ahead and took one with just the blue flood on.

[Michael Hoaster]

I loved my Royal Gramma harem! I may do it again! I'd been thinking of doing a similar harem of Orchid Dottybacks instead, since they love vertical habitats too, and I love their color. But I worry they're too mean.

My old grammas eventually all died of ICH, after the ill-fated Lookdowns brought it in.

[ThePurple12]

NOOOO! You spoiled it! I had just gotten to the part where you got the lookdowns!

But seriously, I'm sorry to hear about the royal grammas. That was an awesome group of fish.

The new rockscape is nice. It'll be cool to have more room for macros.

[Michael Hoaster]

Oh Nooooo! That's a sorry way to repay you to invest so much time. I've reread it myself. It was interesting to compare what I was doing v1 vs v2 at the same time in their development.

The new rockscape is good? There's a fair amount of new sand as well. It certainly brightened up the tank. I'm always surprised by that.

[Michael Hoaster]

I'm on the fence with adding more barnacle blennies. I'd love to but it breaks my heart when they die. I told myself I was done with them, but you never know…

Oh, and the grammas were good ecosystem members, eating some pods but not wiping them out.

[vlangel]

I love the new look! I knew I would. It was definitely worth the effort in my opinion.

I kind of remember you getting the Lookdowns. I would love to see another gramma harem. I really like the colors of dottybacks too but I would be afraid of the aggression. The color on royal gramma is not as intricate as some dottybacks but as a harem among the seagrass and macros they would still be striking with that punch of yellow and fushia.
None of my barnacle blennies did the death spiral so maybe that was something just with that bunch? I know that I am going to get more next year. I will let you know how that goes.

[Michael Hoaster]

Thanks Dawn. It turned out pretty well. Definitely worth the effort. With the cloudiness making it a start-stop process, the work was spread out over days. It was more mentally daunting than physical. It's hard to 'trash' the tank on purpose. Now that it's clearing up, it's all good. Exciting even!

[Michael Hoaster]

I got some pics this morning. Enjoy!


Overall view. The patch reef is more robust and taller. I tried to get more slope to the sand, like it was when I first scaped it.



Right end view. I tried to get the rocks to 'crawl' up the slope, to get more verticality. The sand slopes down to nothing, making it 'the deep end'. The lower light, with that hint of blue, adds to the impression of depth.



The Allen's Damsels wasted no time moving back in. I'm not quite happy with Grasilaria placement. I'll keep messing with it.



Note the small red macro on the mangrove trunk. It was growing at the other end of the tank. I thought it might be cool growing here instead, sort of like a ballerina's tutu. I made a hole in the middle, like a doughnut, and slipped it over the leaves at the top.



Another view of the patch reef. It looks like one of the sargassum plants is taking off. You can also see the foundation rocks semi-buried. These are the key to keeping the live rocks from sinking into the sand again.

[Vinny Kreyling]

Looking Good Michael!
Worth the effort IMHO.

[Michael Hoaster]

Thanks Vinny! I was a little concerned that all the disturbance might throw things out of wack, or I might unearth some hydrogen sulfide, but so far, all is well.

I'd love to return the favor of commenting on your tank thread but I couldn't find one. Got a link?

[vlangel]

O wow Michael, it looks outstanding. It looked really good with the blue lights but with the daylight lights it is a notch above and really amazing. It is so cool!

[Michael Hoaster]

I really appreciate the kind words, Dawn! It feels good to hear, after working so hard to get there.

I remember when you first waded in with comments, awhile back. You were a little tentative, but it was clear to me you were very knowledgeable. Now look at you! A visionary!

[ThePurple12]

Good stuff. I love the caulerpa-covered walls, and that sargassum will add a great touch to the tank once it's grown out.

Just finished reading the Caribbean Biotope thread, now I need to catch up on the first several pages of Weeds!

[vlangel]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

I really appreciate the kind words, Dawn! It feels good to hear, after working so hard to get there.

I remember when you first waded in with comments, awhile back. You were a little tentative, but it was clear to me you were very knowledgeable. Now look at you! A visionary!

I don't know, I feel like a bumbling visionary at best, ha ha! The more I learn the more I realize how very little I really know!!!

[Michael Hoaster]

Thanks The Purple12! I'm really hoping that sargassum grows long, even up to the surface. That would be cool!

Thanks for reading my old thread! I had a very diverse group of commenters on it, making for some lively discussion. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

[ThePurple12]

Yes, it's sad that there's less traffic here on RC lately. Most of those guys from the Caribbean thread are gone. JohnL mentioned a site update hopefully coming soon.

My thoughts? I thought the mangrove root was awesome, it provided a good contrast against the seagrass bed and looked very natural. The tank's color was amazing, I especially liked the Caulerpa racemosa and the blue Hypnea. The pic below is one of my favs.

Also loved the fish population, with the royal grammas and co. The short time with the lookdowns was just stunning. I would venture to say that was the tank's highest point. Very sad that those lookdowns caused a wipeout, needless to say. Do you still have Big Daddy 2?

Really appreciated the shoal grass growth near the end. It had finally filled in... just not the species you wanted!

To sum it all up... it was an epic tank!

I wonder what old Zippy's up to these days...

[ThePurple12]

Oh yeah, did that condy nem come back from the dead?

Are you going to try Halophila sometime? Maybe it doesn't quite fit in your tank among the tall manatee grass.

[Michael Hoaster]

Thanks The Purple12, for sharing your thoughts. It is a shame we get fewer people around here. I see some signs people are coming back, but I don't know. I'll believe a site update when I see it.

The fake mangrove was pretty cool. It set my tank apart, for sure. I chose the caulerpa racemosa because I thought it would contrast well with the seagrasses. It had a tendency to go sexual, but that's no big deal in this kind of tank. On a practical level, it was easy to remove, when it needed pruning. This feather caulerpa I have now is much more difficult to remove. It breaks too easily. I remember seeing the first, tiny frond on the live rock, thinking "will this little plant take over my tank?" It nearly has!

It's funny that you chose that pic. It captured the best day of my aquarium keeping life. The plants were going off, and the lookdowns were so cool! You may be right that it was the peak of that tank. It was a very good day. But it was the beginning of a long, expensive journey, trying to keep them alive, and then watching my other fish get ICH. I guess I learned a lot from that one!

I liked the shoal grass. It's the turtle grass I decided I didn't like. It was spreading and overtaking the manatee grass. I did have some cool macros. I loved the grasilaria hayi that popped up on the mangrove root. The blue hypnea added a nice color to the mix.

Mr Zippy was great. Gorgeous juvenile coloring and, like a lot of tangs, a true character.

I guess it was pretty epic. Thanks for reminding me. Eventually, the aiptasias, the dinos and some out-of-control macros, lead me to breaking down the tank to start over.

I wasn't able to bring the condylactis back. I tried to feed it and coax it back into the tank, but no luck. It disappeared.

I'd like to try a Halophila some time. Right now I don't know where I'd put it. The manatee and shoal grass are pretty thick.

[Michael Hoaster]

Grabbed a few pics this evening…



I finally got my two sargassum weeds in good light. I'm seeing growth already.



String of Pearls, Grasilaria.



The red macros seem happy with the new reef setup. So far, the mangroves seem unaffected.



I found a small Widgeon Grass (I think), and moved it to the front. It died back but now looks to be bouncing back.