Caribbean Biotope Seagrass Tank

[Michael Hoaster]

Resized images:


Note the large overhanging caulerpa at top left.



With most of the overhang removed.

One new thing I tried was to prune the manatee grass tips. Without the brown ends, they looked so pretty! Took all the exported macro algae and dumped it in the quarantine tank. The tree sponge frags continue to frustrate my attempts to attach them to rocks. The pink and purple encrusting sponges I redistributed tiny frags of, are recovering. I don't know if any transplants survived, but I bet some did.

[Chibils]

The pictures are working fine now - re-sizing seemed to do the trick.

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[Michael Hoaster]

Well, my aiptasia problem is getting out of hand! I am amazed how quickly they have spread. Two weeks ago, I had a few emerge after Phyllis was removed. Now there are probably hundreds!

After trying chemicals, peppermint shrimp and a file fish, I'm giving Berghia nudibranchs a try. I'm very optimistic, as aiptasias are their only food. This is key-they won't go after anything else. The fact that they are caribbean and a wholly natural solution, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

[JLynn]

Another thing you could try is lasers. Melev's Reef did a great demo of how they work (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvkEbx1P85U). I don't know where he bought his laser from, but there is a thread somewhere on ReefCentral discussing the very same thing that you could reference to see which kinds of lasers would work for this.

Maybe you could cut down the bulk of them with a laser and keep the Nudibranchs for ongoing population control?

Also: your tank is looking gorgeous! Good work!

[Michael Hoaster]

Nice to hear from you again, JLynn!

At first I thought you were joking about the lasers! Imagine me, mister anti-gadget, employing lasers to kill, kill, kill!

I watched the video-very interesting! It seemed to work. I'm sure a lot of guys would love it! I'm going to give Mother Nature another try.

From what I read, the nudibranchs appear to be the best solution. But if they fail, beam me up!

[McPuff]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

Well, my aiptasia problem is getting out of hand! I am amazed how quickly they have spread. Two weeks ago, I had a few emerge after Phyllis was removed. Now there are probably hundreds!

After trying chemicals, peppermint shrimp and a file fish, I'm giving Berghia nudibranchs a try. I'm very optimistic, as aiptasias are their only food. This is key-they won't go after anything else. The fact that they are caribbean and a wholly natural solution, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

How many peppermint shrimp did you put in your tank? It may take a dozen or so... not sure. I did this in my 120 and the aiptasia were gone quickly. I think I only put in 4 or 5.

[Michael Hoaster]

Months ago, when I only had a few aiptasias, I added two peppermint shrimp. They did a great job, taking out all that I could see. But then, they went after my spaghetti worms, which are a key sand bed resident, so I removed them. More recently, since the grammas have grown pretty big, I have added two more, only to have them eaten by the grammas.

So, with my current setup, peppermints are not a viable solution. I guess I could remove the grammas temporarily and add a bunch of peppermints for a while, then replenish the spaghetti worms. But I looked into the berghia nudibranchs and they appear to be an ideal solution. They eat ONLY aiptasias. They reproduce to adapt to the number of aiptasias present. They incorporate the stinging cells from aiptasias into their own bodies, so they are unpalatable to fish. As the aiptasia population dwindles, so does their population.

I think this is the best solution for me and my situation. I'll let you know…

[EdimarOliveira]

I did not know Gramma eat peppermint shrimp ...

Very interesting information!

[Michael Hoaster]

Welcome, EdimarOliveira!

I don't think this is universally true. If the shrimp are added BEFORE the grammas, they're probably safe. As with most carnivorous fish, anything added to the tank AFTER them, and fits in their mouth, is considered food.

[EdimarOliveira]

Michael, your tank is something that fascinates me.

Too bad that in Brazil is very difficult to get macroalgae, strange as it is, although it is a country of vast expanses of beaches.

The Atlantic is not conducive to their development and trade here is very precarious.

But it's a fascinating biotope!

Congratulations!!

[Michael Hoaster]

Thank you Edimar, for your compliments! I think more and more folks are getting interested in "display refugiums". They are beautiful and interesting to look at, plus they make aquarium keeping so much easier!

Sorry to hear macros are hard to come by for you. Can you legally collect yourself? I would imagine Brazil has seagrass and macro algae lagoons.

[EdimarOliveira]

There are restrictions to various species of fish, but it seems that the macro algae should not exist. But I reside far from the coast, is not very easy to collect. But do not dismay, why also find "refuge aquariums" much more interesting than just with coral and fish. It's a goal of mine and I've been following your topic is time. Maybe I can not mount a remotely like now, right?

[sam.basye]

Still going to thin the herd of grasses?? Doesn't look any thinner to me...

How's the foam wall / root holding up?

[Michael Hoaster]

Colors!



When Venus and Mars align…



Blue hypnea and green turfy stuff, finding a home amongst the big boys.



That harem is very entertaining!



The flow-through wall, with living petina.



A beautiful, delicate ballet!



Sturdy little growths of grasialria hayi, on the mangrove root.



I can't get enough of these!



These, look a little, puffy. I don't recall ever having them! Except maybe, Bortryocladia.

[sam.basye]

[QUOTE/]
These, look a little, puffy. I don't recall ever having them! Except maybe, Bortryocladia.[/QUOTE]

Nemastoma macro algae??




Tanks looking great!

[jraker]

Looking good with more reds and blues.

[Chibils]

Great photos! Have you considered adding more gorgonians? 😀

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[Michael Hoaster]

I did add a couple more gorgonian frags a month or two ago. In the next to last pic above, you can see a whip grorgonian sicking out from the wall, on the right. In the fourth pic, you can see the red gorgonian in the middle bottom. So with the tan one I've had over a year, that makes three.

I'd love to have more, but I want to make sure they can survive in my setup, with my feeding regime. So, I start with small frags and go from there!

It's been fun considering new fish, but the ones I have right now are very entertaining! The gramma harem provides a constant soap opera. Yesterday I was watching the tank. Big Daddy was in his hole tending eggs (I presume), and the other girls were bickering with each other. Then Big Daddy comes out and flirts with each of them seductively. Then, for about five or ten seconds, they just hung in place, as if in a trance. I think they were arroused! My guess is that in that moment, they all went into egg-production!

There's a lesson in there for us men; if we give our ladies a little attention, they respond affectionately…

[McPuff]

We had briefly discussed a FOWLR a few pages back and I'm making the switch within the next few weeks. I bought a 300DD and that will replace the 120 sps reef I've got now. I plan to keep the LPS and probably add some softies. The sps have been posted for sale. I'm super excited to get back into some tangs, angels, and triggers. Anyway, thought you'd be interested. :0)

[Michael Hoaster]

That's awesome, McPuff! Are you having it built on-site? Have you started a build thread? What does DD mean?

[jraker]

DD = deep dimensions. They are much much wider than other aquariums, the 300 gallon being 36" front to back.

[Michael Hoaster]

sam.basye, I wanted to respond to your earlier questions.

I think I've just about worked up the gumption to remove the turtle grasses, but I've got a bunch of "life stuff" coming up, so I won't be able to do it for awhile. Plus I have the berghia nudibranchs coming in about a week and a half, so I'll want to keep everything stable while they do their thing. So yes, it will happen, but no, I don't know when, at this juncture.

The foam wall is still solid. No crumbling, no moving, no discoloration. The only change is the amount of life encrusting it-more! The fake mangrove root also continues, perfectly intact. I have knocked a root lose, while trying to secure sponges, etcetera, but was able to re-mount it with no trouble. I'm especially proud/relieved it has held up, given the vibration put out by the powerhead within. So the fake parts are all good! At this point, I'm really just trying to encourage more life to encrust them.

In my vision of the next dream tank, I'll have another fake wall, but with more variation and overhang. With the extra thickness at the top, I want to incorporate a sloping "beach/shallows" zone to precede the overflow. I also will do new mangrove roots, but more stylishly!

[bjolly]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

Well, my aiptasia problem is getting out of hand! I am amazed how quickly they have spread. Two weeks ago, I had a few emerge after Phyllis was removed. Now there are probably hundreds!

After trying chemicals, peppermint shrimp and a file fish, I'm giving Berghia nudibranchs a try. I'm very optimistic, as aiptasias are their only food. This is key-they won't go after anything else. The fact that they are caribbean and a wholly natural solution, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

I am a huge fan of Berghias, I think you'll be happy with them. I had an aiptasia forest in my 28 gal and they wiped them out in a matter of weeks. The only problem is they will starve if they run out of aiptasia. After all my aiptasia were gone for a week or 2 I caught all the Berghias that I could find and sold them to a local reefer. I was so grateful to them, hated to think of them starving.

It's been 2 to 3 months since then and no signs of any aiptasia returning.

[Michael Hoaster]

Welcome bjolly and thanks for sharing your experience! I like the idea of passing them on to someone else and keeping them alive.

I expect it will take a pretty good while for them to eat all of them. Maybe I'll turn down the main pump a little, so they can safely cruise the whole tank scape. Hearing your good experience with them really gives me confidence!

[sam.basye]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

sam.basye, I wanted to respond to your earlier questions.

I think I've just about worked up the gumption to remove the turtle grasses, but I've got a bunch of "life stuff" coming up, so I won't be able to do it for awhile. Plus I have the berghia nudibranchs coming in about a week and a half, so I'll want to keep everything stable while they do their thing. So yes, it will happen, but no, I don't know when, at this juncture.

The foam wall is still solid. No crumbling, no moving, no discoloration. The only change is the amount of life encrusting it-more! The fake mangrove root also continues, perfectly intact. I have knocked a root lose, while trying to secure sponges, etcetera, but was able to re-mount it with no trouble. I'm especially proud/relieved it has held up, given the vibration put out by the powerhead within. So the fake parts are all good! At this point, I'm really just trying to encourage more life to encrust them.

In my vision of the next dream tank, I'll have another fake wall, but with more variation and overhang. With the extra thickness at the top, I want to incorporate a sloping "beach/shallows" zone to precede the overflow. I also will do new mangrove roots, but more stylishly!

I just enjoy busting your balls. Lol

I read that your are going to do something and then you don't do it for months is like an open door to constantly remind you.


I actually like all the grasses and think you should leave them, especially since they will be difficult to remove being all intertwined.
It would be pretty cool to add some Caribbean zoa's here and there in the seagrass bed

Good to hear the walls and root are holding up! Love all the life growing on them.



The future tank sounds fun!
How long do you think you will keep this one going?? When will you be satisfied, then get bored? Lol

Be careful how you answer that. Don't leave me any open doors...