planting seagrass

[biomekanic]

Now that my DSB is over a year old, I'd like to plant some seagrass in it. At the same time, I'd like to avoid stirring the bejesus out of the bed. Anyone have any methodology for planting such grasses and making a minimal mess of things?

[billsreef]

I typically just use my finger to loosen the sand up along the rhyzome while gently pushing the rhyzome down into the sand bed. You will kick up some sediment, but it won't be too bad ;)

[Plantbrain]

I mainly use fingers, but you can use 12" tweezers for precise plantings.

Or plan to do a water change etc or run a 5 micron filter or Diatom etc afterwards. It's mainly an issue of the dust settling on everything for awhile that's the real issue.

FYI, you don't have to wait a year to plant a substrate, you can do it right away if you add some vacuumed mulm and a little bit of boiled soil to the bottom layer.

Tank and substrate start off great that way.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[biomekanic]

Originally posted by Plantbrain
I mainly use fingers, but you can use 12" tweezers for precise plantings.

Or plan to do a water change etc or run a 5 micron filter or Diatom etc afterwards. It's mainly an issue of the dust settling on everything for awhile that's the real issue.

FYI, you don't have to wait a year to plant a substrate, you can do it right away if you add some vacuumed mulm and a little bit of boiled soil to the bottom layer.

Tank and substrate start off great that way.

Regards,
Tom Barr

Wish I would have known that back in 2/03... : )

Ever thought of writing some articles on SW planted tanks?

[Plantbrain]

I already do write articles. Not many SW though, mainly FW plants. I'm giving 3 presentations of marine plant tanks this year on the West Coast.
One here this Fri in SF and then LA next month.
I might see if I can get any mag's to pick up the SW stuff also.
I am writing for Aqua Planta and they have a real nice Marine section, it's in Italian though:-)

I guess I should write some for Marine tanks more though.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[biomekanic]

Sounds cool. You ever get anywhere farther north? Portland or so?

[Plantbrain]

Lolita and Eureka, I might climb Mt Hood next Summer.
At work we do some work on the Eel river in Humbolt removing noxious weeds along the banks about once or twice a year.
It's like a free vacation plus you are getting paid for it.
Not a bad job really kayaking and digging up weeds along the river all day. We call it work M-F, on the weekend we call it fun.

Some folks from Seattle may come down if I do a talk up for GPAS, some of them have known me for a few years now

Regards,
Tom Barr