Does anyone have Plants in there display?

[MessyRoadKil]

I have Some sort of macro growing in my Display so I was Wondering if anyone does this. I was wanting to see some Full tank shots if you do.

[kfisc]

Macro-planted tanks were big in the era i came in- late 80's. I like it still, although few seem to anymore. They can be problematic- lots of posts/threads about them "going asexual" or dying off. I spend Saturdays picking it off the live rock- the mandarin likes hunting around it, it makes great copepod/amphipod refuge. It also grows like wild in my sump. Photos in my gallery are pretty poor, but it's there....

[MarLooney]

a lotta the reds are a lot safer to keep in the display. i keep a few in my own.

[chiton]

Well, I do still like 80's music....

I like macros probably more than corals, but I keep them all mixed together because I like the look.

I have all of these macros (http://users.adelphia.net/~bcpatterson/Macro_Algaes.htm) growing in my tank main display, although some have taken a big hit recently since I switched to Oceanic Salt...not very happy about this!


Entire Tank (large image) (http://users.adelphia.net/~bcpatterson/Pictures/Tank_High_Res/Tank_Sept04_High_Res.jpg)

Chiton

[Quiet1]

I have racemosa in my display tank along my a few lps. I like it.

Quiet1

[Mariner]

Beautiful tank, Chiton!!!

My tang eats all the caulerpa I put in my 75g display, but I do keep some in my 10g nano for looks and to feed the tang in the 75. I like macro in the display. It does tend to go sexual every so often, but that's more of a nuisance than a real problem.
http://www.thereeftank.com/photopost/data/500/4607nano7-14-04-med.jpg
Mariner

[chiton]

Mariner,

I like your nano. What kind of filtration do you have on it?

Chiton

[Mariner]

Thanks Chiton.
As for filtration, the MJ900 you see in the pic is powering an old Skilter250 filter/skimmer combo (the original pump on the Skilter gave out). It's not the greatest set up in the world, but it works OK for the nano.
Mariner

[MarLooney]

Originally posted by Quiet1
I have racemosa in my display tank along my a few lps. I like it.

Quiet1

:eek:Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... that stuff is the debil.

very nice chiton, i added you to my favorites. ;)

[Uncle Mushroom]

Chiton,

Your tank looks very nice. One of the main problem I found is the overtaking of the whole tank by a single species. For my pico reef tank, it is like a cycle dominant
by hair algae, Hypnea pannosa and then Caulerpa racemosa.

Can you share with us how to prevent any single species overtaking the whole tank?

[chiton]

Thanks Uncle Mushroom,

The Caulerpa macros are the worst. They grow fast, grow everywhere, attach to everything with roots, and go sexual quite often. On the other hand, they are the best for nutrient export because they do grow so fast. I'm constantly trimming my Caulerpa species, probably every few weeks or so.

I find reds much easier to keep, as they don't usually grow as fast and don't have the root structure that attaches to everything.

I'll agree with MartLooney that Racemosa is the devil and only my hand of God keeps it in check! :D

Chiton

[ssheipel]

Chiton, nice tank.

Question: I"ve got a great couple of bunches of what looks, from your pics, to be Dictyota growing in my tank. I "cycled" for 4 months so it has been predator free. I've seriously pruned it a couple of times. It has a lot of little seed pods (they appear to be) on it.

Anyway, I like it alot -- just wondering if it goes "sexual" and whether I need to worry about that. I'm leaving it regardless as it looks so natural in the tank.

I'd offer a pic, but I'm at work.

steve

[chiton]

thanks ssheipel,

I'm so sure what I had was dictyota (http://users.adelphia.net/~bcpatterson/Pictures/Macro_algaes/Full_Size/Dictyota.jpg) because it never had any of the seed pods. I labeled it as such because it looked so similar to dictyota and grew out of Florida live rock. I had this growing for 2 years in my tank. Unfortunately, I moved last year and it didn't make the trip.

What I had, if it was dictyota, was a great macro. A nice steady grower that never went sexual, never spread, and always grew straight up to the light. I trimmed it every month or so.

I miss that plant:(

Chiton

[TBone303]

If you have alot of turbo snails in you tank will the macros algae still grow or will the turbo eat it up

[chiton]

Can't say for sure about Mexican Turbos, but they should be fine. I have about 40 astrea snails that have never eaten any macros. They will occasionally clean some of the bigger reds that can support their weight of nuisance algae. My hermits, shrimp, and spiny urchins leave them alone also.

Chiton

[hmott]

1 mexican turbo snail will eat a full handful of macro in about 2 days. I know, they did it to me when I was setting up my seahorse tank!

[MessyRoadKil]

Well, Now that I know I DEFINITLY want some in my Display tank Would 2 20w Lights over a 10g Work for Alot of it? Also can everyone post specs for there tanks? THANKS!

[mickey57]

...My seahorse tank.No problems with the red bubble algea but the green clouded my tank and has not reappeared.
...http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/19346seahorse-tank.jpg
.......................Mickey.........

[MessyRoadKil]

Well, Now that I know I DEFINITLY want some more in my Display tank Would 2 20w Lights over a 10g Work for Alot of it? Also can everyone post specs for there tanks? THANKS!

[kfisc]

if your tank isn't very deep, and the lights are daylight spectrum, i'd guess it would work.

[MessyRoadKil]

any other oppinions?

[Mariner]

Yes, 40 watts over a typical 10g should work fine for most macros. I've only got 30 watts of fluorescent lighting on my 10g, and 15 watts of that is actinic. :rolleyes:
HTH,
Mariner

[MessyRoadKil]

Ok :-) phew. I was just like non Knowing about Macros... sad, Yes.... But ill work out :-)

[racrumrine]

I have a patch of Halimeda in the main tank. I like the look of it.

Best of luck,

Roy

[Blakperl21]

I have several patches of helimade in my tank. It gorws like a weed though. Sorry no pics.

[MessyRoadKil]

yea. Well I got some Calp... or something.... I forget whats its called. it Looks plastic and is in like rows of leaves. Also I hvave a plant i think is a macro which almost died from my diatom bloom. It is like a Grass, do both these grow fast? I only have a litle of the Grassy plant now... I liked it ALOT... and about 5-6 leaves of the other one.

[OldSalty23]

Can anyone name the unknown red algae on chitons site

http://users.adelphia.net/~bcpatterson/Pictures/Macro_algaes/Full_Size/Unknown_Red.jpg

I have loads of this stuff and have been trying to get rid of it. I bought some LR that had lots on them and I thought I removed most of it but they came back with a vengence.

I have turbo snails, blue legged hermits, lawnmower blenny, yellow tang, and none of them has made a dent in this stuff. I pull aobut 1 cup full a week and it still grows. I hardly feed my tank so over feeding is not a problem. I have 3 250w mh running about 6 hours a day.

I have a 50g refugium with cularpa growing like crazy in it. Not sure what else to do.

[mesocosm]

Greetings All !

OldSalty23,

It would appear to be the sporophyte phase of the dreaded Asparagopsis taxiformis ... good luck with its removal.

[Plantbrain]

I've had up to 43 species of macro's and vascular plants(2) growing in a tank.

That is a lot of work, but was worth while as it's my focus.
Picking weeds off of things is par for the course. A weed is simply a plant/macro that is growing where you do not want it.

Caulerpa's are easy to grow and keep. They will not go sexual if you maintain thing in your tank and keep enough NO3 for them and traces.

Alkalinity/Ca++ levels are critical, many have a higher rate of CaCO3 formation for structure than coral. Temp, and a few other things also are important.

I have pictures but I'm at my sister's, the picture trail site is done, but I will post the pics later at my own site, the www.BarrReport.com

If you are in the LA area, I'm giving a presentation of macro algae culutre in aquariums for their local club this Jan 8th.

I detail out the tanks and the approaches and discuss the weed problem as well. I am hoping to have the state of CA banned all Caulpera species for importation. We have banned 9 species but trying to discern other species + the research needed to deterimine invasiveness of each is far too much for the risk and small economic impact for allowing a few specialized folks access to a few uncommon species.

You need to see the weed problem in person and the assoicated cost(millions for a small patch) to understand why I feel this way and CA. It can wipe out entire ecosystems, populations of fish, inverts, corals, abalone, native plants/kelp.

It's biopollution of the worst kind. Unlike an oil spill, it does not go away, it only gets worst.

The best method is not not allow it to come into the region in the first place. Most folks are aware and behave well, many do not and allow it into their local waters.

Some links to the issue:
http://www.ridnis.ucdavis.edu/Caulerpataxifolia.html

We have similar issues with FW weeds as well.
If you provide these weeds with with light + nutrients they ....well...grow like weeds.


Regards,
Tom Barr

www.BarrReport.com

[MessyRoadKil]

Does anyone know what the grassy plant is? I think I might ask my LFS to order some for me because I Lieked it ALOT. It was very cool.