Caulerpa Tank

[greaps]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

Surface skimming on a closed loop, with an inline heater-sounds like a cool idea!

I have tried some carbon dosing, both with bio pellets and with vinegar dosing. I'm not sure it is helpful for planted tanks. It seems more applicable for reef tanks, I think. The concept makes sense-boost carbon, so nitrate and phosphate get taken up more quickly. But plants' preferred form of carbon is CO2, so I run CO2 through an external canister filter that I can try different combinations of media in. Currently, I'm running calcium reactor media in mesh bags, so I get CO2 for the plants as well as calcium for them. I have several plants that need lots of calcium, plus I get good coralline algae growth as well.

Like a lot of folks, I got an uptick of cyano bacteria with CD. I think it works best in well established tanks, rather than new ones.

I hope I'm not discouraging you. I just wanted to share my experience and thoughts. Consider a canister filter/CO2 setup for happy plants. My two cents…

By carbon reactor I mean for activated carbon, not carbon dosing, used for water clarity. I think organic carbon dosing would hurt the macro's as they compete for nitrates and phosphates.

[greaps]

Another easy idea I have for the tank, is a single island, the tank is will be 24 inches high so Id be shooting for about 12-18 tall by -12 inch wide rock or rock structure (cheap dry pukani).

Then allow pom pom xenia to take it over. I wouldn't even begin to attempt this idea till after I get caulerpa coverage across bottom and growing healthy and stocked with fish.

With low-medium flow the pulsing xenia would give a lot of movement to the tank.

Something I like is when the Xenia has a less white appearance like the photo attached. I hope that is a component of more day light colors, the tank wont be extremely blue with the goal of keeping caulerpa happy and bright green in color.



I am all over the place with how to light a tank like this, extreme par is not necessary. I think shimmer adds a lot of visual interest.

[greaps]

Possible Light Choice: (all images googled)

Hamilton Cabo Sun 250W System (the retrofit version) +$300






Hamilton 250w 10k Bulb:

Hamilton 250w 14k Bulb:

Hamilton 250w 20k Bulb: (probably go radium if I do a 20k to see the magic..)

Hamilton 250W 6500k (just kidding, although always an option and a great one for when I go freshwater planted one day haha)

Second Metal Halide retrokit Option: CoralVue Lumen Bright Large.
(similar dimensions as the hamilton but round offering more space in canopy for supplement)
(said to be hung higher)


Supplemental: Coral Box Moon 59W
(mounted at angle to maximize spread)
(I all ready own it for the 20g Nuvo Black experiment)
(not my tank these are googled images)





I would probably buy a couple different hamilton bulbs to see how they look since I have never used metal halide before.

I understand it heat can be an issue. I could use a fan for additional cooling beyond my AC@75.

Seems like a pretty good price overall for lighting a 36X36X24 tank. I'v read this reflector can do the job. I don't know much about metal halides but I did read a Radium on the magnetic ballast is 330W.

Both light sources would provide shimmer making the display more interesting. The halide in large reflectors is extremely diffuse light which is important for plants, and hidden inside a floating canopy the retro will be so I can get away with a less than beautiful fixture.

Metal Halide 250W 630am-630pm 12hr
Supplemental 59W Coral Box Moon 6:00am-6:40am (low - ramping) 6:20pm-9:30pm (low -ramping) 9:00pm-11:00pm (moons)

[greaps]

Mixed up a little iron to dose, following randy holmes formula. Going to dose an extremely small amount. I'll snap a picture soon of the very sad prolifera I have now. It came mailed in rather poor condition from an ebay seller but is now starting to grow.

I have additional prolifera coming in this week as well so hopefully I can propagate a large amount for when I purchase the bigger tank.

[greaps]

Purchased 20lbs of BRS dry rock rubble to get seasoning in the 20g nuvo black. Figure it will make transplanting easier down the road with prolifera attaching to rubble rather than only sand. This way I can cut it free and have caulerpa attached to rubble like plugs that I can spread out through the upgrade later. Plus it will make for more interest in the nuvo.


For now just ghost feeding pellets a daily like I was feeding a couple clowns now that some of the macro is growing.

Imagining the big tank, and imagine it grown in, it has me thinking what fish wouldn't just disappear into the plants .Something that pops in and out of it would be interesting. I'm imaging a group of maybe 9 blue green chromis. I think a small group of 3-4 yellowtail damselfish would be cool since I imagine they would hide in the prolifera be terretorial ( but easily separated due to think plants). I don't know if they would dart in and out to keep chromis away? This might give reason for the chromis to stay more closely together due to threats? Which would be a cool look.

Still such a ways off, just coming up with ideas, chromis are something I would like to keep as free swimmers, lyretail anthias are another one i like.

[Michael Hoaster]

In theory, carbon dosing would benefit plants. But plants greatly prefer CO2, rather than other forms of carbon. All aquatic plants are carbon limited, so when they have access to more carbon, they take up more nitrate and phosphate, and grow faster. So it wouldn't compete with plants.

Activated carbon does compete with plants, by adsorbing DOC (dissolved organic carbon). So it is not recommended for planted tanks, except for special, temporary situations, like removing harmful compounds.

[greaps]

Snails are in.
Xenia Colony is temperature acclimating.

Tanks looking a little messy today. Caulerpa Prolifera still growing. Looking good. Going to have to think of a fish to add soon, the kids got excited to see snails, they wants a fish in this tank. I think they will like the xenia coral, they have never seen one before. Hopefully by the time they come home from school it will be doing its thing.

[BonesCJ]

Sounds like the tank is moving along nicely! In regards to dosing I add 5 ml of Iron\Strontium twice a week and dose about 15 ml of Potassium Nitrate daily, I just had to remove a quart size zippie of Gracilaria to keep it under wraps, it was actually out competing my Caulerpa!

[Subsea]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

In theory, carbon dosing would benefit plants. But plants greatly prefer CO2, rather than other forms of carbon. All aquatic plants are carbon limited, so when they have access to more carbon, they take up more nitrate and phosphate, and grow faster. So it wouldn't compete with plants.

Activated carbon does compete with plants, by adsorbing DOC (dissolved organic carbon). So it is not recommended for planted tanks, except for special, temporary situations, like removing harmful compounds.

Plants absorb inorganic nutrients and they give off DOC. Dissolved organic carbon is composed of a library of compounds, some stain the water yellow. According to Steve Tyree, sponges absorb DOC, but exactly which components of DOC are food for sponges and which components are pollutants to tank. I don’t know. That is why, I use modest amounts of GAC and change infrequently. GAC with its unique physics (absorption) and chemistry (adsorption) will indiscriminately lock up DOC until it is removed and replaced.