Caribbean Biotope Seagrass Tank

[sam.basye]

You've got me thinking twice about your trusted bottle trap design...

This is the problem when the fish are smarter than you. Lol I resort to stressing the fish out by chasing them for an hour till they get tired and give up. Much like offshore fishing. Except the fish are only 2" long and I have a primitive net.

I was thinking about adding some grasses since my silver fish lives amongst them in the wild by placing some in the back right corner. It's not very well lit though..

[Michael Hoaster]

It's a good design. They are pretty smart! I removed it for multiple reasons. The anemone appeared to be moving towards it, and got away from the back wall. Once it was out on the sand, it was unattached, and ready to roll-literally. I was starving the tank of food, to encourage them to go into the trap, and I grew tired of that. But the main reason was because the males seem to have called a truce. They still mess with each other a little, but they're much more half-hearted and brief. I was watching them today. One is gathering little pieces of macro algae and building a nest! Zippy has tried to steal from him, as he brings back more.

I gave the anemone a friendly push to the back wall. It looks to be attached now, so I fed it. I fed the rest of the tank too, felt good.

For your tank I'd recommend shoal grass, as it's smaller, at about a foot tall. It doesn't require a deep sand bed either. You won't like it in the corner. Its movement would be impeded. Ideally, you'd plant it in the middle, so it can sway naturally in the current.

One other thought. With your current water change schedule, you may want something that sucks up nutrients faster. Check out caulerpa prolifera. It's a fast-growing macro, that looks like a seagrass.

[jraker]

Michael, I know this is a seagrass tank, but have you ever considered some corals? I recently went diving in the Florida keys, and in addition to lots of seagrass, there were fields of gorgonians and sea fans. There were also some pretty large maze brain corals, like 10 foot long brain corals.

[eKop49]

On the topic of butterflys. I would recommend the Atlantic longnose butterfly. It is a little bit hard to find but it's a cool fish. I got mine off live Aquaria. And he has been completely reef safe so far. If you wanted zoanthids and/or ricordias you could always isolate each to their own rock on the sand. They are also both relatively easy to frag or prune.
Also yellowhead jawfish have a ton of personality if you wanted to add another group of fish. This is one of my favorite threads!

[Michael Hoaster]

Hey, jraker! That's awesome you went diving in the keys. Jealous!

With the focus on seagrass, I have limited my attempts to keep corals, so far.

Since I'm "all in" with plants, I want to limit the risk to the health of corals, as I try my hand at dosing all kinds of stuff to benefit the grasses. Some of the things I've done would make a reefer's head explode! I am not knowledgable enough to know how to best care for both grasses and corals, simultaneously. I'd like to be, and maybe I will be, at some point. Right now, I'm just trying to keep it simple and EASY.

But I agree, it would be cool to have a few corals, associated with seagrass beds, and I plan to eventually. I have dipped my toe in the water, so to speak. I have a small tan gorgonian, I've kept alive for over a year now. I'm pretty happy about that, as gorgonians have a pretty dismal survival rate in aquariums. I have been trying different foods, etc. but I haven't gotten to the point where I am confident enough to invest in more of them. I do hope to have more in the future. I also have a condylactis anemone, which often live in seagrass beds. This creature has been my canary in the coal mine, letting me know when my dosing is getting out of hand. On my ten pounds of farmed live rock I have a few single polyp corals that seem to be doing fine.

I love maze brain corals, and I'd like to try my hand at one, assuming I can acquire it legally. So, maybe, in the future, I will.

So, one of these days, I'll have seagrasses figured out enough that I can shift focus to a few, hardy corals.

[Michael Hoaster]

Welcome, eKop49! Thanks for posting!

That's a great fish! I'd love to have one. You said it's been reef safe. Do you have any anemones or gorgonians? Tell me that you do, and he doesn't bother them, and I'm on board! If I recall correctly, that fish lives a bit deeper than the other caribbean butterflies, so maybe it could work. I'll take a look!

I've been considering zoas and ricordeas as possible encrusting fauna for the fake root. Ideally, there is a butterfly out there that would keep them pruned back, while leaving my anemone and gorgonians alone. That would be so cool!

You're not the first to suggest I add some jawfish. It's a great fish! But, I have some experience with them, and I concluded they are better off in a species tank, where they won't gradually starve to death. In my opinion, they are too timid to compete at feeding time, in a fast-moving community tank.

I do keep four barnacle blennies, that tick a lot of the same boxes as jawfish, but they are not timid at all. They regularly conduct master classes in feeding efficiency for my other fish!

I'm stoked you like my thread! I hope you'll come back and chat some more!

[eKop49]

I have a speckled green and purple bubble tip along with 2 mini maxi anemones and he doesn't touch them. I should note this is only the second day with the bubble tip and it has been shying from the light. I don't know if not helps but he also hasn't eaten any of my Hawaiian feather dusters. Even though he is relatively deep water compared to others he is currently always out and about. He hid in the qt tank but ever since he has been in my display he cruises around the tank all day. Thanks for the welcome, I've been following and lurking for many months just haven't spoken much

[jraker]

+1 on the Atlantic longnose butterfly. I have not kept one, but from what I have heard, they are almost 100% reef safe.

[Michael Hoaster]

I just did a little looking, and anemones and gorgonians are on their menu. So as long as I have those, I better pass. Bummer. I'd love a butterfly or two. They do seem to be pretty safe with lps and sps, so they could work for some reefs.

[Michael Hoaster]

The purple condylactis gigantea anemone has gone up the back wall about 7 inches. This puts it in very good light and current! It looks so much better to me, writhing in the flow, echoing the seagrass's movement. The anemone shrimp is like a rodeo rider!

[sam.basye]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

writhing in the flow, echoing the seagrass's movement. The anemone shrimp is like a rodeo rider!

Want pictures!


I don't think your zoa/ric fish pruning theory will work. They just don't grow/reproduce fast enough.

The caulerpa/tang theory is plausible, and can work, because the shear amount and increased growth of the macro.
In order to have enough for a zoa/fish equilibrium, me thinks you would have to start out with a TON of polyps, like the equivalence of the caulerpa, and this may still not be enough if they are the fishes only diet, which would also not be cost effective..


I do think it's time to venture into the Caribbean corals now that the fish itch has been satisfied. Lol

I like the coral encrusted root concept as well!

[Michael Hoaster]

I should have snapped pics before the light went out. We'll see where it is tomorrow.

Yeah, you're probably right - the zoa/butterfly fish thing wouldn't work. It's difficult to scale this kind of relationship in an aquarium.

The tang/caulerpa combo continues to work. With the growth I'm getting out of the caulerpa, it may have caught up to the tang's pace.

The time for corals is not quite yet, for me. And even then, it will only be a few, that occur in seagrass beds.

I've got a major upheaval very soon, with all the turtle grass, and their large roots being removed and replaced with more manatee grass. Maybe in a few months, things will settle down. I still plan to add more fish too. Next will probably be the caribbean blue chromis. I did a little reading. These fish form harems too. I'm thinking around eight.

[jraker]

Yeah you will probably need about this many polyps for that plan to go through:

[Michael Hoaster]

I don't even think that would be enough, jraker.

[sam.basye]

The only sustainable thing I can think of might be Aiptasia, but I can't see that being worth it just to have the fish..

And I know you're cheap, like me, so acquiring that many zoas could be a challenge! Haha

I have only ever had one blue/green chromis, but word on the street is that you will eventually end up with only one. They will slowly pick themselves off till there's only one left. Not really sure why some trend to do this in captivity, but I've read it on here numerous times.
You may get lucky and they all live peacefully though.

[Michael Hoaster]

Yes, that was my experience with the blue green chromis as well. I'm thinking with the blue chromis, I could attempt a harem. This social structure may work better than a random group of them. I'm amazed how well it's working with the grammas.

[Michael Hoaster]

This morning, the anemone is about 10 inches up from the sand, and really billowing in the current. The shrimp has to step off occasionally to take a break! Looks cool though!




I wonder if it will try out a gramma hole. If it did, maybe it would settle down for good. That would be sweet!



Here's a tiny new resident - a sponge! It's only about half the size of my pinky finger nail, but it's something. With all the phytoplankton and bacteria, plus weekly doses of sodium silicate, I'm hoping to create an environment accommodating to sponge growth. This gives me hope.

[Michael Hoaster]

Now the anemone is near the top. It's all the way up into the caulerpa overhang!






From the end.

[jraker]

Michael, what kind of caulerpa is that?

[Michael Hoaster]

Caulerpa racemosa peltata.

[Michael Hoaster]

It blows my mind how this simple creature from the beginning of time "knows", without a brain, where to go. With the caulerpa overhang really sticking out, it was casting a shadow on the lower wall, where the anemone was. It climbed up to within inches of the top of the tank, making a space for itself in the tangle of caulerpa, with no hep from me. It's getting great light and food-laden current. "Nature finds a way". -Name the movie quote!

[jraker]

Thanks. Nature will always find its way.

[Michael Hoaster]

No takers? Jurassic Park.

You know, I think the caulerpa coverage is expanding again!

I'm getting more and more manatee grass as well. The newer grasses are getting taller. I'm getting glimpses of the lush meadow I've been dreaming about for the last couple years…

[Darth_Tater]

This is a very unique tank and I like it quite a bit! It looks like the majority of your macro algae is that one variety of Caulerpa, is that true? And are you growing anything that roots in the sand besides the grasses?

[Michael Hoaster]

Welcome, Darth_Tater! Glad you like the tank!

Yes, that's the only caulerpa I have. I have no other rooted plants, but some of the caulerpa is "rooted" in the sand with holdfasts.