Looking for pics of macro displays

[shilo_1]

I'd like to see some full tank pics of macro algae display tanks. I'm playing around with some ideas, but want to see some pics....

Thanks

[reverendmaynard]

This may not be exactly what you are looking for but here's my 29 gal seahorse tank...

[sunfishh]

Wow. Nice looking tank reverendmaynard

[Samala]

If you hit the little red house right above this sentence, it will take you to my website. Play around with the different blog categories to see some shots of macro/grass tanks.



>Sarah

[shilo_1]

Great tanks everyone ! Those pics are just what I'm looking for.
Keep em comming !!

[reverendmaynard]

Thanks, Sunfishh. That's a pretty crappy picture though. Here's a better one...

[reverendmaynard]

Had to move images around...

[gabelj]

reverandmaynard, that it a phenomenal tank!!! I am very impressed. I am looking to convert my 55 gallon freshwater tank into a macroalgae tank. Out of curiosity, what kind of lighting do you use and what is the composition of your substrate? Do you need a high flow rate in a setup like this? And what in the world is the big tree-looking thing in the right corner? Sorry about all the questions, I'm just impressed and curious. Nice big seahorse too - she/he looks happy.

[moosejac]

Great tank, rev! I especially love the hawk sitting in the bushes...

[reverendmaynard]

Thanks guys.

It's a standard AGA 29gallon with a 65w pc fixture with 50/50 bulb running on a 12 on/12 off cyycle. I'm using a modded aqua clear 110 fuge (reverse light cycle) for main circulation plus an aqua c remora skimmer with MJ1200 and the pre-filter box. I've got 4-5" of crushed coral for substrate (not really the best choice, but I had it already so I used it. Would prefer a finer sand.) It's been setup around 7 months now, with 2 pair of h. erectus for 5 months and the hawkfish less than a month.

Can't have really high flow rates with seahorses, but I'd say I'm around 10-15x turnover. Any lower and you risk having dead pockets and lots of detritus buildup.

The "tree looking thing" was sold as a spaghetti leather at the lfs.

The biggest thing about this tank is that it is, first and foremost, a seahorse tank. All other considerations are secondary. The corals that are in there are ones I wouldn't mind losing. The nutrient levels are pretty high, because the seahorses need twice daily feeding. Nuisance algae must be controlled by hand pruning because I couldn't find a reliable algae eater for a tank this size (one that wouldn't just concentrate on the desirable macros, anyway). 2 cubes of mysis per day is a lot of input for a 29 gallon. The macro serves three purposes:
1) Nutrient export - Every 2 weeks I pull enough to tightly pack a 2 quart ziplock, mostly cheato from the fuge and halimeda from the display. Nitrates are <5ppm and phosphate <.1ppm despite the heavy feeding, and nuisance algae isn't a real big problem. Scattered spots of cyano and a variety of turf algaes, plus some bubble algae are in there, but haven't yet reached plague proportions.
2) Hitching posts for the horses - Seahorses don't really swim around freely that much, preferring to hitch their tails to a vertically oriented "hitching post". Both the halimeda and the red grape algae provide great habitat for the horses. At feeding time, I can squirt the mysis all over the algae on the right side and the horses will spend the next 20-30 minutes picking through it to get the little shrimp.
3) Aesthetic appeal - The bright greens and reds of the relatively low growing macros in there provide a great foreground for the rock stack, and fill out the area with no rock nicely.

Some more pics...

[sunfishh]

Seems like you have created the perfect horse house and still are able to have some fun
Nice work.

[reverendmaynard]

Thanks, sunfishh. My reefing philosophy is to not sweat the small stuff. I think I'd go crazy if I freaked over every little algae problem, etc., like some seem to do.

[Elite]

reverendmaynard, your tank looks great!! I love it.

[sunfishh]

But rev if you don't sweat the small stuff you might actually enjoy your hobby
Don't you know that you are suppose to take reef keeping more serious than curing cancer? Just kidding. That is my philosophy too

[shilo_1]

How aggressive has your hawk been ? I wouldn't have thought it to be a safe fish to put with a SH. I've always liked them, but heard they can be a little nasty.

[reverendmaynard]

They all seem to get along great. He's a little bit aggressive at feeding time (not nippy or anything, just doesn't care if the SHs are trying to eat that piece of mysis ), but since I target feed with a turkey baster, I just make sure to feed him a little bit first, then he calms down. I clear just about any tank change with Pete Giwojna over at the seahorse.com boards. Here was his response to my question on the flame hawk's suitability as a tank mate...

Dear Reverend:

Yes, sir, the Flame Hawkfish or Brilliant Hawkfish (Neocirrhitus armatus) is a shy, docile fish that should make a good companion for your seahorses. I have kept my ponies with Longnose Hawkfish in the past, and they did quite well together providing I gave the Longnose Hawk its fill of prepared foods first and then target fed the seahorses. Hawkfish are very fond of frozen Mysis so you want to thaw out and enrich more of the shrimp for each feeding that you normally do to allow for the Mysis the Hawkfish will eat. The Vibrance enrichment will keep the scarlet red coloration of the Flame Hawkfish at its most brilliant.

The Flame Hawkfish is a real personality fish that is always scanning its surroundings with those big eyes and they will feed on polychaete worms, so it may perform a beneficial service in the seahorse tank by thinning out the bristleworm population. It is well suited for reef-type aquaria.

Because they dine on crustaceans and bottom-dwelling invertebrates, if the Flame Hawkfish causes any problems it may be with the cleanup crew for the seahorse tank. They will eat feather duster worms and decorative shrimp, so if you have cleaner shrimp in your seahorse tank, you will need to relocate them before you introduce the Flame Hawkfish, sir. They sometimes develop a bad habit of plucking snails and hermit crabs right out of their shells, so keep a close eye on your aquarium janitors in case that becomes a problem.

Also, beware that Flame Hawkfish are jumpers, so keep your seahorse tank covered tightly if you add one of these little beauties.

Best wishes with all of your fishes, Reverend!

Happy Trails!
Pete Giwojna

Of course, I disregarded his advice as it pertains to the 2 peppermint shrimp in the tank, but I'd heard from a lot of hobbyists that they've mixed them without problems, and I really don't care that much if he eats them. Might cause me problems with aptasia in the future, but oh well.