Macro Algae Tank Journal (dialup Warning)

[The_Wonderboy]

Nice, has lots of potential.

You might add some C serrulata for a foreground weed.
Or Halophia etc if you can get it, the Caulpera ser is easy.

Funny... I just picked up a small free portion when I got the pipefish - I didn't know what it was, but now I do.


Be careful, as the biomass increases, so will growth rate and demand for nutrients, particularly Fe and NO3(2-3X a week). PO4 should be kept below 0.5, ideally less than 0.2 ppm and pulsed 1x a week or so.

Thankyou for this info!


One thing you need A LOT MORE OF: CURRENT

These plants live in areas with far more energy than anything if the FW tanks.

Will the plants start to die if there is not enough flow? Also, I have powder snad in there - this stuff is EASILY tossed... Is a fluval 405 (225 gph) and 2 koralia 1s (800 gph) not enough. This comes out to turn the tank over 17 times a hour - what would you recomend the turnover rate to be? Coming from you, if I NEED more, I will put more flow in there.


Keep up on the KH and the Ca.

Got it!


You need to get rid of the less desirable green hair algae in there, toothbrush etc. Keep the tank clean(2-3x a week).

I'll debate that - the extra green doesn't bother me - is there a bad side of leaving it - it is at bay (on the downfall actually) the other macros are seeming to drown it out slowly...

Thank you for your help Tom!

[Plantbrain]

I'd ditch the fluval personally, go a Wet/dry type sump.
You spent a fair amount for the set up, adding a CPR type over flow etc or similar and a 20 gallon tank with a Wet/dry box might help.

It will maintain the water level and keep the ADA tank looking nice over time. Maybe a 400-500GPH flow.
The other add on option is getting an Ocean clear canister filter to remove the particulate waste. You would add this post sump and maybe add a UV, say 18 watt, right after that.

The powerheads are good and about right.
Good aeration and mist bubbles inside the tank will help growth.

This can be added via a wave maker type set up also, so you get a mist every 2-5 minutes etc.

The current and mist helps to detach noxious epiphytic algae that will attach in low current areas and tanks. You can see this in natural environments and also measure the energy both there as well as in the lab.

Boundary layer formation occurs a lot more as density and biomass increase(90% more inside the plant beds), so pruning or management of current becomes issues.

You have a good goal and presentation for this tank, it would be nice to see it really flourish.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[The_Wonderboy]

I will look into the sump idea - I've done several tanks with them before and always loved them, but something was in the way of it happenning for the ADA... I'll figure it out. I already have a uv sterilizer on there - it's a 36 W. I have a very nice amount of aeration at the surface - lots of surface disruption. All the algae pearls like soda all day, so I know they're photosynthesising well... I will definetly try to get another powerhead going to avoid epiphytic algae - would another powerhead do it - koralia 2? 3? Thanks!

[Alentino]

Hi Wonderboy, great planted tank ya have there. Just wondering, are those two J-shaped tubes running down from the left side of your tank the overflows? can you teach me how to set it up correctly? Thanks.

[The_Wonderboy]

Those are not overflows - they are glass intake and return lines for a canister filter. You might want to dabble in the equipment section to learn about sump/refugium filteration.

[mosthated00]

Love this tank! awsome!
i think more people will be doing planted tanks in the coming up year or two.
more poeple are adding refuge's now and seeing the looks of it!

[The_Wonderboy]

Thanks!

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Update:


Full tank shot:




Left Side:




Right side:




And, yes, I did add two ocellaris clowns