Hey I am still in the planning stages of getting a saltwater tank going and I have noticed that most reef tanks dont have any plants grasses or moss in them. We are planning on having some softies and some clams also. Is there a reason why you cant mix plants with corals.
The only reasons I can think of are our reef tanks usually have tangs and other omnivores which keep the macro and grasses trimmed off at the roots before they can take hold and keep up with the predation on them. With the size of the tanks it's hard to get them established or even keep up with them getting eaten. From the fair amount of experience I have had, the reef tanks are not nutrient rich enough to support plants and most macro algaes are invasive when they get a good hold and choke out our corals. Also even with my 125 softie tank that is about as nutrient rich as you can get, the macro algae goes through growth cycles and then completely dies out. I know some of you have seen this tank in many different staged of macro growth, and at the present time it is completely free of plant growth. I never know what will grow next and is a pleasant surprise when it takes off again. In order to grow grasses I believe you would have to have a mud bottom or at least the substrate they naturally grow in. This is a project I plan to work on this spring.
Thanks, I got the idea while researching aquascaping and found a site AGA Aquascaping contest and there were some beautifull tanks on the site, I have learned that some things go togther and others dont, I dont want a garden tank but want some Marimo Russian Moss Ball Aquarium Plant Cladophora aegagropila to mix in with the aquascape and since i would be starting a new tank i could wait to get livestock till the plants matured, anyway looks like a lot more research is needed.
Isn't there some risk of some of the macro algae going sexual? I know that if you stay on top of maintaining it, it isn't supposed to be a big issue. But just an issue to be aware of if you are going to be doing a lot with macro algae in the tank.
When I first started my tank, I was thinking about doing some macro algae in the display tank. On another board, they scared me away from doing it. I haven't tried to grow any, so I have no experience, & can offer no real advice. But I'm sure there are some on here who have, and will be able to guide the OP in the right direction. I'd love too see progress photos of the planted tank! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Well did some more research and found out its a freshwater algae but I appreciate the comments and advice.
I've seen a tank full of caulerpa. It actually looked really cool, and it kept nutrient levels in check... What's the problem with it going asexual if you have some fish that feed on it?
From Reef Cleaners. Just a slight risk to keep in the back of your mind: "Things to Watch Out For: The biggest concern the aquarist should have regarding macro algae is if the "plant", (macro algae is not really a vascular plant, but the term "plant" is commonly used both in the hobby and in scientific journals), has a tendency to "go sexual". When macro algae goes sexual, it releases spores into the water to reproduce somewhere else, normally because it is dying. This is normally a result of poor lighting, lack of nutrients or lack of pruning. The problem is twofold; one extra nutrients from the plant are released into the water which may raise nitrate and phosphorous levels, but more importantly the plant will respire more than normal. The nutrients problem is a small one, and if the dead plant matter can be removed, the remaining macros will absorb the extra nutrients and the balance will be restored. On the other hand the respiration is a bit more serious. Macros give off oxygen during the day, and will release some carbon dioxide at night. This is natural, and not cause for much concern. If the lighting in your tank fails for extended periods of time, or the plants go sexual for some other reason it will respire more than normal and release more carbon dioxide than it would usually release. This can become problematic, as water that is super saturated with carbon dioxide is likely to have ph fluctuations. If the fluctuation is severe, it can cause deaths in the tank. There are some tried and true ways of dealing with this potential problem. The first and best way is to have your main tank attached to another tank like a refugium or sump that operates on a separate or a "reverse photocycle". (Which basically means when the lights in one tank are on the other tank's lights are off, and vice versa). By having one tank releasing oxygen while the other is releasing carbon dioxide the system will remain in balance. Another way is to try to keep a good current in your tank so that a natural air mixture is achieved. If you are a beginner, you should try to stay away from algae that have a tendency to go sexual (like caulerpa for example). We keep risk evaluations on all the macros we sell, which you can read about in our Growing Guide Section. Cautionary language is also included where applicable in our product descriptions. Don't let this potential problem scare you away from trying to keep macro algae. We have had many plants go sexual on us, and our tanks have never crashed because of this problem. This is just one of those things you should be aware of as you build your marine planted tank." Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have had my planted tanks "go sexual" in a 24hr period and the tank becomes completely cloudy where you can't see through it. This always clears up within another 24hrs depending on your filter system. I have never lost any animals to this, but it is something to watch very closely. The best way to avoid this is trim your macro regularly. It will continue to grow and do well if you have the nutrients for it to feed on.
I have lots of macro algae in my Queen trigger tank. I could take a picture but I'm not sure how to post it.
We use Fern Caulerpa in our tanks to export nitrate. Works a charm. We "mow" it when it starts getting too thick in order to keep it in check. We try keeping Gracilaria in there as well, but the hermits, crabs n shrimp tear it to pieces so its harder to keep. In my pest tank I have the Fern and Grape Caulerpa, The grape type grows way to crazy for my liking, trimmed it back to boogery. We keep all out macros anchored to separate rocks so we can pull them out to mow them. Some does end up on other rocks but its easy enough to manage in our smaller tanks (nanos n picos). Only algae I am having issues with is bloody hair algae. Not sure where that hitched a ride from but lucky me gets to fight it off. Need more Mexican turbos, hermits went after the handful I had the boogers. Macos are like most plants, maintenance is key.
A pest tank is one that contains things that can be considered as pests. Pest corals..gsp, xenia. Pest algae..bubble n such. Animals.. gorilla, teddy bear, Arco crabs..some shrimps. I have a yellow clown goby in mine, they are considered sps pests as they eat polyps, but they are sooo cute. I just started mine few months ago. Its a work in progress..hard to find pests when you want them. =p
