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Cultivated Reef

The Marine Planted Tank & Macro Algae Thread


bitts

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Amphiprion1
very cool amphi! I have a lumenarc mini stealth on the way. Thinking of getting a 250w iwasaki 6500K with it.

 

Sounds perfect.

 

Nice Amp! I have been following your thread on AC.

It def came back from the brink!

 

Thanks! Just try to ignore the patch of cyano ;).

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Is it better to start with 1 type of grass like Halophila or a little of everything to see what does well and what doesn't?

 

Here are the ones I was thinking of ordering sometime next week (depending on what you guys think):

 

Syringodium filiforme - manatee grass

Halophila decipiens - oar grass

Thalassia Testudinum - turtle grass

Halodule Beaudettei - shoal grass

 

And I also wanted to get some Ulva but it seems that everyone is sold out. If someone can point me to where I can find some I'd appreciate it.

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Thought I would post this sweet nano cube I found in the RC archives...the guy was breeding blue eyed cardinalfish Apogon leptacanthus

 

macronano.jpg

 

edit- hope he doesn't mind me posting this pic :unsure:

Edited by got2envy
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Amphiprion1
Is it better to start with 1 type of grass like Halophila or a little of everything to see what does well and what doesn't?

 

Here are the ones I was thinking of ordering sometime next week (depending on what you guys think):

 

Syringodium filiforme - manatee grass

Halophila decipiens - oar grass

Thalassia Testudinum - turtle grass

Halodule Beaudettei - shoal grass

 

And I also wanted to get some Ulva but it seems that everyone is sold out. If someone can point me to where I can find some I'd appreciate it.

 

The best ones to start with on that list are Halodule and Halophila. The only reason I have Syringodium in mine is due to a mistake. If conditions are right, one or the other could become dominant. In shallower, less nutritive sediments, Halophila will dominate, since they tend to be pioneer species. The opposite is true of Syringodium and Thalassia, which are typically climax species and will dominate over time as conditions become more appropriate. I know some people keep multiple grasses, which is fine, but there is the potential for one to outcompete the other. In my tank, the Halophila is growing much faster than the Syringodium I have, though the latter is just now starting to take off.

 

As far as Ulva goes, the mainstream sites, like LiveAquaria, have it. Heck, if you lived close by, I'd just give some to you. Same with Gracilaria, They're both weeds.

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Thank for the info Amphi...

 

New question for another tank I'm setting up -

 

How much lighting is needed to grow mangroves? Generally, the leaves are going to be fairly close to the light source rather than on the sandbed so I was thinking any decent T5HO light setup using 6500K bulbs would be more than enough, right? MH would be nice but the heat burning the leaves could be a factor, and if not necessary than I would rather avoid it.

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Amphiprion1

T5s or LEDs are ideal for that. Halides only work at a good distance and you lose a lot more PAR that way. Personally, I'd go the daylight T5 route, which should have lots of PAR. I'd go GE6500K--they're cheap and intense.

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I'm thinking of going with this fixture:

AQ1873_99.jpg

 

6x39w Aqua Medic for a 48Lx18W tank. It's not the par monster like ATI but it's affordable, fan cooled, uses high quality components and with the mangroves so close to the light I think it should be good. I heard the build quality is top notch.

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good info animal, thanks! Seems like light is not a huge issue with these guys. They are going to be right next to a big window so I'm not even going to go with the fixture I was planning on. Most likely going to DIY a T5 setup for the cheapy cheap.

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I just got a sweet deal on a T5VHO retro kit. Icecap 660 ballast, 4 reflectors, 4 waterproof endcaps/standoffs, light racks (aluminum and wood), fans and even free bulbs for one fiddy!

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Amphiprion1
I just got a sweet deal on a T5VHO retro kit. Icecap 660 ballast, 4 reflectors, 4 waterproof endcaps/standoffs, light racks (aluminum and wood), fans and even free bulbs for one fiddy!

 

 

That'd be about the same intensity as a normally driven 6 bulb fixture. Should work out quite well.

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To all who have found this thread or the sand bed thread to have been use full. Feel free to utilize it on other boards as needed. Make sure to link back to this thread & add a link to the boards it is now posted on. Feel free to cut & past as you see fit. I would add that in return. Any useful knowledge from said boards kindly be added back to this thread. I believe that macro tanks as a sub genre of the hobby are still in there infancy. Therefore any gain in knowledge needs to be shared & disseminated as quickly as possible. I can only give permission for my posts though. Please PM individual board members to use their knowledge.

Edited by bitts
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Amphiprion1
To all who have found this thread or the sand bed thread to have been use full. Feel free to utilize it on other boards as needed. Make sure to link back to this thread & add a link to the boards it is now posted on. Feel free to cut & past as you see fit. I would add that in return. Any useful knowledge from said boards kindly be added back to this thread. I believe that macro tanks as a sub genre of the hobby are still in there infancy. Therefore any gain in knowledge needs to be shared & disseminated as quickly as possible. I can only give permission for my posts though. Please PM individual board members to use their knowledge.

 

I don't mind, either.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Amphiprion1

Quick snapshot of the tank from today (I posted the history of this tank in the member's section, too).

 

DSC_0024-1.jpg

Edited by Amphiprion1
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briansbelle

I just setup a 20 long planted macro tank with macros from maria and i have to say i love it! I only have one fish in there a velvet damsel but i feed him pretty heavy everyother day. I dont run anything on it but a k1 and a heater. Im running 4 24watt t5hos(nova and coralife fixtures) with 3 10k bulbs and 1 actinic which i will be replacing 2 of the bulbs with 6500k bulbs and leave 1 10k and 1 actinic bulb.

I will post pics soon, right now im trying to figure out cool inverts to add that the damsel will leave alone lol

 

ps sorry bout typos im on my ipod lol

Edited by briansbelle
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