Experimental Macroalgae Troubleshooting Thread

[Weetabix7]

Sounds like you found some cool stuff, John.

I'm interested in the Sponge just cause the kind of setup I have with the Mud based Fuge is supposed to be good for supporting those.

I also have that filter feeder food from you.

I think my Nemastoma is still doing okay, I'll try to get some good pics of it for you today.

Maybe the trick to keeping it in good shape after shipping injuries is just to keep it away from Pods.

Putting it in a soapdish higher up in a tank might do it.

[johnmaloney]

maybe not this sponge, high turbulent flow from what I see. I kept it for a month successfully in a high flow environment, (bright light too, but it isn't photosynthetic), but it didn't do as well in a lower flow setup. But with sponges as you know there are other things that could have contributed to it. But we can try, the sponges are massive and common and I took small samples. They are a brighter orange than any coral I have ever seen.

 

great to hear about the nemastoma! I am glad it seems we will have some success stories from the first round to learn from too.

[Weetabix7]

I suppose it depends on how turbulent the flow needs to be.

The flow in there is decently strong right now since I added another pump into the display a couple of days ago.

I can also turn the flow up higher on the pump I added in.

It's on it's lowest setting right now just cause it seemed like the flow was pretty strong, didn't want to overdo it.

[star27624]

I will be setting up an 18g tank at work,that will eventually have a rubbermaid tub for additional volume, refugium, and maybe a skimmer. I would have have a separate tank for macros since the tub will most likely house urchins that are ordered for the embryology lab. I can maybe squeeze enough counter space out for the 10g walmart type tank you guys are talking about (especially since I have one sitting out in my garage forlornly).

 

Might be cool to be able to show off the corals and the marine algae, hmm.... god the plumbing nightmare.

[Zepo.]

So a 10g would be too small for a display fuge?

[SbCaes]

YEEEHAWWWW

[animalmaster6]

So a 10g would be too small for a display fuge?

I'm using a 15g in-sump fuge as a display fuge

[johnmaloney]

zepo

10g is a decent size refugium for both of the tanks you have. Are you talking about for the 30 or the 40?

[Zepo.]

zepo

10g is a decent size refugium for both of the tanks you have. Are you talking about for the 30 or the 40?

For the 40 frag tank. I was hoping to plumb it into the sump somehow.....not really sure yet.

[johnmaloney]

20% I think is the rule of thumb. your 40 would have to be drilled though, hard to do when it gets water in it. I don't like the overflow setups...just seems riskier to me

[Zepo.]

20% I think is the rule of thumb. your 40 would have to be drilled though, hard to do when it gets water in it. I don't like the overflow setups...just seems riskier to me

It is drilled. I have a sump with a fuge in it but its small as you can see in my thread, maybe only 5 gallons and its just chaeto in it. I was thinking to drill the 10g and put it higher then my sump then pump water from my third chamber into the new fuge and have it overflow back into my original chaeto fuge.... 3 tanks in 1 !!

[johnmaloney]

you can let the gravity from one feed into the other...that is pretty cool. Would it fit?

[johnmaloney]

no i guess not, cool frag tank though

[Weetabix7]

The Nemastoma is looking better than ever, I'm really thinking it's gonna make it John.

I know I promised pics, but life has been a little chaotic here.

Will get some when I can.

[Weetabix7]

I was just reading this thread where he discusses the importance of temperature in Marine Planted tanks: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...threadid=277863

 

He says that SW Macros don't do well with temps over 78 deg.

What is your opinion on this, John?

[johnmaloney]

it depends on the species but I would somewhat agree. less than 78 is ideal, but the nicest macro spot i have ever seen is in mid july in 4 feet of water in a spot that regularly exceeds 82....awesome protected bay, it is just amazing. as a rule of thumb, greens take heat better than reds and browns. Nemastoma does seem hardier than the others, I guess I was wrong on that. I think wherever it went minus shipping issues, (got2envy) it lived. I have a bunch more now, and I still have my first piece which I am sure now is growing a holdfast, having seen what the others look like.

 

i have pics promised too...or do i get those tomorrow?

[Zepo.]

no i guess not, cool frag tank though

Ya it will fit. I think I might make my own tankjust to fit in the square area next to the sump. I'll move the ballasts from the halides somewhere else. I'll have the tank sit higher then the sump and let gravity do it's thing. So can you give me a couple species that would work?? I wanna make sure its worth the hasstle.

[johnmaloney]

i will take some pics soon....kind of a sad day though. bluenassarius is leaving the hobby, he has kept a million or so different macros....

 

for macros...how bright?

[johnmaloney]

hey look i took pics:

 

Nemastoma (again):

 

2 Headed Fern Caulerpa:

 

Orange Encrusting Calcified Sponge in mud tank day 2:

 

Sheet Type of Coralline algae. Brittle untile it grows in clumps, this is a clump...hard to believe that is a plant like life form, but there you go:

 

 

I have seen this in some tanks, but it is pretty awesome. It sheds,...be right back with the species name to ^^

 

Wider shot of the same tank. the macro in the center is agardhiella ramosissima

 

I always find it yellow like that, but if you see behind it is a specimen from a few days earlier that is red now. Sometimes it takes forever. You would be surprised how fast some can change, and how slow it takes sometimes. There is a some tricks, but I have tons to learn still.

[Shyla8]

I like that Nemastoma, pretty.

[Zepo.]

Nice! The light will be a 72 PC. One 6,500k bulb and one 10,000k bulb. I also have an actinic bulb laying around but i'm sure that wont help the algae in any way. Good enough for some macros?

[johnmaloney]

you willl just have to trust me that the sponge, covering a large rock is just awesome...I dont know if it is a bad pic, the lighting, my care, but that is a cool sponge, but yeah the nemastoma is nice too...

 

I guess the things I sample i should take pictures of in their natural setting too?

[Zepo.]

Do it! I say clean the glass before pics though!

[johnmaloney]

Nice! The light will be a 72 PC. One 6,500k bulb and one 10,000k bulb. I also have an actinic bulb laying around but i'm sure that wont help the algae in any way. Good enough for some macros?

 

 

well it is up to you what you can get, but you can keep a lot with that.

 

as far as lighting -

 

here is what I am thinking. We all get a PAR meter to pass around. or

we get our tanks lighting in a list like :

 

tank 1 - 2 40w 50/50s pcs 7 inches over the water light is 24inches long and so is tank. tank depth is 12 inches.

 

 

etc...? sounds like a lot of work, but it gets rid of "low light" "high light", maybe we can get a spectrum of intensity? What do you think?

[Shyla8]

Eh could just be the way it comes out on camera if it looks cool to your eye in the tank. I have taken pictures that don't look like it does to me when I look at it haha but maybe my camera stinks.

I do like sponges tho a lot, the ones I have seen are all in nice bright colors. I think I know what color that may be like because I have an orange spot on one of my rocks, kinda like translucent orange tho. Hasn't grown much since I noticed it.

Sponges and Gorgs and Macros oh my! I love them all! lol

 

Well I can tell you most my macros are going into my pico but would like to add some tougher ones to the 50 if I can. The Sciana is slowly fading so not sure you need this info yet but....

My pico light is 2-18w 50/50 and its about 3 inches above the tank in a canopy and the tank is filled to the trim since its an AIO so about 8 inches below the trim. The macro tops sit about 10-11 inches below the light then I guess. So far anyway, from the pic in my thread. I need to get some taller in there.

(does that help?)