I FOUND STAR GRASS!

[gulfsurfer101]

Pretty cool. I haven't been out in a while since summer here is really hot and surf is really flat but I do know of a bay nearby that has shoals of this stuff and turtle grass. Sorry I couldn't find this stuff for you guys sooner.

[jedimasterben]

It's called 'pearling' and is friggin sweet that you got that with no CO2 injection!

 

Pretty cool. I haven't been out in a while since summer here is really hot and surf is really flat but I do know of a bay nearby that has shoals of this stuff and turtle grass. Sorry I couldn't find this stuff for you guys sooner.

Hell, if you wanna grab me a couple handfuls I'd be cool with that (Of course paying for your trouble)

[Speaker73]

Pretty cool. I haven't been out in a while since summer here is really hot and surf is really flat but I do know of a bay nearby that has shoals of this stuff and turtle grass. Sorry I couldn't find this stuff for you guys sooner.

No worries. If you get some and ship it my way I'll pay you for your trouble, shipping, whatevers!

[gulfsurfer101]

I've not forgotten about you speaker, and jmb, I'll have no trouble sending some your way either. I'll probably have a few days off with this holiday to go and hit the mangrove forest a few miles out where I'm sure this stuff will be growing. It's even posted on a board to identify the many variations of grass that are found here and to raise awareness of proppeller damage.

[Giga]

I've not forgotten about you speaker, and jmb, I'll have no trouble sending some your way either. I'll probably have a few days off with this holiday to go and hit the mangrove forest a few miles out where I'm sure this stuff will be growing. It's even posted on a board to identify the many variations of grass that are found here and to raise awareness of proppeller damage.

 

 

You might be my new best friend

[gulfsurfer101]

Sorry guys, I had no luck finding this stuff this weekend. To many people boating out in the channel and jet ski's churning up the water bringing the visibility down to less than two feet in front of you. That and I think the extreme heat killing most grasses on the shallow flats so I'll have to explore deeper water. Anyways I'll see if my good buddy from work wants to go on scuba trip next time we have a weekend off.

[Subsea]

Oh, if you're starting from scratch and put some down and THEN layer some sand on top, it would probably be ok. I'd imagine that it woud be great for sea grasses since they have real roots that go down into the substrate and absorb nutrients unlike macro algaes

I have little experience with marine plants but am an avid gardner and macro farmer. Yes, I fertilize the feeding roots on my tomatoes, but I also fertilize the leaves. Would some marine plants uptake more nutrients from water column. Function determines form in nature. Could the shape of the leaf indicate a second source of nutrient uptake by the plant.

The colors on the leaves of your Star Grass are gorgeous. Considering how so many different parameters influence color in the marine world, by that picture, you have absolute assurance (QA) that you got it right in your tank.

 

I have read about half of this quality thread. Quite a lot of knowledge in an area that I am interested in. I am tagging along when time permits.

Patrick

[Subsea]

some pics!

 

I think something took a chomp out of one of the leaves, and there was a stream of O2 bubbles coming out of the leaf! I don't know why, but that was really cool

 

And one of the stems flowered! Nothing to phone home about but still cool

 

 

 

I think that the flower is beautiful and I would call home about it. Nice pictures.

Patrick

[Subsea]

Oh, if you're starting from scratch and put some down and THEN layer some sand on top, it would probably be ok. I'd imagine that it woud be great for sea grasses since they have real roots that go down into the substrate and absorb nutrients unlike macro algaes

 

 

Seachem markets a substrate for fresh water planted systems high in iron. This substrate works at any level including the surface. As I have a 12" DSB, I placed it on the bottom with several different grades of aragonite on top.

Patrick

[hypostatic]

Updates

 

Here's the current state of the growth:

Once it gets going it really gets going

 

I think each stalk has a finite lifespan. I think they die sometime after they flower. The leaves turn black and fall off to the substrate and turn into fertilizer to feed new plant growth. And thus the circle of life is complete. [iNSERT LION KING THEME]

 

Here's a picture of a stalk dying

 

 

And finally, the most important part for good health (in my opinion), healthy roots!

this one was growing out above the sand

[jedimasterben]

WHOA! WANT!

[jedimasterben]

bump for more star grass lovin'

[Tamberav]

I moved my star grass into my DT. It just wasn't getting enough love in the fuge. So far... the mexican turbo's haven't ate it. *crosses fingers*

[gulfsurfer101]

Looks I'm a little late but I collected a few strands floating around after some heavier winter surf came rolling through. I only found about three stalks with a few leaves on each of them but I found a few more interesting macro plants that I will also expiriment with in a tank that is solely dedicated for this purpose.

[hypostatic]

hmmm i'd wager that the strands that are floating around in the surf are already dead. Once the leaves start losing their color and they start dropping, then that strand is basically dead.

[gulfsurfer101]

No they look alive and healthy with roots attached. What happens is the rougher waves break further out on low tide and that's what uproots a lot of these plants that grow furthr out past the normal break zone. A few days later they are still very healthy looking and I've noticed some new growth on some different plants rooting themselves down into the sandbed.

[hypostatic]

It's called 'pearling' and is friggin sweet that you got that with no CO2 injection!

 

You know I've been thinking about it, and I think I figured out how I managed to achieve this without CO2 injection.

 

ok, SO, the way I had my tank set up, I had a spray bar right above a powerhead. The spray bar would make air bubbles, and some bubble would get sucked into the powerhead, which would chop up the bubble and blow dissolved air throughout the tank. The whole tank would be aerated, and air contains CO2. Sound plausible?

[spazizz]

They aren't pearling, plants "leak" in damaged areas. Pearling usually happens underneath the leaves as well.

[loyalhero90]

So anxious. I want some stargrass for my new tank but it's not in stock yet

[jedimasterben]

I wish I could keep some in my main tank but I've got two rabbitfish that would love it more than I would lol

 

I'm gonna have a nice-sized fuge, though, so I'll have plenty of room for it in there!

[Speaker73]

Anymore updates on this? I think I'm going to have to find some of this and try it in my new tank...

[hypostatic]

Well, here's the current status of my star grass:

 

 

Most of it died during a move, so I started back up with almost just a single sprout. You can see some differences between the growth pattern now and before, when my phosphate levels were much higher and I had algae growing everywhere. In a lower nutrient system the stems grow much shorter, and I feel like they grow slower as well.

 

Previous pic for reference

[kush.]

Hey guys, so i was checking out the original poster's link and i have a quick question that i hope someone could answer for me. What is the difference between gelidium and gracilaria. I have what i thought was gelidium in my tank and am currently figuring out how im going to remove it, but then this site is selling garcilaria and their picture looks almost identical to what i have growing in my tank.. So now im wondering if what i have is actually something people buy and not a nuisance algae.

[MeepNand]

Hey guys, so i was checking out the original poster's link and i have a quick question that i hope someone could answer for me. What is the difference between gelidium and gracilaria. I have what i thought was gelidium in my tank and am currently figuring out how im going to remove it, but then this site is selling garcilaria and their picture looks almost identical to what i have growing in my tank.. So now im wondering if what i have is actually something people buy and not a nuisance algae.

I think that if you have to wonder about that, you should keep it. If it looks nice, why not?