Macroalgae Island Scape

[sam_the_reefer]

I am a big fan of awesome planted tank scapes by Herry Rasio, so I decided to start a planted tank with a saltwater twist. My initial plan for this tank is an island scape, but the final form will be decided when I get the sand, rocks, and other things I need. For now I'm "rinsing" the tank and equipment in freshwater while waiting.

 

 

[sam_the_reefer]

Scaper mode: on.

 

[sam_the_reefer]

Day 1

[sam_the_reefer]

Fail, woke up to a brown tank. Lesson: no matter how dark the coconut flower on the beach is, it can still leach a lot of tannin. 

 

Also rescaped. Even though I'm running carbon, I might do a 100% waterchange. Meanwhile I'm boiling the coconut flowers to get rid of the tannins.

 

 

 

[gena]

I thought those were gorgonians!  I googled coconut flower and it's the actual flower from coconuts?  Never heard of that!!!!!

[sam_the_reefer]

10 hours ago, gena said:

I thought those were gorgonians!  I googled coconut flower and it's the actual flower from coconuts?  Never heard of that!!!!!

Yes, the flowers often get washed out on the beach and get covered in barnacles and other epiphytes. Sometimes they get covered in sand and look like tentacles sticking out.

[sam_the_reefer]

I'm still figuring out what to do with the coconut flowers. They curved after the boiling process to release the tannins and the curve doesn't fit well with what I had in mind. I need a way to mount them solidly so that hermit crabs and snails can climb on them to clean them up and so I don't accidentally snap them while cleaning. I'm liking the rock only scape though.

 

[gena]

12 hours ago, xellos88 said:

Yes, the flowers often get washed out on the beach and get covered in barnacles and other epiphytes. Sometimes they get covered in sand and look like tentacles sticking out.

Very cool!  Thanks for the explanation.  They sound like a great addition...hopefully you'll be able to use them.  Instead of boiling, could you just soak them for a week or so?

[sam_the_reefer]

3 minutes ago, gena said:

Very cool!  Thanks for the explanation.  They sound like a great addition...hopefully you'll be able to use them.  Instead of boiling, could you just soak them for a week or so?

I think these have been soaked in the ocean for a while because they have a dark color (the "fresh" ones have a more woody color). That's why I thought it wouldn't leach any more tannin.

[pmemmer]

What are your plans, macro-wise? I love macro-dedicated tanks.

[sam_the_reefer]

3 hours ago, pmemmer said:

What are your plans, macro-wise? I love macro-dedicated tanks.

This is my initial list:

• Tubinaria / Sargassum
• Halymenia Floresia
• Ochtodes
• Fauchea / Small Encrusting Dictyota
• Heterosiphonia Gibbesii

[banasophia]

Looks cool so far… I love the scape and was interested to learn about the coconut flowers… looking forward to following along!

[gena]

12 hours ago, xellos88 said:

This is my initial list:

• Tubinaria / Sargassum
• Halymenia Floresia
• Ochtodes
• Fauchea / Small Encrusting Dictyota
• Heterosiphonia Gibbesii

Ochtodes!!!!  I totally forgot about those.  Awesome macroalgae!!!!  

[sam_the_reefer]

The latest (and hopefully last) aquascape iteration for this tank. I might modify my plant list and go with bushy and/or creeping macroalgae since the coconut flowers add height already. So, Chlorodesmis, Ochtodes, Fauchea.

 

[Murphs_Reef]

Like that. Looks really good 😃

[banasophia]

Yeah! I’m likin it!!

[sam_the_reefer]

8 hours ago, Murphych said:

Like that. Looks really good 😃

 

7 hours ago, banasophia said:

Yeah! I’m likin it!!

Thanks! Hopefully it doesn't get buried in algae.

[sam_the_reefer]

The diatom phase of the cycle has started so I added some cleanup crew to deal with it and test the tank's "livability". The first inhabitants of this tank, old snail and young snail.

 

[growsomething]

Is this the 3 g picotope that was so popular a decade or so ago?  I had one, pretty awesome little tank if it is.  Too small for most macro though?

[sam_the_reefer]

12 minutes ago, growsomething said:

Is this the 3 g picotope that was so popular a decade or so ago?  I had one, pretty awesome little tank if it is.  Too small for most macro though?

No, this is an Eclipse 12. (12 Gals.)

[Firefish15]

Looks great so far! I’m interested in starting a macro tank at some point, so following along! 🙂

[sam_the_reefer]

Old snail didn't make it. 😞 But I think the tank has cycled. Nitrates have breached 40 so I did a 50% water change. I ripped the halymenia in the process and noticed it has grown much from when I first added it. Still waiting for the green algae phase before I add hermit crabs to this tank. Meanwhile just enjoying the cycle.

 

 

[sam_the_reefer]

Just wanted to say that having a scape that you like definitely helps in coping with the ugly stage. The rocks used in this tank are sun-dried live reef rock, so there's quite a lot of dead things in it. It had the dried ocean smell, if you're familiar with that. Even though I've cleaned the loose dead things on the surface, there's remnants of dead sponges and other creatures inside the crevices that provides a steady ammonia source for the cycle. I wonder if any of the original macroalgae that covered these rocks or their spores survived. It would be a pleasant surprise.

[Firefish15]

I used similar rocks in my tank, they’d been dry for a few years. Nothing survived unfortunately. If yours aren’t as old, they might have something.

[billygoat]

4 hours ago, xellos88 said:

Just wanted to say that having a scape that you like definitely helps in coping with the ugly stage. The rocks used in this tank are sun-dried live reef rock, so there's quite a lot of dead things in it. It had the dried ocean smell, if you're familiar with that. Even though I've cleaned the loose dead things on the surface, there's remnants of dead sponges and other creatures inside the crevices that provides a steady ammonia source for the cycle. I wonder if any of the original macroalgae that covered these rocks or their spores survived. It would be a pleasant surprise.

I feel the same way! I know it's hard to get ocean live rock from anywhere other than Florida nowadays, but I always advocate it for the same reason you mention here: it provides a diverse bacterial culture plus an ammonia source that allows those bacteria to establish themselves, all in one convenient package. 😁 And the smell is simply superb. 👌