3gal zoa+planted tank

[Kiwi]

Hello I'm new here, and I'd like to show you my little tank

The tank is cycling for about two weeks now, haveing 4 plants of eel grass (zoestra spec.) with little seeds attached to them.

 

the sand on the right is approximately 5-6cm high, sugarfine sand mixed with 1-2mm sand.

 

If you'd like to know anything about the tank, feel free to ask (comments and critics are welcome as well, of course

(sorry for my bad english )

 

greeting, Andy

[Weetabix7]

Nice start!

Where are you from?

What are you using for lighting?

[Kiwi]

Thank you :)the Lamp is a 11W Pl I had lying around.

The complete reef did cost me something about 20 bucks, including corals.

(had almost everything I needed at home )

 

If you have got any tps how to maintain the grass properly, please give some advice… have never had any grass, so I'll need some tips

 

Andy

[Subsea]

I suggest you use Caulerpa Prolifera. It has narrow blades similiar to ell grass. True sea grasses require deep mature substrates. Plus, they are very slow growers.

Patrick

 

PS. I really like the green on the bubble Caulerpa.

[Kiwi]

I do have Caulerpa prolifera in the background.

what I do not like on caulerpa very much is, that almost nothing is growing on the leaves, ande the complete structure is diffrent… canÄt explain it

 

I have seen the bubble caulerpa and the prolifera on seagrass beds in the wild, so I thought they'd fit quite well...

I have changed the bulb to a 6500k bulb now, just to see, if it affects he seagrass and algae growth. (it looks much brighter now, but the colors of the corals are not that good… (but I like the colour the tank gives to the whole room… looks like a not fully grown iwagumi tank )

I'll be trying to get my hands on another pl fixture to provide some more light

that's the seagrass: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/173361/0

Andy

[Kiwi]

one of the plants seems to be doing very well, another is on the way.

but one is just not changeing, and the last one is getting this dark brown color from the tips….

 

could comeone of you give me some advice?

I was thinking of makeing a grass-vase with an 4inch dsb, direct sunlight on an south-east window, probably with air-bubble stream.

what do you think of that?

[Kiwi]

just some new pics...

The seagrass doesn't seem to be too bad, I'll (have to) keep an eye on it… everything else is jusl looking fine

 

Furthermore I moved the light to the seagrass area (you can see it on the picture showing the tank from above)

 

Andy

[Kiwi]

Ohh, jut forgot to ask… can I keep palaemon sp. in the tank? (they are sold as living feeding shrimps (10 in 90ml! of water ))

Do you have just some other tips?, what I should do t properly maintain the tank?

(or adding lifestock?)

 

greetings, Andy

[Kiwi]

is no one knowing something about them?

[Kiwi]

now just a little Update, since I don't have too much time:

the tank matures, there are micro-featherdusters on the back, the lgae is growing, and the seagrass sprouts new leaves.

the only thing, i have problems with right now are the zoanthids, not opening fully (some do, and some do not)

 

I'll make some waterchanges on the Weekend, so I hope, the'll do better after that….

[Arkayology]

You have a cool little tank. Post some pics of the new sea grass shoots when you have a chance. I really like the idea of having them.

[Kiwi]

here's an update:

the algae is growing fine, the grass…i don't know really…. old leaves are dying , new ones growing...

 

there is a huge amount of pods in there and little worms...

the snails have been lying eggs..

 

the only problem is the corals have closed for 4 days now… some are starteing to open again…. I don't know why, haven't changed anything…. I#ll make a little water change today...

 

but you can see it matures…. (slowly, but it does )

 

all in all I have to admit, I really love this tank

[Kiwi]

Have found an impressive tank: http://www.reef2reef.com/forums/member-tanks/100416-altos-planted-non-photosynthetic-tank.html

now that is the direction I want to go to

 

do you have some tipps?

will i need a skimmer?

 

or will it be enough to let the algae grow (feeding required )

any tips in handling tubastrea?

 

aand, how do you think sea-fans have to be fed?

(and with what?) and how much….

 

I know, many,many questions

[Kiwi]

Little update...

It's growing very good.

I'm thinking of putting it in front of my window (south), to get more light into it.

what do you think?

[Kiwi]

just another little update…. I have got a fuge…. (sorry, my camera isn't charged, so no pic yet )

it is made of a 1/4 gallon bottle…..

in there is a small ulva fragment to save it from getting eaten^^

 

I'll make some pics tomorrow

[Kiwi]

just a little question… would I be able to keep an little upside down jellyfish in there?

[Chew_Magna]

You won't be able to keep any sort of jelly in that tank, they require specialized tanks, no sand, no rock, no powerheads being a major thing.

 

I like the tank, that grape caulerpa is growing very well. I've had it before but it never grew... up... like that.

[yoshii]

Have found an impressive tank: http://www.reef2reef.com/forums/member-tanks/100416-altos-planted-non-photosynthetic-tank.html

now that is the direction I want to go to

 

do you have some tipps?

will i need a skimmer?

 

or will it be enough to let the algae grow (feeding required )

any tips in handling tubastrea?

 

aand, how do you think sea-fans have to be fed?

(and with what?) and how much….

 

I know, many,many questions

If you want more info on Alto's tank:

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/280107-20gal-commersons-angler-paradise/

 

Although it can be done with much maintenance, I would not recommend tubastrea or sea-fans for your small tank

 

More varieties of macro algae can still give you a beautiful tank!

[Kiwi]

the jellyfish was just an Idea, saw it at the local fish store, in a little tank (maybe I'll try to get some polyps, if they make some^^)

I still have to feed the tank to get nutrient levels up (20ppm range nitrate) (in my opinion it is ok, because I do not have stony corals or anything, that needs clear water….) (so no problem with too many nutrients…. macros do a good job^^)

so I do have a quite high pod-concentration in there *yay*

and a quarter of them has got eggs

 

thank you for the link

[Kiwi]

a new FTS…. hope, you like it

just wanted to keep it updated

[Kiwi]

just found a little hydroid colony with medusas on it…. I wasn't able to get a decent picture of it, but here's a lik about it… http://www.marinespecies.org/hydrozoa/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=16356

[Roshan8768]

Looking good, nice start!

[Kiwi]

 

First a happy new year to you all

Thank you very much

My tank just starts to look quite good, got some nice zoanthids yesterday

my gsp has died while everything else looks lovely

 

öhhh… the BA (got a picture ) just made some tiny babies, so I hope, it'll spread

I really do love it

 

enjoy the pics

 

Andy

 

[Kiwi]

Things have changed a little in 6 months.

sorry, I hadn't answered here, was busy :/

 

tue mushrooms don't wanna grow, although they open .

[Kiwi]

I've made some macros... hope you like them ohh... and maybe one of you has got an Idea, what the red/green anemone on the 2nd picture is?