To DO or not to DO a mixed tank, That ! Is the question .

Should i mix my Macro's with my reef and turn my fuge into a second mixed reef.


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basile

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I'm at cross road here. My system is very much in sync, by this i mean, my Reef dominated with soft corals including NPS , seafans, gorgonians and sponges ; demanding a hight nutrient rich water and and a huge 75 G display macroalgae tank


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I dose every day, for different species and different reasons. One of them is i lost species before because of lack of food. Some NPS , and having 11 sponges enough to filter my whole system of 230 G in 24 hours , i have to supplement for their health. Clam, many filter feeders, and larger polyps i choose to feed broadly because it'd be hours spot feeding.


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The resulting nitrates or phosphate goes perfectly for my huge refugium, for which i had to shut OFF my GFO to have enough food supply for it to survive and even then it almost starved, i had to supplement has my nitrate depletion and phosphate was gone so was my iron.


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This came as the macro grew , exponentially , the more macroalgaes, the more it suck in the nitrates and phosphates.


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So my solution is integration of the two and converting my fuge into a full fledge tank. In other words, putting my macro in my reef so it can be pruned by the tangs, foxface, and snais, and the same in the refugium after i buy some fishes. I've always like the look of mixed tanks.


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I have huge backwall that for grazin could be filled with some of those macro's and use my nitrates and phosphates instead of micro nuisance algaes.


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What do you think? Do you see any problems or error that could be happening in the long run.


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Randy Holmes-Farley

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I voted no, primarily because you will be limited in the herbivores that you can put into it to control hair algae and other pests, because they will eat the macroalgae. For example a yellow tang is a nice addition to msot tanks, but it will eat many of the types of macroalgae.

But I think the look is good if it can work out without issues. I like macroalgae. :)
 
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basile

basile

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I voted no, primarily because you will be limited in the herbivores that you can put into it to control hair algae and other pests, because they will eat the macroalgae. For example a yellow tang is a nice addition to msot tanks, but it will eat many of the types of macroalgae.

But I think the look is good if it can work out without issues. I like macroalgae. :)

Yes but thats the point of putting the macro's into the reef to be eaten, right now i'm dumping it. I rather that it goes in the Reef take hold if it can and it will because i've got lots stored into a small side tank , i'll plaster those in the tank and as it grows the fish would have a supply that would grow out of the Backwall.



The reef tank has a huge back wall that i'll never fully stock, its not my intention. And since i'm dumping macroalgaes out its growing so fast, i thought i'd put some on the reef's back wall and in a sense make it mixed with the macro algaes. Plus the tangs and the foxface, and the urchins would trim naturally the excess. i've put a bit and sure enough they've responded. I didn't put ivasive one yet, like the caulerpa, which i don't really have , but those are a bit more ferocious than the others in terms of growth i noticed.


For example this one; Caulerpa Mexicana


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would be a disaster no known predator and it was banned in most of the world. but the Caulerpa Prolifera;


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Is a good cadidate, its eaten by hermits, snails, tangs, my urchin go for it and its a good grower without being a pest.


Other macro would ornate the tank that are not pest but embelish when i have to much of, like my Ogo who seem to thrive, the graciliria wont live that long but if it takes hold better food for my tangs.


Fresh and growning according to the nitrate and phosphate production.This would make my tank a real mixed tank. The more agressive ones i would keep in the present fuge. And from the other comment about my seahorses , i'm re-thinking turning my fuge into a reef. It wouldn't be safe like it was pointed out , to the horses. But i could put safe mates like file fish, pipe fish, mandarins and such. And some gorgonians for a more regular tank i guess.


Thats was my intention, so what do you think of the idea? Thanks for your time.​
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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Yes but thats the point of putting the macro's into the reef to be eaten, right now i'm dumping it.

Yes, I do that too, but my foxface would decimate it all if it was all in the same tank as him, and my yellow tang would decimate the tasty types.

I've tried many times to get prettier macroalgae to grow in the main tank and none ever can due to being eaten.

I'm not sure if my foxface would eat the caulerpa species you mention, but it eats copious amounts of caulerpa racemosa, and even my yellow tangs and hippo tangs will eat some caulerpa species. :)
 
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Daniel@R2R

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Yes but thats the point of putting the macro's into the reef to be eaten, right now i'm dumping it.

Yes, I do that too, but my foxface would decimate it all if it was all in the same tank as him, and my yellow tang would decimate the tasty types.

I've tried many times to get prettier macroalgae to grow in the main tank and none ever can due to being eaten.

I'm not sure if my foxface would eat the caulerpa species you mention, but it eats copious amounts of caulerpa racemosa, and even my yellow tangs and hippo tangs will eat some caulerpa species. :)

This would be my biggest fear too. I think it could work if you added another DT somehow in addition to your fuge, but if you try to grow the macro in the DT, it will be decimated in no time. Those herbivores will devour it very quickly regardless of how fast it grows.

If you are intending to keep macros in BOTH tanks and herbivores in only one of them, then that could work...
 
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MrDJeep123

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The issue is that you can't grow it faster than what can be eaten. I had a planted reef. I didn't realize that the parrotfish had a HUGE appetite for macros. Needless to say, I don't have any macro. I certainly can't continue to buy, re-plant, have it decimated, and continue the cycle. My wife would slaughter me and probably have the fish for dinner.
There is no issue with having it mixed. Since you dose your tank anyways. I think you'll be surprised at how quick the plants will go.

I really love your fuge tank and how it looks. My goal was to have a mixed planted reef as you intend, but I kinda messed that one by putting in lawnmowers. Another thing you could do is sell the extra macros if that is your issue of overgrowth. Perhaps, I'm not understanding what you want to do and maybe more importantly why.
 
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basile

basile

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A new direction

I have a lots of caulerpa right no and lots of extra growths for many types, and throwing them away after paying through the nose make me GRRRRRRR. So i've collected them in a small tank and having lots, i want to put that in my main tank. Lots of people are saying no.


For one they say i've got a good formula that work, yes it does.Then they say it wont work because the tangs will devour everything before it grows again. Then they say if it invades, well make up your mind, if the tangs and fox face eats it before it takes root it wont invades. As a matter a fact they do eat it and i'll put only stuff that they eat.


Some are asking why, AHH thats the question!!


I've turned my GFO OFF, and the macro's are picking up very nicely, but in the main tank i have bubble algae growing. Althoug tang eats it and my emeral crabs do i'd like to replace it with nicer algaes and, i'm very fond of those tanks looks;


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I like the very natural look and less planed or artificial .


My tank;


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Has a lot of room and potential, you see that tonga branch where nothing will ever grow, i'll be strapping a couple of mangrove half way, the roots will grow downwards while the shoot upwards will be taken care of by another light above the razors when the time comes. I'll also have a few of those mangroves on the backwall and from the external overflow. the result should be like this;


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The rest of the tank has lots of backwall and space for the macro to grow and the grazers to graze. ;


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Anyway i think its worth a try.


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Marquiseo

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Why not just cut it and sell it to other Canadian reefers and LFS? Inspire other Canadian reefers to do a macro tank and in turn, you can sell it off or give it away.
 

MrDJeep123

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You could add your macros to the display. When it gets to a certain point in growth you could add the fish then. I'm certainly for a planted reef tank.
 
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basile

basile

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Mabe just start with one tang and see how it gose



Thanks , that's what i have one tang and 2 tanks full of macro algaes, i think i'll be ok with it , besides i feed them everyday twice a day and leave stuff at night to distract them.



Why not just cut it and sell it to other Canadian reefers and LFS? Inspire other Canadian reefers to do a macro tank and in turn, you can sell it off or give it away.

I do, and i've post a lot and sold but not everybody starts tank every week or months so it catches up.



You could add your macros to the display. When it gets to a certain point in growth you could add the fish then. I'm certainly for a planted reef tank.


With 2 tanks full of algaes, my second is not a display its more like a soup LOL so thats why i thought to put it in ; they'll be overwhelmed by the amount I hope lol.



Thanks for your time guys it put things in perspective


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Eienna

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The way the poll question was worded, I thought you meant putting the herbivores into the refugium, to which I would say no.
 
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basile

basile

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The way the poll question was worded, I thought you meant putting the herbivores into the refugium, to which I would say no.

LOL no no lol i'll use the macro from my refugium to create a mixed tank , LPS-NPS-macroalgae tank . Thats because i have so much leftover from my fuge and into a secod tank its ashame throwing it away. Now i was thinking out loud about putting more fish in the fuge but after consideration and a few good points made by some of you i'll leave it as it is. Just a refugium. But i've started to put some algeas to see ,by feeding twice a day lost of diversity, night lunches, and overwhelming the tank with different species of macro's i hope to be able to achieve what some were able to do . Over feeding the fish a bit, over feeding the macro's , doing my WC to minimise the nitrates impact. might just do it. Its a gamble.
 

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