Seagrass Aquarium at the Ocean Discovery Visitors Center
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Yes I’ve definitely seen the benefits of a good copepod and amphipod population as well!+10 to getting healthy pod populations before adding fish. I have several differrent ornamental macro algae in differrent displays. Bortacladia, Halymenia Elongate and Gracilaria need weekly shaking to flush out debris/detritus, except in my pod tanks. All of the red macros in pod tank are looking good with pods at home in macro.
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Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
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We all know plants produce oxygen when they photosynthesize, but what happens when those plants are under the water?
The answer is bubbles! Lol
Enjoy!
The answer is bubbles! Lol
Enjoy!
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OP
Looking forward to hearing what you do!
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OP
Aside from consuming algae, Elysia crispata, the lettuce sea slug, utilizes kleptoplasty as a main source of energy. It is capable of assimilating the chlororplasts from the algae it consumes into its own body and can then undergo photosynthesis. It is an amazing creature with an unique beauty in our Seagrass tank.
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Thanks! I think so too! Lol
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Today I got a chance to take some quick pictures to update all of my threads and I realized just how much the seagrass has been growing. It gets haircuts pretty much every week!
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Lots of green grass!
And snail eggs over lots of blades!
OP
OP
Hey everyone!
I am an undergraduate studying Oceanography at the Florida Institute of Technology, where I also maintain the campus aquariums. I am currently working as a summer intern at the Ocean Discovery Visitors Center (ODVC), which is a part of FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, located in Fort Pierce, Florida. The ODVC showcases the research being by conducted by marine scientists and engineers at FAU Harbor Branch to bridge the knowledge gap between scientists and the community.
My summer intern project is to completely redesign the current seagrass exhibit at the Ocean Discovery Visitors Center, which will include an upgrade to the aquarium size/filtration and the addition of new display organisms as well as informational signs about these important ecosystems and our research efforts. The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is a biologically diverse estuary of national significance that stretches 156 miles along the east coast of Florida. Unfortunately, the integrity of these ecosystems have degraded as a result of urbanization, nutrient loading, habitat destruction and pollution. These threats jeopardize the overall value of environmental, economic, and social benefits provided by the ecosystems in the Indian River Lagoon, such as the seagrass habitats. Over the years, there has been a 60% decrease in seagrass beds throughout the Indian River Lagoon. Seagrasses require a high amount of light in order to thrive, but the pollution in the IRL has increased the turbidity in the water, blocking the light from reaching the seagrass beds. Therefore, it is vital to inform the public so they can gain a more profound understanding of current environmental research and make responsible, educated decisions in the future. This display will also allow our guests (and forum readers!) to see a seagrass bed and learn about how they function.
The old seagrass exhibit (as described in previous posts) was an all-in-one 35-gallon acrylic tank, which has a very limited display depth. The aquarium currently houses three species of seagrass:
Thallasia testudinum (Turtle grass)
Syringodium fileforme (Manatee grass)
Halodule wrightii (Shoal grass)
In order to upgrade this display our first step was to disassemble and move the old aquarium out in order to make room for the new tank. Below are some of the pictures from the tank breakdown.
This is the old seagrass tank from the back! The stand was custom-built for the all-in-one 35-gallon tank, and the lights were mounted on a wooden stand.
In order to be able to transport the old tank, Brandon and I had to siphon out as much water as we could! The seagrass, sediments and invertebrates remained in the tank.
With the seagrass and sediments still in the tank it was very heavy! We used this table to help us move it across the room and onto the cinder-blocks, and then we re-filled the tank to minimize the stress on the seagrass.
A giant hole in the wall was what remained until the new stand and aquarium could be installed.
Last, we put a temporary cover over the wall opening and started gathering our supplies to set up the new tank! Stay tuned for another update next week!
I am an undergraduate studying Oceanography at the Florida Institute of Technology, where I also maintain the campus aquariums. I am currently working as a summer intern at the Ocean Discovery Visitors Center (ODVC), which is a part of FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, located in Fort Pierce, Florida. The ODVC showcases the research being by conducted by marine scientists and engineers at FAU Harbor Branch to bridge the knowledge gap between scientists and the community.
My summer intern project is to completely redesign the current seagrass exhibit at the Ocean Discovery Visitors Center, which will include an upgrade to the aquarium size/filtration and the addition of new display organisms as well as informational signs about these important ecosystems and our research efforts. The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is a biologically diverse estuary of national significance that stretches 156 miles along the east coast of Florida. Unfortunately, the integrity of these ecosystems have degraded as a result of urbanization, nutrient loading, habitat destruction and pollution. These threats jeopardize the overall value of environmental, economic, and social benefits provided by the ecosystems in the Indian River Lagoon, such as the seagrass habitats. Over the years, there has been a 60% decrease in seagrass beds throughout the Indian River Lagoon. Seagrasses require a high amount of light in order to thrive, but the pollution in the IRL has increased the turbidity in the water, blocking the light from reaching the seagrass beds. Therefore, it is vital to inform the public so they can gain a more profound understanding of current environmental research and make responsible, educated decisions in the future. This display will also allow our guests (and forum readers!) to see a seagrass bed and learn about how they function.
The old seagrass exhibit (as described in previous posts) was an all-in-one 35-gallon acrylic tank, which has a very limited display depth. The aquarium currently houses three species of seagrass:
Thallasia testudinum (Turtle grass)
Syringodium fileforme (Manatee grass)
Halodule wrightii (Shoal grass)
In order to upgrade this display our first step was to disassemble and move the old aquarium out in order to make room for the new tank. Below are some of the pictures from the tank breakdown.
This is the old seagrass tank from the back! The stand was custom-built for the all-in-one 35-gallon tank, and the lights were mounted on a wooden stand.
In order to be able to transport the old tank, Brandon and I had to siphon out as much water as we could! The seagrass, sediments and invertebrates remained in the tank.
With the seagrass and sediments still in the tank it was very heavy! We used this table to help us move it across the room and onto the cinder-blocks, and then we re-filled the tank to minimize the stress on the seagrass.
A giant hole in the wall was what remained until the new stand and aquarium could be installed.
Last, we put a temporary cover over the wall opening and started gathering our supplies to set up the new tank! Stay tuned for another update next week!
OP
OP
Here are the supplies for the newly upgraded seagrass aquarium:
It's always great when you get to take a trip to @WWC for work! Thank you Joe for hooking us up with our new seagrass aquarium.
Assembling our new light mount that is infinitely better than our old light system!
The new sump for the aquarium, and we are super excited to have the filtration system out of the tank. Keep following along for more updates
- 2 Hydra52 HD LED Lights
- HMS Multi Light Mount
- Marineland 65-gallon Corner-flo Aquarium
- Icecap 3K Gyre Powerhead
- Trigger Systems Triton26 Sump
- EcoTech Marine Vectra S1 Return Pump
- Reef Octopus 152-S Protein Skimmer
- Coralife 9-Watt UV Sterilizer
- Neptune Apex Jr.
- Eheim Automatic Fish Feeder
- Cobalt Aquatics Rescue Air Power Outage Air Pump
- 200 lbs of Bahamas Oolite Live Sand
- 50 lbs of Mineral Mud
It's always great when you get to take a trip to @WWC for work! Thank you Joe for hooking us up with our new seagrass aquarium.
Assembling our new light mount that is infinitely better than our old light system!
The new sump for the aquarium, and we are super excited to have the filtration system out of the tank. Keep following along for more updates
OP
OP
Back to the building process! Once the old tank was carefully handled and set aside, we had a stand for the new 65-gallon glass tank built by Greg (Brandon's dad).
The awesome new stand was built perfectly to fit the tank and the filtration system below. Thanks again Greg!
A new frame was also built around the tank that resembles the framing of the other aquariums at the ODVC.
Before starting the transplanting process, Brandon and I had to put together the pipes for the filtration system and allow them to dry fully.
All the equipment was perfectly dry-fitted.
All ready for the transplant later in the week. Stay tuned for that tedious, but fun, process ;Woot
The awesome new stand was built perfectly to fit the tank and the filtration system below. Thanks again Greg!
A new frame was also built around the tank that resembles the framing of the other aquariums at the ODVC.
Before starting the transplanting process, Brandon and I had to put together the pipes for the filtration system and allow them to dry fully.
All the equipment was perfectly dry-fitted.
All ready for the transplant later in the week. Stay tuned for that tedious, but fun, process ;Woot
OP
OP
We had to prepare the sediment before transplanting the seagrass, so here are some pictures of that process!
We would like to thank CaribSea for their mud and live sand!
For every 20 lbs of sand we mixed in 3 lbs of mud to make a mixed sediment that will keep the seagrasses happy.
Adding the mixture to the tank!
We decided that we wanted to try to keep the three species of seagrass separate in the tank so that the public can easily tell the different species apart by using plexiglass as a divider.
So, we measured the depth of the tank and cut the plexiglass to make two dividers, and we used the sand mixture to hold them in place. We hope that the roots of the seagrasses won't intertwine!
Now that we have the sediment and dividers in the tank, it is transplanting time!;Happy
We would like to thank CaribSea for their mud and live sand!
For every 20 lbs of sand we mixed in 3 lbs of mud to make a mixed sediment that will keep the seagrasses happy.
Adding the mixture to the tank!
We decided that we wanted to try to keep the three species of seagrass separate in the tank so that the public can easily tell the different species apart by using plexiglass as a divider.
So, we measured the depth of the tank and cut the plexiglass to make two dividers, and we used the sand mixture to hold them in place. We hope that the roots of the seagrasses won't intertwine!
Now that we have the sediment and dividers in the tank, it is transplanting time!;Happy
OP
OP
The seagrass transplant is officially finished! Our main goal was to carefully and efficiently transfer the seagrass from the old tank to the new one without causing too much stress.
We placed fertilizer tabs (Seachem Flourish Tabs) throughout the sediment in hopes that it would help the seagrass make a quick recovery and remain healthy.
Most of the water was drained from the tank before we began uprooting everything.
Our goal was to keep as much old sediment as we could to try and keep some of the already established nutrients and organisms. Using both hands, I carefully pulled up a scoop at a time and placed the seagrass/sediments into a plastic container.
Each individual root intact was gently pushed down into the sand mixture and we continued to keep the three species separate. In this picture, turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum) is being planted in its section!
It was a little difficult at first, but we eventually got into a good grove re-planting the seagrasses!
Once all of the seagrasses were transplanted into the tank, Brandon started to slowly and carefully fill the aquarium with saltwater.
Keep following along to see tank come to life after all those fine particles settled ;Joyful
We placed fertilizer tabs (Seachem Flourish Tabs) throughout the sediment in hopes that it would help the seagrass make a quick recovery and remain healthy.
Most of the water was drained from the tank before we began uprooting everything.
Our goal was to keep as much old sediment as we could to try and keep some of the already established nutrients and organisms. Using both hands, I carefully pulled up a scoop at a time and placed the seagrass/sediments into a plastic container.
Each individual root intact was gently pushed down into the sand mixture and we continued to keep the three species separate. In this picture, turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum) is being planted in its section!
It was a little difficult at first, but we eventually got into a good grove re-planting the seagrasses!
Once all of the seagrasses were transplanted into the tank, Brandon started to slowly and carefully fill the aquarium with saltwater.
Keep following along to see tank come to life after all those fine particles settled ;Joyful
NY_Caveman
likes words, fish and arbitrary statistics
I really like what I do for a living, but I am starting to love your job more I think.The seagrass transplant is officially finished! Our main goal was to carefully and efficiently transfer the seagrass from the old tank to the new one without causing too much stress.
We placed fertilizer tabs (Seachem Flourish Tabs) throughout the sediment in hopes that it would help the seagrass make a quick recovery and remain healthy.
Most of the water was drained from the tank before we began uprooting everything.
Our goal was to keep as much old sediment as we could to try and keep some of the already established nutrients and organisms. Using both hands, I carefully pulled up a scoop at a time and placed the seagrass/sediments into a plastic container.
Each individual root intact was gently pushed down into the sand mixture and we continued to keep the three species separate. In this picture, turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum) is being planted in its section!
It was a little difficult at first, but we eventually got into a good grove re-planting the seagrasses!
Once all of the seagrasses were transplanted into the tank, Brandon started to slowly and carefully fill the aquarium with saltwater.
Keep following along to see tank come to life after all those fine particles settled ;Joyful
OP
OP
LOL I do have to say that my job is very rewarding and it’s nice to be able to do what I love as part of my job. It’s also really cool to be able to grow some very different, and sometimes very challenging, livestock. I’m glad you enjoy the things that I share on R2R!
OP
OP
Hello everyone! Once the seagrasses were transplanted and the fine particles settled overnight, the tank looked great but the frame needed some work. Here's some pictures of the process!
This is how the tank looked before we worked on the frame!
I definitely did not want stain anywhere else than the frame so I tapped up anything at risk in the drip zone!
Very carefully (holding my breath) , I put one coat of stain on and let it dry overnight before applying another coat to match the rest of the aquariums at the ODVC.
The aquarium and frame look amazing and we added some inverts to the tank! The critter in the picture is a Grass Shrimp.
Stay tuned for our adventure in the field to learn about seagrass monitoring and restoration efforts, and also seine for fish and more inverts to put in the aquarium!;Woot
This is how the tank looked before we worked on the frame!
I definitely did not want stain anywhere else than the frame so I tapped up anything at risk in the drip zone!
Very carefully (holding my breath) , I put one coat of stain on and let it dry overnight before applying another coat to match the rest of the aquariums at the ODVC.
The aquarium and frame look amazing and we added some inverts to the tank! The critter in the picture is a Grass Shrimp.
Stay tuned for our adventure in the field to learn about seagrass monitoring and restoration efforts, and also seine for fish and more inverts to put in the aquarium!;Woot
