Tale of Two Cities or Phoenix Rises

[vlangel]

And the "little people" rejoiced! Merry Christmas Patrick as we celebrate our Saviour's birth!

 

[Subsea]

And the "little people" rejoiced! Merry Christmas Patrick as we celebrate our Saviour's birth!

And the Word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us.

@Dawn
I think one of the biggest reasons I can be passionate about reef keeping after 50 years is I see “Intelligent Design” in how everything is interconnected & interdependent. With recent research on the Coral Holibiont, it has become evident that coral & bacteria crosstalk to alter “gene expression“ to enhance their environment. As an observer of nature, I have come to embrace the concept of “less technology & more biology” and I strive to “emulate nature”. It brings me great joy to grow in tank live food as the “microbial loop” moves carbon up the food chain.

I continue Caribbean theme with addition of some deep water NPS Gorgonians.

 

[vlangel]

And the Word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us.

@Dawn
I think one of the biggest reasons I can be passionate about reef keeping after 50 years is I see “Intelligent Design” in how everything is interconnected & interdependent. With recent research on the Coral Holibiont, it has become evident that coral & bacteria crosstalk to alter “gene expression“ to enhance their environment. As an observer of nature, I have come to embrace the concept of “less technology & more biology” and I strive to “emulate nature”. It brings me great joy to grow in tank live food as the “microbial loop” moves carbon up the food chain.

I continue Caribbean theme with addition of some deep water NPS Gorgonians.

Amen to all that, Patrick. Everything proclaims our Lord's majesty!

 

[Subsea]

I am moving green feather Caulerpa around to contrast colors & texture.

 

[Subsea]

@vlangel

I have not had good success with gorgonions until recently. In twenty five year young display, on two seperate diver collected GOM live rocks are nice hitch hikers. The larger Gorgonion in the third picture was bought from live plants four months ago and started a new growth on a seperate rock that it touched.

In duel 55G tanks, the top tank at 18 months mature in a low light environment is developing into a Caribbean mixed garden lagoon. Last week, in front of Christmas, I received two deep water NPS gorgonions that are absolutely gorgeous. They are both “feathered up”, yet the one on the left that fell over into horizontal plan has polyps further extended than the one in flow path of HOB filter discharge. I am considering repositioning it into a less turbulent area.

 

[Subsea]

Flame scallop used his foot to pull himself up with better viewing for me. Hopefully, this will be a permanent location using tendrils for attachment.

I really like the biochemistry in this tank with high flow cryptic refugiums in cannister filter and reverse flow undergravel filter with nutrient recycling as a mainstay in my husbandry of marine systems.

 

[Subsea]

Flame Scallop feeding.

 

[Subsea]

Testing out 12VDC automobile light bar at 6K color rendition.

 

[Subsea]

I am ecstatic with development of bare bones tank at the one month anniversary for bottom 55G.

 

[Subsea]

@vlangel
Note Caulerpa Paspoidies under intense light in 1 month mature tank. Three days ago it went partially sexual and I added 20ml of ammonia for three days in a row. There is very much new green growth.

Baby starfish came in with rock from 30G seaweed tank. Also attached to this rock is Halymenia and after reading what Russ Kronwetter said about it being collected in deeper water, I will move it to low light tank on top.

Marine Plants in the Aquarium

macroalgae, marine plants, caulerpa, refugium substrate, marine macroalgae for sale

www.marineplantbook.com

HALYMENIA FLORIDANA​

An interesting species of Halymenia that is highly variable in color, ranging from bright yellow to red depending on the depth collected. Like all species of Halymenia, it is gelatinous and smooth in texture and is easily torn. This particular species stays rather compact and its blades rounded and irregular similar to species of Ulva. Most Halymenia grow in rather deep locations so do not require much lighting. Specimens are normally collected free floating or attached to coral rubble by a single holdfast. In the aquarium they will seldom attach so they must be anchored or allowed to tumble as free floating specimens. H. Floridana is very palatable and is readily eaten by both Tangs and Angelfish.​
	Aquarium Care Information​ Scientific Name: Halymenia Floridana Common Name: Red Sea Lettuce Origin: Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic Maximum Height : 18" Growth Rate: Moderate Light: Moderate to Low Temperature: 76-82 Propagation: Fragmentation, Sporulation Difficulty: Easy Food Value: Very palatable Nutrient Uptake: Good Flow Rate: Moderate to High
Copyright © 2010 GCE All rights reserved. No part of this online publication may be reproduced in any form by any means without the expressed permission of the author. All images are the property of Gulf Coast Ecosystems unless otherwise noted and should not be reproduced or distributed without permission.​

 

[Subsea]

At 6 weeks young, the lower 55G tank has much more circulation and with diy lighting, much more intense illumination.

This one Gracilaria Hayi went sexual due to low nitrogen with intense lighting which requires higher growth rate. One week ago, Caulerpa Paspoides partially went sexual which is a survival technique. I pruned off sections and dosed ammonia for three days with new emerging growth.

 

[Subsea]

Peppermint Shrimp eat Flower Anemone. So far, the shrimps have left Rocordia alone. I moved what was left of flower into high light 55G tank on bottom.

 

[vlangel]

Peppermint Shrimp eat Flower Anemone. So far, the shrimps have left Rocordia alone. I moved what was left of flower into high light 55G tank on bottom.

How dare they make a meal of the RFA! Shame on them.

 

[Subsea]

How dare they make a meal of the RFA! Shame on them.

I added 6 Peppermints about a month ago to top 55 tank. In my effort to thin out live rock with pest from established tanks, I am using dual 55G tanks. Tank on top is second stage of the sanitation process. First stage is on me with tweezers, toothbrushes, injection needles and PEROXIDE. Aptasia and Asterina starfish are the major pests.

For me, second stage of sanitation is the BEST. With minimum technology, I observe nature without man’s excessive intervention. John Tullock said it best in his book, The Natural Aquarium, Less Technology/More Biology. In much later research, the complexity of the Coral Holibiont showed crosstalk between corals & bacteria, crosstalk between bacteria in surface film of macro algae and bacteria in macro internal biomass to alter environmental conditions to their benefit.

 

[Subsea]

@vlangel
Check out comparison of low light Caulerpa growth (#1 picture) with high light intensity tank. Some of Caulerpa Paspoidies needs pruning and should be pruned regularly. The tangs love it.

Prior to this fast growing Caulerpa going sexual, the main stems triple in diameter and begin to ooze white into the water.

Even though Sargassum seaweed is grouped under brown macro, with 6K light spectrum, it looks golden. The last picture is flower anemone injured by peppermint.

 

[vlangel]

@vlangel
Check out comparison of low light Caulerpa growth (#1 picture) with high light intensity tank. Some of Caulerpa Paspoidies needs pruning and should be pruned regularly. The tangs love it.

Prior to this fast growing Caulerpa going sexual, the main stems triple in diameter and begin to ooze white into the water.

Even though Sargassum seaweed is grouped under brown macro, with 6K light spectrum, it looks golden. The last picture is flower anemone injured by peppermint.

That Sargassum is gorgeous! Let me know how it does for you and what conditions (besides high light) that favors it.

Wow, that poor RFA! It looks pretty bad. Do you think it has any chance of recovery?

 

[Subsea]

That Sargassum is gorgeous! Let me know how it does for you and what conditions (besides high light) that favors it.

Wow, that poor RFA! It looks pretty bad. Do you think it has any chance of recovery?

I feel he will recover. I see 2 iridescent polyps 24 hours after put in lower tank. There are no predators in this tank. I ghost feed mussels and dose ammonia, so I have little need for janitors to clean this tank.

 

[JDCagley]

following

 

[Subsea]

That Sargassum is gorgeous! Let me know how it does for you and what conditions (besides high light) that favors it.

Wow, that poor RFA! It looks pretty bad. Do you think it has any chance of recovery?

This is what Russ Kronwetter at live plants says:

SARGASSUM PLATYCARPUM​

Species of the brown algae Sargassum are among the most prolific of all brown algae in the Caribbean. This particular species features serrated, gold-brown leaves that form from a series of thick, main branches. Air bladders are common on this species and help to keep the plant upright. Mature plants often reach heights of 30" or more in deeper environments, but most are found in shallow water. Anchored varieties are most suitable for the marine aquarium and have a very sturdy holdfast that is able to securely anchor itself in very turbulent environments. In the aquarium they require bright lighting and moderate to high flow rates for optimal growth. A large plant, that needs to be pruned often. Many hobbyists often encounter this species, as well as others, on imported and aqua-cultured live rock. Not known to be very palatable to fish.​	​
	Aquarium Care Information​ Scientific Name: Sargassum Platycarpum Common Name: Sargassum Origin: Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic Depth Collected: 3 - 20 feet Maximum Height : 30" Growth Rate: Slow Light: High Temperature: 68-78 Propagation: Fragmentation, Sporulation Difficulty: Advanced Food Value: Not very palatable Nutrient Uptake: Fair Flow Rate: Moderate to High
Copyright © 2010 GCE All rights reserved. No part of this online publication may be reproduced in any form by any means without the expressed permission of the author. All images are the property of Gulf Coast Ecosystems unless otherwise noted and should not be reproduced or distributed without permission.​

 

[vlangel]

Yes, I bought Sargassum once from GCE so I knew that is what they wrote. I bought it when I had T5 lights and a lot less flow. I will be interested if you have more success with it than I did, and what your thoughts are on your experience with it. Mine basically never flourished and diminished until it just disappeared. I would be willing to try again if I thought the conditions in my aquarium are more favorable for it. I know Michael Hoaster kept a nice sprig that grew into a very nice specimen but it came as a hitch hiker on live rock. I wondered if that increases the chances of it flourishing.