Tiny refugium... making it up as I go!

[Subsea]

You’re right. I don’t have a build thread. By the time I found this site, the tank was done. I did post recently about my Triton test here...

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/triton-questions.465103/

These results are less than a week old. The pH is measured by a Seneye Reef par meter (with pH). The tank is lit by a Radion x15 gen 4 on the AB+ setting. Ammonia and nitrites = 0 as of this morning.

Did I overlook nitrate, phosphate and iron? I could not find those readings. All are needed to grow macro and coral.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/chemistry-of-macro.466019/

When I first started as a seaweed farmer, it was to produce Red Ogo as a human food. To that end, I sent Ogo off to Ward Labs to get dry analysis so that I could certify what was in the seaweed:

Dry analysis of Gracilaria Parvispora, Red Ogo:
N @ 2.59%
P @0.082%
K @13.54%
Ca @0.555
Mg @1.163
S @4.81
Zn @139 ppm
Fe @107 ppm
Mn @20 ppm
Cu @7 ppm

Trinity Aquifier groundwater at 950’
pH at 7.8
TDS at 888 ppm
Na at 55 ppm
K at 14 ppm
Ca at 130 ppm
Mg at 102 ppm
Total CaCO3 hardness at 750 ppm
NO3 < 0.1 ppm
SO4 at 189 ppm
Cl at 34 ppm
CO3 < 1 ppm
HCO3 at 346 ppm
Total alkalinity, CaCO3 at 283 ppm
B at 0.33 ppm
Total Nitrogen at 2 ppm
Ortho Phosphate < 0.01 ppm
Total Phosphate < 0.01 ppm
Total Iron at 0.02 ppm
Mn < 0.01 ppm
NO2 < 0.01 ppm

< not detected below detection limit.

Ground water goes straight into my 25/year old display tank. Obviously, I don’t run SPS systems.



https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/2...m-on-top-with-30g-ecosystem-mud-macro.421526/

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/wet-salty-for-christmas-2017.428100/

 

[BestMomEver]

With three tray canister, I put filter floss first, to be replaced weekly, then I used Crushed coral rubble and the last tray was reserved for GAC. Pods were everywhere.



https://www.marineplantbook.com/marineplantbookgreenalgae.htm

Three differrent green grapes.

I have calerpa growing in my 32 AIO. I’m not sure the species as I haven’t looked it up. It came on my live rock. I have three or four anemones, three acro frags and some acans. If I let the calerpa stay, will it smother everything? I will trim it as needed, of course. I don’t mind it and I don’t have a refugium for that tank either. Thoughts?

 

[Subsea]

Several of the grape Caulerpa have stubborn holdfast. Keep it off your desirable live rock. Substrate works well. For viewing, I like Caulerpa Paspoides. It grows very fast and has lacy fronds that resemble a fern. If you deprive it of nutrients, it will go sexual. I prefer Caulerpa Prolifera for stability. It resembles Oar grass. A think meadow of emerald green fronds undulating in the current makes for good grazing on biofilms that cover macro surfaces.

https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookpaspaloides.htm

https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookprolifera.htm

https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookracemosa.htm
This one is good to eat with lime juice & soy sauce. I use it in ceviche as well.

With respect to fast growing Caulerpa in your display. Keep it pruned from going sexual. This will also keep it from covering everything and provide nutrient export.

 

[BestMomEver]

Phosphate .119 (high)
Phosphorus 39 (high)
Nitrate not tested
Iron 0

I’ll test nitrate today. Odd they don’t include that.

I am wating to dose trace elements until I get all the stuff out that’s not supposed to be there. Most trace elements have stuff in that I already have too much of so I have to be careful.

 

[Subsea]

The ideal ratio of N is 30:1. Iron is a necessary nutrient in a reef tank.

https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/8/chemistry

 

[Captain Quint]

I love your mangroves, not to deviate from the theme of this thread... I'm thinking of setting up a mangrove tank and you seem to have some great growth, would you mind weighing in on a thread a created about mangroves?

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/m...stocking-questions.466530/page-3#post-5188913

I get red mangroves from Key Largo, the only thing is the ones in the pic are more for my viewing pleasure than beneficial for nitrate reduction because, in order for any substantial nitrate reduction, one would need many many many more than most of us could keep being honest.

But I do like them. They tend to do better with miracle mud to root in which I have in my current in sump fuge. But they do okay in just water and sand is okay.

A good trick if they are not too tall or you do want them to bunch up is to take some styrofoam puncture holes with a pencil and insert to the point that they don't slide down. To do this it is best to start with Fresh mangrove propagules so you don't have leaves which would break off. Amazon actually has some good sellers and they tend to send more than the order shows.

Reproduction is nearly impossible in our boxes of water because of how they reproduce embryonic development while the propagule is attached to the parent tree in nature.

My apologies for going off topic.