D's 40 breeder desk project

[D-Man]

Ya I am hoping the new vertex IN80 skimmer I bought will help with the problem as well as my newly designed mangrove and cheato filter. So I guess I'll just wait a while and keep doing regular water changes. I also have a large tribal blenny and it picks at some of the algae but not as much as I would hope. Although the algae is not thriving like it used to, so I guess with a little patience I'll win the battle.

And ya I saw the one rob had the other day, it was huge!

I'm also trying to get a job at red c so we will see how that goes!

 

[Tecnomage]

Ya I am hoping the new vertex IN80 skimmer I bought will help with the problem as well as my newly designed mangrove and cheato filter. So I guess I'll just wait a while and keep doing regular water changes. I also have a large tribal blenny and it picks at some of the algae but not as much as I would hope. Although the algae is not thriving like it used to, so I guess with a little patience I'll win the battle.

And ya I saw the one rob had the other day, it was huge!

I'm also trying to get a job at red c so we will see how that goes!

Not much seems to eat hair algae, the sea hare we had was huge too and it ate and pooped a lot of hair algae . There's also the Tech-M treatment.

 

[D-Man]

I think I'll hold off on buying one then. I kind of figured it would be counterproductive to add one to the system because the sea hare itself would create a larger bioload therefore limiting it's effect on the algae.

I was also wondering if anyone has an old MH reflector they would be willing to sell or give me? The home made one I built isn't really getting the job done...

 

[Tecnomage]

I think I'll hold off on buying one then. I kind of figured it would be counterproductive to add one to the system because the sea hare itself would create a larger bioload therefore limiting it's effect on the algae.

I was also wondering if anyone has an old MH reflector they would be willing to sell or give me? The home made one I built isn't really getting the job done...

Well it ate the hair algae and then pooped which turned into different algae that my tang and crabs feasted on.

 

[D-Man]

Interesting lol

 

[noobaquariumust]

so I guess right now your options are to get the treatment to help to cut off the algae growth?

 

[D-Man]

I want to avoid using the chemical treatments, in know they can rid a tank of algae quick, but it doesnt solve the underlying problem that is the true root of the cause. I think my system has just not been getting the attention it needs in the past few months because of my absence, so hopefully the new upgraded equipment, increase in water changes, new light bulbs, and a shorter lighting period combined with regular manual algae removal will prove to be the victor in the end, it will just take time.

 

[D-Man]

i came across this video of my old 30 gallon system from a couple years back, thought it would be worth posting...

 

[noobaquariumust]

they always say time will heal any wound. or in this case algae break out do you still have your clown?

 

[D-Man]

no sadly I lost every fish and pretty much all the corals from this tank when it decided to crack in half in the middle of the night..... I sure wish I still had that true perc. clown though..... I think the only thing I have left from that tank is a yellow watchman goby I have had for 5 years, one head of my 20 headed frogspawn, and a large paly colony which has declined slowly over the past year, but is now making a come back.

 

[noobaquariumust]

well atleast you saved something right?

 

[D-Man]

ya at least I have fred my watchman goby, lol

 

[noobaquariumust]

do you have any recent pictures of your livestock and growth of everything?

 

[D-Man]

Still battling hair algae, but I think I am winning the battle every time a harvest it the next harvest is smaller so hopefully in a few weeks the harvests will be little to nothing. My mangroves are also taking off and like their new location so hopefully their faster growth rates will help out compete the hair algae.

 

[noobaquariumust]

i dont know much about mangroves so if you could clue me in, that would be nice are the mangroves going to suck the nutrients and food supply out for the algae?

 

[Maxx]

i dont know much about mangroves so if you could clue me in, that would be nice are the mangroves going to suck the nutrients and food supply out for the algae?

Mangroves can be used for nutrient export, BUT, they really arnet the best for it for a number of reasons.

Mangrove's grow very slowly. For nutrient export your best bet is a fast growing macro algae like Chaetomorpha or Caulerpa since they grow fast, they suck up more phosphates & nitrates, and can then be removed from the refugium/harvested at a faster rate, thereby competing more, and hopefully outcompeting the nuisance algae in the display.

They also suck up magnesium so that's something else to watch out for when keeping them.

They do make a neat display and dont hurt a system, as long as you pay attention to their needs. The two best set ups for Mangroves I've seen are one that I believe was torn down and consisted of two big display tanks connected by a Mangrove refugium in a shallow tank with a DSB. It had about 50-60 mangrove seedlings in it. The other is currently in canada and consists of a series of raceways with seedlings in it.

Coral Tank from Canada (1350gal Display Tank)

Happy reading....The thread is currently 315 pgs long and I dont know for sure where exactly the mangrove raceways are mentioned. I would suggest starting at the end and working your way backwards.

Nick

 

[tamarindthai]

looks very nice i like your set up,,good job

 

[D-Man]

Maxx is correct, mangroves are not the best plant for nutrient export and cheato is a far better choice unless you had at least 1-2 mangroves per gallon of your system volume. I just always found mangroves interesting and thought their root structures were amazing so I decided to grow some out of my system, but they are not my only means of nutrient export. I also run cheato, a skimmer, and have a traditional refugium with additional live rock.

and thanks tamarindthai ! its getting there just slowly

 

[D-Man]

recently added more corals to the system, which include a very large hammer coral colony, a neon green fiji leather, and a couple other soft coral frags

 

[Maxx]

Pics or it didnt happen....

C'mon man... By now you should know the rules.....

Nick