Ska's 28 Macro Algae Display

skabooya · #1 01-27-2010, 03:36 PM

Alright, so i left the skimmer as it was and a few hours later I went to admire the tank. Well some skimmate 'yuck' had collected in the bottom of the cup.
It was all the fine dust floating around the tank. Made the room smell like a rock quary. I fed the spoils to the porcelin god.

This morning the tank is sooooo clear. I cant wait to go to the lfs to pick up my LR to watch the life spread.

Currently my skimmer is set on a timer with the lights. Its on when the lights are on and off when the lights are off BUT I dont have the lights plugged in yet. I figure its a waste of good bulbs when there is nothing alive in the tank until I get some rock.

Im researching a CUC for the tank.
I love love love hermits but they are mean. They kill the snails for shells. I would like to get at least one hermie though.

So, 1 Blue legged hermit crab
? Certh snails
? Astrea snails
? Nassarius snails
? Margarita snails

Chase31 · #2 01-27-2010, 04:54 PM

well right now as the tank has nothing in it i would say thats okay, but once the rock is in i would run the skimmer 24/7, also with the lights im doing the same thing

whatcaneyedo · #3 01-27-2010, 07:05 PM

Margarita snails are said to be sub-tropical and eventually cook in normal reef tank temperatures so I would skip those. My personal favorites are mini brittle stars, Abalone, Turbo snails and Stomatella snails. LFS wont sell mini brittle stars or Stomatella but if you're lucky you will get them on your liverock.

I'd run the skimmer constantly as well. Its actually more important for it to run at night than during the day (if you had to pick one). Algae stops performing photosynthesis in the dark which causes your pH to drop because CO2 builds up. A skimmer helps keep the water well oxygenated and buffers this effect.

skabooya · #4 01-27-2010, 08:51 PM

What if i want to grow algae (macro algae)?

Chase31 · #5 01-27-2010, 08:55 PM

id do it in the sump

whatcaneyedo · #6 01-27-2010, 09:15 PM

Gracillaria is pretty non invasive and is a great source of red color. Thats the only one I would dare put into a display tank. Halimedia, chaeto, caulerpa, etc all have a way of taking over and are better suited in a refugium section of a sump.

skabooya · #7 01-28-2010, 12:48 AM

I really dont mind the "take over". I would love to do a macro tank with some corals which is what i was planning for the last couple of months. I entertained the idea a few years ago and I am again. I love planted reef tanks.
The corals will be softies, shrooms, zoas, cloves, xenia and some lps like frogspawn or a torch and maybe an acan and candy cane
I am aiming for a mature look tank where there are a few corals and they just spread everywhere

whatcaneyedo · #8 01-23-2012, 05:25 AM

Hate to rub it in but...

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatcaneyedo

Gracillaria is pretty non invasive and is a great source of red color. Thats the only one I would dare put into a display tank. Halimedia, chaeto, caulerpa, etc all have a way of taking over and are better suited to a refugium section of a sump.

Twice I've accidentally ended up with caulerpa in my display and it took a long time to get it out. Removing a few pieces of rock at a time and leaving them in a dark tub of water for a while worked alright. Some manual removal with tweezers was also necessary. There is no guarantee that a Tang will eat it either. They're hit and miss like most fish.

EDIT: J&L and Progressive Reef both have several varieties of photosynthetic gorgonians for sale right now.