SO i became a fan of marine plants after setting up my first 'fuge a while ago…then i found marineplantedtanks.com which is mostly about all planted set ups…
i was just wondering if anyone in the club has ever attempted one of these set ups? could i use PC lights for a set up like this? what kind of substrate would be good for the long term?
one of the nice planted tanks
http://www.marineplantedtanks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46
i think it looks great and natural… if you can grow gha under pc then why not?
That tank was definitely pretty sweet looking, I always think the good macro’s look much more natural and ‘nicer’ than having none.
Nice looking tank!! Liked the little gobies! ;Dyou guys think mineral mud would be a good enough support for the plants in the long run?
should i look into dosing nitrates?
could i take old water from my other DT tank and put it into here to dump nutrients?
you guys think mineral mud would be a good enough support for the plants in the long run?I have no facts, but I would assume that some of those plants/algaes would prefer a sandy substrate
should i look into dosing nitrates?I'd get the tank up and going and see if that is the limiting factor for macro growth or not.
could i take old water from my other DT tank and put it into here to dump nutrients?Sure, but your other DT might be a too low nutrient range for the macros/plants. Would you want to do this manually or automatically? Plumb the tanks together or make it a one way type system (water leaves one tank, but doesn't come back).
can u say AUTO WATER CHANGE!!!
my DT tank is down stairs and this tank is going to be in my computer room upstairs…not worth plumbing together in my condo…plus theres a female in my house who is getting tired of all the “clutter”…
im just talking about when i do water changes on my DT downstairs ill take all the crap and dump it into the planted tank…maybe not all at once…but some idea like that…
anyway, i need to get some plumbing and a pump…build a stand and maybe some kind of hood…hopefully within the next 2-3 months ill be ready to post something
im just talking about when i do water changes on my DT downstairs ill take all the crap and dump it into the planted tank...maybe not all at once...but some idea like that...
first, these tanks are very cool. ive done quite a bit of reading and planning over the last couple of years for a planted seahorse/pipefish tank that i would like to set up eventually. waterchanges shouldnt be an issue with these tanks if your diligent with your fish and plant selection. you should be able to quite easily balance your nutrient import(fish food) against your nutrient export(plants) with virtually no need for waterchanges. some people dose a trace mineral supplement in lieu of waterchanges because its cheaper than salt and things like Ca and Mg wont be as important in a planted tank. if the tank turns out to be a nutrient sinkhole and your plant growth is affected then it probably wouldnt be a bad idea to change out the water with the dirtier water from your other tank. otherwise, i would leave it alone rather than risk causing instability. throw some pics up when you start the build, id love to see it.
i also meant to say that ill definitly be using sand, and then in some spots ill have mineral mud under it…i had no clue that there are soo many attactive looking marine plants out there…
i wanted to go either plants with gobies or a frogfish…im sure another fish will pop up during this process
i keep thinking of sponges too when i think planted tank…
Yes, planted marine tanks can be great looking and adventures of their own. But the plants,(seagrasses) and macro algae (grape, halameda, halamenia, gracillaria, sargasum prolifera…) all take up a lot of nutrients every day. they need feeding. which is why they make a good fuge for a loaded reef tank. otherwise you will need to dose nitrates, phosphates and a bit of iron to keep it from crashing. I ve had a 40 breeder tank act as a fuge with all sorts of red and green macro algaes. but the chaeto has taken over now and driven most of the nice red ones out.
Oneday i would like to do an actual seagrass fuge tank. There are a small bunch of true grass/plant type species to use in a DSB tank that really take up a lot of nitrates. but a day without food can crash them. you would have to feed them fertilizer in a stand alone tank.
Sarah, a former club member while at UD wrote this fine article.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-04/sl/index.php
and for further info, check the Marine plants forum on Reef Central.
Marine planted tanks, they are cool.
thanks, that some good info
I just set-up this plants tank for two week hopefully I can add more plants in soon. What you guys think?
Custom Rimless 40Gal Plants Tank 30x24x12
Custom 4 bulbs T5 light fixture
Aquac Remora Skimmer
CPR aquafuge Small w/ Lighting
2 Nano Hydor Koralia
Don’t have much livestock yet just some fish and 6 mangroves trees
Sweet, did your mangroves really grow that much in two weeks?
[quote=“IanH, post:16, topic:2032”]
Sweet, did your mangroves really grow that much in two weeks?[/quote]
I wish they grow that fast 
I already have the mangroves in the sump for a long time, just want to try out something difference.
Well, per Sarahs article, there are marine plants, (higher order, flowering) and then the rest are just macro algaes. but you can mix them some. as long as you can keep them well fed with nutrients, nitrates, a bit o phosphate and a touch of iron.
For some sea grasses(plants) and macro algaes of various types, and sargassum, I have been wanting to set up a tank and buy stuff from this place.
Most of the stuff they collect are seasonal. but right now is the best time for availability. a few they grow in tank for the year. I am dying to set up a proper sea grass tank as a fuge. just never have the room or right place to do it. sea grasses take up nutrients very fast. but need a mature DSB for their root structures. unlike macro algaes, sea grasses(plants) take up a lot through their roots, macros just have hold fasts and absorb through the water. So i figure a sea grass bed in a fine DSB fuge will keep the DSB nutrient free. no pollution. no build up of sulfides and nitrites and stuff.
Sea grasses have special needs of strong light and constant food supply. But I see a lot of potential for them for reef keeping filtration. and they can look good too! I want a Sargassum Sea tank with a turtle grass pasture for sea horses and pipe fish to live in.
I want it all!
Picx updated
Are both those macro’s caulerpa?
Are the mangroves rooted into the rocks?
Looks nice.