I think he means, before you start dosing, make sure you NEED to dose, however thats just how I viewed it...
What are your plans for this tank? Just Macro Algae and Mangroves?? Any coral??? Or Fish, have you looked into Flame Algae?
Mangrove 20g (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter BashfulBacterium
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I think he means, before you start dosing, make sure you NEED to dose, however thats just how I viewed it...
What are your plans for this tank? Just Macro Algae and Mangroves?? Any coral??? Or Fish, have you looked into Flame Algae?
SmnParish
Senior Member
Correct, don't dose what you can't test for.
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BashfulBacterium
Senior Member
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlrMY9C1XKo
Reminds me of this 3:25 - 3:53
I will definitely test first but I know how demanding Mangroves are for Magnesium and was just asking for future reference.
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BashfulBacterium
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There will be some coral, but pretty scarce. I currently have some Pulsing Xenia from Flounder in there that I just love.
With fish I want to go with something that would look well in the tank and seems like it belongs. I was thinking of going for a Blue-stripe pipefish pair like I had originally planned to begin with. (which is why I'm trying to make this a full blown eco-system).
Other suggestions would be great too for fish.
The biggest thing I am shooting for is to successfully be able to breed and raise inverts in this tank. I have been tempted with trying Urchins as some don't have pelagic stages. (again, suggestions would be appreciated)
Macro-Algae and Mangroves will be the most prominent as I don't think anything else really fits in well with Mangroves besides some LPS and softies.
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BashfulBacterium
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I have decided to go with Aratus pisonii and Scylla serrata and maybe Uca pugnax.
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BashfulBacterium
Senior Member
Well after searching I realized that Scylla serrata is actually a brackish crab :/ and considering I got all 3 suggestions out of a book I'm assuming they all are brackish as well.
Open to suggestions. I'm lost with what to put in here. . . maybe go back to the start when I wanted to try Blue-Stripe Pipefish? This would be a perfect environment for them as it will have lots of Macro-Algae and Mangroves.
Also looking for some cool inverts. I have thought of making it a Mantis Shrimp tank but then I realize it would start eating my Strombus colony :'(
Mangroves should be arriving tomorrow!!!! :banana: :banana: :banana:
Open to suggestions. I'm lost with what to put in here. . . maybe go back to the start when I wanted to try Blue-Stripe Pipefish? This would be a perfect environment for them as it will have lots of Macro-Algae and Mangroves.
Also looking for some cool inverts. I have thought of making it a Mantis Shrimp tank but then I realize it would start eating my Strombus colony :'(
Mangroves should be arriving tomorrow!!!! :banana: :banana: :banana:
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BashfulBacterium
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The time is here!
These are at least 3 times larger than the 1 I had, and at 1/10th the price! :banana:
Now I need to get styrofoam to get operation air-roots underway.
These are at least 3 times larger than the 1 I had, and at 1/10th the price! :banana:
Now I need to get styrofoam to get operation air-roots underway.
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BashfulBacterium
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Finally got the styrofoam to set this thing up. I think it turned out quite well. Now the next thing I need to do is to buy a grow bulb.
and the tissues are for the 4 Mangroves that were slightly too thin to hold up on their own.
and the tissues are for the 4 Mangroves that were slightly too thin to hold up on their own.
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BashfulBacterium
Senior Member
Update:
Mangroves weren't doing so hot so with the help of some people on this forum I got a dedicated light fixture for them.
I have also been thinking of doing an EG zone on this tank, it would provide natural filtration (which is always a plus) but I also think it would look very cool to have a dim or dark cryptic zone where I could harbor some organisms you normally wouldn't see (or at least in large numbers) in a reef tank.
Still doing some research but it looks like that is what I'm going to do.
Mangroves weren't doing so hot so with the help of some people on this forum I got a dedicated light fixture for them.
I have also been thinking of doing an EG zone on this tank, it would provide natural filtration (which is always a plus) but I also think it would look very cool to have a dim or dark cryptic zone where I could harbor some organisms you normally wouldn't see (or at least in large numbers) in a reef tank.
Still doing some research but it looks like that is what I'm going to do.
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BashfulBacterium
Senior Member
I don't know why but these Mangroves are just not doing very well. I've tried everything I could think of and my only idea is that with nothing but MicroOrganisms the Mangroves are deficient in nutrients.
Anyone else have thoughts on this?
Anyone else have thoughts on this?
Mine have equivalent lighting and are growing just fine.
Mine have the roots buried.
Mine have the roots buried.
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BashfulBacterium
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But I don't think they gather nutrients from the soil, do they? I thought it was mainly from the water column.
Might have to get some sort of bioload in here, I'd hate to see them go. My snails just absolutely adore them
Might have to get some sort of bioload in here, I'd hate to see them go. My snails just absolutely adore them
Mangroves are like any other tree and they need to uptake nutrients with their roots just like a normal houseplant. If nutrients are in the soil or water column, they will still be taken up by the roots. On the flip side, if you over "fertilize" your plants, you can burn the roots and do just as much damage.
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BashfulBacterium
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So. . .they do need a bioload. Don't need to worry about "over fertilizing" as I never like a lot of fish in my tanks :dance:
Thanks for the advice, I sometimes forget these are regular plants :doh:
"Bio-load" implies that nitrates and phosphates are present in your tank at some degree (when you feed your fish, the food contains nitrates and phosphates). When the fish poo breaks down, the plant takes up the nitrates/phosphates via the roots. A bag of fertilizer is just pellets of nitrates and phosphates (but obviously, don't use fertilizer in your tank).
What are your Phosphate and Nitrate levels in the tank?
What do you mean that they are not doing so hot? Can you describe what's not right with them? Are they all doing poorly or just some of them? How do they look compared to the one you got from me?
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BashfulBacterium
Senior Member
The leaves are turning crispy and some of them are browning out. Yours is doing fine right now but shows no signs of growth. Some of the Mangroves are doing pretty well and one of them even has 4 leaves but otherwise everything else is doing crappy.
Don't have a test kit for phosphates but nitrates were at 0 last time I checked.
Don't have a test kit for phosphates but nitrates were at 0 last time I checked.
:idea::idea::idea:
Plants won't grow without Nitrate and Phosphate, which explains why the plants you got from reeflover's aren't growing. Just my :2cents::2cents:
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BashfulBacterium
Senior Member
So do I need to buy some nitrates from another reefer? :gay1: it seems the best route to go is a few fish?
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BashfulBacterium
Senior Member
Went to SWE for the first time (I never knew it was only in Bloomington! :doh and got my light fixture and a few other goodies!
All lights on.
Moonlights (LEDs only)
Starry Blenny
Unknown Coral (ID would be nice).
Sorry about crappy pics, will take better ones later.
LMK what you think!
and got my light fixture and a few other goodies!All lights on.
Moonlights (LEDs only)
Starry Blenny
Unknown Coral (ID would be nice).
Sorry about crappy pics, will take better ones later.
LMK what you think!