Planted Marine Tank?

Hi, guys! I have been dabbling with planted marine tanks for a few years and I am wondering if any of you have tried anything similar? I have had "reef" tanks for years and just trying something new with my refugium.

If you have already discussed this here, could you just link me to a good search word? I really feel good about the basic needs of the tank, but I have found I lack at aquascaping and design. I have searched a bit for pics of your tanks and I am completely awe struck at how gorgeous your tanks and designs are, really breath-taking. But, I have found a few differences in our selection/availability of plants, if you know what I mean? My selections are really out weighed on the red side of the spectrum and I've read that red should be an accent? I wish it could be the other way around!

Hi Samatha,
Not much here....yet..........
Although I do and would love a plant marine person on my site(a good mod hint hint)


Regards,
Tom Barr

There is one member here, AMS, who has a marine planted tank. Not sure if there is anyone else tbh, maybe check the marine section on this site as well.

Any chance you could post some pics? I would love to see your tank.

Just as an aside, I would have thought red plants would complement some of the very colourful marine fish!

Samantha?

I was wondering if this should be in the marine section, but sometimes those forums are very scewed toward algae free systems.

So, it would be acceptable to have more red and have green be the accent? That would not be too "heavy"?

Ok, now I really need help. This tank is really in need of some creative aquascaping?



Ok, so I have over 30 different species of plant stuff. The tank is only 75 gallons and looks cluttered. I understand art is in the eye of the beholder, but this beholder thinks it looks jumbled and omdesigned. Is there any sort of space:species rule? How many species can one have in this small area and not look cluttered and jumbled?

SeahorseWhisperer said:

Hi, guys! I have been dabbling with planted marine tanks for a few years and I am wondering if any of you have tried anything similar? I have had "reef" tanks for years and just trying something new with my refugium.

If you have already discussed this here, could you just link me to a good search word? I really feel good about the basic needs of the tank, but I have found I lack at aquascaping and design. I have searched a bit for pics of your tanks and I am completely awe struck at how gorgeous your tanks and designs are, really breath-taking. But, I have found a few differences in our selection/availability of plants, if you know what I mean? My selections are really out weighed on the red side of the spectrum and I've read that red should be an accent? I wish it could be the other way around!

Click to expand...

I have a planted marine tank, a 40 gallon breeder under t5 with individual reflectors. It's mostly vascular plants, but I do have plenty of macros. I know what you mean about aquascaping, it's difficult with the millions of different shapes, colors, and textures. It's difficult to get a uniform looking Amano inspired nature aquarium with marines, but marine planted tanks have their own styles. For example, rectangular tall tank are popular in FW, but most SW planted tank like shorter, wide, semi-long "lagoon" style tanks (think a 40 gallon breeder tank). They can also be accented with colorful corals of all different textures, makes for a colorful piece of art. IMHO don't try to make your already good looking planted SW tank try to look like a freshwater aquascape, they are too unique to try to copy another style. That's the beauty about planted marine tanks.

AMS, do you find it strange that there are so few people who have planted salt water tanks? We have so many macros to pick from, so many wonderful specimens to play with!

I wish more people would try it, then we might be able to get more vendors helping us aquire new things....

SeahorseWhisperer said:

Ok, now I really need help. This tank is really in need of some creative aquascaping?



Ok, so I have over 30 different species of plant stuff. The tank is only 75 gallons and looks cluttered. I understand art is in the eye of the beholder, but this beholder thinks it looks jumbled and omdesigned. Is there any sort of space:species rule? How many species can one have in this small area and not look cluttered and jumbled?

Click to expand...

Move the Caulerpa to the rear, build upa rock base in the back.
Reds in the rear or about off to 1/3 of the tank, a like diagonals for reds, runnign through the tank etc.
Taller weedier plants in the rear, slow growing higher current plants in the front.

Prune, trim often.

Regards,
Tom Barr

What is upa rock?

SeahorseWhisperer said:

AMS, do you find it strange that there are so few people who have planted salt water tanks? We have so many macros to pick from, so many wonderful specimens to play with!

I wish more people would try it, then we might be able to get more vendors helping us aquire new things....

Click to expand...

I don't find it strange. Most of the people who want a planted marine tank are the FW plant nuts, but they just won't take the time to learn about these unique systems and never actually set one up. Not to mention there are no set in stone rules yet about lighting, substrate, ferts, c02, in planted marines tank, they're just too new to establish such "rules". In a few years I can see people getting into planted marine tanks, but for now don't expect them to be popular.

Don't forget about the seagrass! The bread and butter of the planted marine tank! Although I do have my 5 gallon dwarf seagrass tank with just macros, no grass.

I have found plenty of vendors offering seagrass and macros, just takes a little time and research.

I do want to have another tank for vascular plants. I want this tank to be just algae because I am really tired of people talking like algae is the root of all evil!

I think it is gorgeous!

I do have a mangrove tree, more for novelty than looks. Maybe one day it will have knarly roots and be a great hitching post for my seahorses but for now, it's just a stick!


Thanks again! I really appreciate all of you for helping me.

One of the main reasons I see people not having tanks filled with macro algae, is because they're afraid one day it'll algo go sexual and die. Which commonly happens...
Most people only keep them in reverse light cycle refugiums. I've been trying to expand my macro collection in my 30 g seahorse tank, but there's not that many available around here. I collected some while on a trip in Florida, but my mom crashed the quarantine macro attack tank,and all but a few strands of Caulerpa Prolifera and Caulerpa Mexicana survived . I had huge bunches of gracellaria (spelling?), and grape macros..but they all died off a few hours after they were transferred to a different tank.

I've been trying to find online venders or members selling cheap macros though


BTW, look at my avatar. My cousin took that of my seahorse a few minutes before I bought it from the lfs a few hours away from me. The whole tank had probably 40 pounds of macro in it..was about 40 gallons in size. It was absolutely amazing. They had grape macro and one type of macro I can't remember the name..with only two types it looked neat and well put together. Letting the macro just grow out of hand, then trimming a bit here and there would help out with looks also.

In my experience, sporulation events are related to nutrient levels. I have no idea where the idea to keep macroalgae on RDR pricinples began. In a display tank, it gives many warning signs, so I have never had one "go sexual" in years...

I have found all my species as hitchhikers on corals. Many times , local fish store owners will give them to us, with the promise that we return our harvests? I have collected over 30 species, and I find a few new ones every week. We are lucky to have a lot of fish stores, though.

I determined and posted my findings about Caulerpa going sexual due to low NO3 levels at RC, this is like a desert plant before a long drought, they produce seeds(algae's = spores) which are resistent to environmental changes.

If you maintain good NO3 levels, the plant will not go sexual and melt.
Cheato is a good alternative as it does not respond to low NO3 this way.

So many have switched to this macro rather than the Caulerpa's.

This low NO3 test is repeatable and shows causation, not just correlation as many past speculations have.
High low PO4 did not do this, nor did any trace dosing.
Feeding increased tolerance to melting also, assuming that the food was a source of NH4/NO3.

Moderately stable low NO3 work well for growing macro's.

"upa rock" is a mispelling error, "up a rock"

Macros are very suitable but most view them as filter exportors in marine groups, many of which are all reef folks.

Oddly, the same does not apply to filtration with plants for FW.

The understanding is fairly well laid out for marine plant culture.
I've grown about 50 species now with good success using the information I applied to FW plants but in different situations in marine ecosystems.

They are not = but there are some similarlies.

Unlike many FW folks, I am able to grow many specific species of algae and keep them growing, induce their growth and sporulation.

Temp is a big player in Marine algae also.

I think sporulation can also be attributed to depleted iron. With my large population, I have this happen quite often. But, I do have a few species that warn early. Here is one frond of a Caulerpa species telling me to check out the water: