Pearls Of The Antilles... Llj's Planted Marine

[lljdma06]

Ah, I understand. Was noticing that in your Gorgonian thread Interesting, but I'd have to do more reading.

Liz

 

[lljdma06]

The more I read, the more I like the idea of mixing some hardy corals, ricordea mostly, with Caribbean macro algae. I'm reading a few large threads in the big planted tank forums on Marine Planted Tanks, that feature predominantly macro algaes. Very interesting. Would be interesting if my proposed lighting can handle this. I think so.

Liz

 

[lljdma06]

Saw this LED light fixture at the Local big Petstore chain. Anybody have any thoughts? I'm not sure what's the equivalent in T5? I suspect the T5s I have are going to be better, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Would be used with the 2 x 65 CF fixture I already have.

Liz

 

[sorgan]

sadly i am not a good person to ask about lights as i tend to ignore them but soft corals and macro's would be a nice tank to see, sea grasses would look cool to.

 

[lljdma06]

sadly i am not a good person to ask about lights as i tend to ignore them but soft corals and macro's would be a nice tank to see, sea grasses would look cool to.

I've been doing some reading and I think I'll be ok for the soft corals I'm interested in keeping and the macros. The sea grasses may require fert dosing, like a normal planted tank. Some also require CO2 injection.

If others comment on the light and say it's cool, I'll consider getting it as it is LED and I can have a shimmery effect. It also fits very nicely on my hood.

I purchased a new book...

One of Scott's the little "The 101 Best" guides. Saltwater fishes.

I found a few little nano Caribbean fish. That are kind of what I could see myself keeping. Will post the list in a bit. Not a final list, but a list in the book of the Caribbean fishes reputedly ok for my tank.

Liz

 

[sorgan]

maybe you should add a gorg intot he mix





the extra food would help create nuitrents to feed the macro algae....
why havnt i done this before!!! i need to get me some macro to add to my NPS tank

 

[lljdma06]

maybe you should add a gorg intot he mix

If there is a Caribbean species and the care is manageable, I don't see why not?

the extra food would help create nuitrents to feed the macro algae....
why havnt i done this before!!! i need to get me some macro to add to my NPS tank

Because you need a planted person running trying to put plants in everything. It gives you ideas.

The list (a draft)...

Sailfin Blenny - Emblemaria diphydontis
Neon goby - Elacatinus oceanops
Royal Gramma - Gramma loreto
Chalk bass - Serranus tortugarum
Swissguard Basslet - Liopropoma rubre
Yellowhead Jawfish - Opistognathus aurifrons

Obviously not all of these, but based on the guide, I'd like to do more research on these species. The Chalk bass particularly got my attention, as did other fish. Very happy that the tank is 36g and not 20 or 15g.

Liz

 

[sorgan]

the jawfish will need about 6 inches of sand and a very tight hood, lovely fish tho.
the chalk bass would be better in a small shoal aswell, maybe like 3 fish as they are shoalers in the wild.

 

[lljdma06]

the jawfish will need about 6 inches of sand and a very tight hood, lovely fish tho.
the chalk bass would be better in a small shoal aswell, maybe like 3 fish as they are shoalers in the wild.

Yes, this is exactly what the guide said. I'm kind of attracted to the possibility of a single species or at the most two. I love the idea of a shoaling species rather than make it a tank that's just a collection. The Swissguard is suposedly social too, but they are more predatory. A little neon goby may become lunch. The Sailfin blenny has appeal too. Has the look of a more agressive fish or a dragonet, but without the hassle. They all do. This is going to be interesting and HARD! Some cute choices and this is not even a very detailed guide.

The tank is covered, but there are gaps. One also has to take into account their availability in the trade.

From what I read in the Paletta, it's like 1 inch of fish for like 2g, but that's just a guideline... LOLOL, definitely not like chucking a whole load of fish into a planted tank and then enjoy!

 

[dayzofspeed]

its a bit like the rule of thirds used in photography and other things, its a bit too purist for me though seffie, nature doesnt work quite like that. i dont discourage anyone from going down this route but i want a reef not an oil painting
edit* ignore this as i posting without realising there was another page to go

 

[lljdma06]

its a bit like the rule of thirds used in photography and other things, its a bit too purist for me though seffie, nature doesnt work quite like that. i dont discourage anyone from going down this route but i want a reef not an oil painting
edit* ignore this as i posting without realising there was another page to go

Nope, not going to ignore... A link for you.

http/science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/evolution/fibonacci-nature1.htm

Evidently, nature does indeed work like that. This is all in fun, though. I usually tell my planted people just off center and it creates the same effect.

Liz

 

[dayzofspeed]

lol yep just off centre works for me, but i reckon if i jumped into a coral reef in sharm el sheikh the formation is going to be a bit more random although the rule of thirds may be evident on the fish or the photographs i take for example. i just dumped all my rock into my tank and it looks ok but we all know i just wont be able to avoid messing with it

 

[lewiss]

Hello Liz!

Interesting read so far! Funny enough my folks have a swissguard - i gotta say, it doesnt come out much! He has a cave area and he hides in it. He only comes out to defend or eat. I've read that they are normally collected from deep reefs and therefore they dislike the lighting in an aquarium, they therefore stay hidden in the darkness of the rock and become active at night. Just something to bear in mind! They are lovely though. I've heard the lighter, more colourful ones are gathered from shallower reefs. They are very rare to see in the UK though Hows the availabilty in the states? they can eat small crustations too (sometimes shrimps)

Glad your thinking of a gorgonian! you should check out the gorg thread, full of some lovely gorgs!
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/363343-coral-of-the-week-gorgonians/

The neon goby is a very cool fish to get! They are very good parasite removers, but they are very small!! Mine got eaten!

I'm not great with lighting but at the same time i'll throw my two pence in! My understanding is T5's is very good lighting, dependant on quantity you can keep soft corals, LPS, and some anemones (4+ T5's for anemones), some SPS also. LED lighting is lower lighting, but is somewhere in between T8 and T5. Soft corals and some LPS are happy under LED. I understand that LED has shorter growth rates though. I read an article about LED's in comparison to T5's quite some time ago but that was my understanding.

I may be wrong, hopefully someone will correct me if i am! But thats what i remember off the top of my head. They are much more cost effective though, and easier to control!

PS. Sorry for the poor grammer and spelling - i would edit but i'm tired!!

 

[sorgan]

if your intressted in gorgs i can (try) to knock up a list of carribian gorgs for you.

 

[lljdma06]

Hello Liz!

Interesting read so far! Funny enough my folks have a swissguard - i gotta say, it doesnt come out much! He has a cave area and he hides in it. He only comes out to defend or eat. I've read that they are normally collected from deep reefs and therefore they dislike the lighting in an aquarium, they therefore stay hidden in the darkness of the rock and become active at night. Just something to bear in mind! They are lovely though. I've heard the lighter, more colourful ones are gathered from shallower reefs. They are very rare to see in the UK though Hows the availabilty in the states? they can eat small crustations too (sometimes shrimps)

I did not see one in any of the stores I went to today. I went to 4 stores to check their supplies and the condition of their stock. In case I have an emergency and need equipment in a pinch. I think I saw most of the other fish, though. I really like the look of the Royal Gramma and the Chalk bass. The neon gobies are cute to. Definitely a smart idea to read about the fish before I went.

The neon goby is a very cool fish to get! They are very good parasite removers, but they are very small!! Mine got eaten!

My concern is that the Swissguard, being more predatory, will eat a goby. I got mixed views on the Chalk bass when I asked about them. I guess chalk bass aren't especially popular since I got a couple funny looks when I mentioned them. Like "why would you want those?" or "why not something more colorful like these damsels" A couple people got it, though, and actually liked me favoring the chalk bass. I was told to get the goby first, and get a larger one. Then get the gramma and get a small one, and then if I get chalk bass; a small group of very small individuals. Then the chances of the goby being eaten are lessened. Otherwise, the serious LFS workers actually liked what I was considering. I still got funny looks when I mentioned macro algae in the main tank. They are very "coral" oriented in Miami.

Glad your thinking of a gorgonian! you should check out the gorg thread, full of some lovely gorgs!
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/363343-coral-of-the-week-gorgonians/

if your intressted in gorgs i can (try) to knock up a list of carribian gorgs for you.

Thanks guys! I'll have a look at the thread & I got some books today.

Purchased this in one of the LFS.

This arrived from Amazon.

I want to have a look at the gorgs in the books and their care first.

I'm not great with lighting but at the same time i'll throw my two pence in! My understanding is T5's is very good lighting, dependant on quantity you can keep soft corals, LPS, and some anemones (4+ T5's for anemones), some SPS also. LED lighting is lower lighting, but is somewhere in between T8 and T5. Soft corals and some LPS are happy under LED. I understand that LED has shorter growth rates though. I read an article about LED's in comparison to T5's quite some time ago but that was my understanding.

LOL, I'm so used to not using a lot of light. I found these bulbs today for pretty cheap.

So, I've abandoned the LED idea. Whatever, I'll get clip on moonlights or something like that. So this is what I've got. 2x65 CF fixture with cooling fans with a 10k and an Actinic and a 2x14 NOT5 fixture with a 10k and an actinic. And actually, that's all that's going to fit on the hood! I hooked up the lights and plugged them in to see. Excuse the state of "Endor". I removed the rest of the plants today and still have to clean the tank, but you get the idea. Lots of light. Yellowish tinge is the tannins in the wood.

If anybody here still does WPG, it's like 4.4WPG, which isn't half bad, I think. Especially for lighting that was just put together and converted from various Freshwater setups. The whole lighting upgrade for this SW system was $20. Not bad. I think I can grow more than what I think I can. I don't know, what do you guys think? Am I low-light, moderately lit, or brightly lit? The literature I've been reading says 3-5wpg. WPG stinks, I know, but it's still a good general guideline if you just want a ballpark figure. I don't want an anemone. I'm just not interested in one.

I'm still expecting one more book tomorrow from Amazon. The mini-reef guide.

Thanks for your imput & your enthusiasm for my little project here.

Liz