Planted Marine Tank?

[AMS]

But, I do have a few species that warn early.

Exactly. Most people are turned off about planted marine tank because the macro can go sexual. This can be easily avoided just by looking at them, if they look funny or turn a different color chances are that they are about to go sexual.

 

[plantbrain]

Macros are sensitive to:

Temp changes
NO3, use a very good test kit here and calibrate them as well as other test kits
I've found little correlation with traces and Fe, although there's some, they are traces after all.
KH and Ca, many macros are made up mainly of CaCO3.

Ca/KH and NO3 (too low) have been the main causes for melting IME and testing.

Water changes and KNO3 or Ca(NO3)2 dosing address this or Kalk additions/reactor etc.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[SeahorseWhisperer]

This can be easily avoided just by looking at them, if they look funny or turn a different color chances are that they are about to go sexual.

At that point, it is easily corrected by additions of NO or, for me FE. Plus, I have some that slow their growth for a few weeks before they have issues, so since I have knowing what to look for, I have been able to ward off evil spirits.

Tom, many because I have so many others comsumers in my sytem, I have issues with iron. I really need to add alot, so much that I converted to the dry powder form instead of Kents expensive liguid. I need to add every few days, and it is consumed quickly.

I have never had issues with temp, because I have around 250 gallons plumbed together in a Utah basement, so the temp changes very gradually. I also have many sps so I watch my Ca+?alk very closely and make regular additions.

In my experience, sporulation events are very predictable and easily prevented. I think that would not be a good reason to not try to have a planted marine tank. It is actually much easier than a reef tank, if you know what to watch for, plus they are much prettier!

 

[plantbrain]

Well, I would not say it's easier than reef tank. It's more forgiving is many respects.
but the reef tank will run better with a little bit more NO3 and PO4 leached from the plants as well as organic carbon for the bacteria to grow better.

I have some slower growing reef tanks, lower tech etc, they do excellent and look good as well.

A rug of Caulerpa is not particularly hard to grow and can look very nice also, but it needs more tending than many reef tanks. Some folks cannot do the reef thing well. Those will have issues with marine plants also.

The problems I've had doing marine planted tanks is having the right algae in the right spot.
This takes work and pruning. Many of the species I like are hard reds and soft hard substrate algae.

You cannot replant these, only trim what's there, some of the seagrasses also fall into that group.
That makes things much more challeneging than the plant like soft sediment macros.

Regards,
Tom Barr