Crazy idea of the day: adding a whole lot of macro algae to my tank, making it a "planted" reef.
• Motivator 1: I miss having a planted tank.
• Motivator 2: Algae would make the tank more diverse.
• Motivator 3: Having a unique tank look.
• Motivator 4: Potentially would take up some nutrients.
I also like the look of Halodule beaudettei, which is more like freshwater hairgrass. Combined with turtle grass, you can get an interesting meadow effect, an often sought after look for freshwater planted tanks. If I could get this to grow thick enough, it would be a really interesting effect with the live rock rising out of it.
Live Aquaria has a good selection of marine algae, but they are often out of stock. I found a small company, Gulf Coast Ecosystems, that specializes in tropical algae collection and aquaculture. I'm going to do some more research right now, but think this may be an interesting change for the tank. The only (major) downside I can think of is that these plants are native to the Caribbean, and the majority of my stock is from the South Pacific. Though I've never intended to create a strict biotope, it would be more of an unusual species mix than I've generally preferred to make.
• Motivator 1: I miss having a planted tank.
• Motivator 2: Algae would make the tank more diverse.
• Motivator 3: Having a unique tank look.
• Motivator 4: Potentially would take up some nutrients.
The real thought process trigger was this recent post on the Glass Box, with a video of a Japanese tank. The sand bed is planted with turtle grass,
Thalassia testudinum.I also like the look of Halodule beaudettei, which is more like freshwater hairgrass. Combined with turtle grass, you can get an interesting meadow effect, an often sought after look for freshwater planted tanks. If I could get this to grow thick enough, it would be a really interesting effect with the live rock rising out of it.
Live Aquaria has a good selection of marine algae, but they are often out of stock. I found a small company, Gulf Coast Ecosystems, that specializes in tropical algae collection and aquaculture. I'm going to do some more research right now, but think this may be an interesting change for the tank. The only (major) downside I can think of is that these plants are native to the Caribbean, and the majority of my stock is from the South Pacific. Though I've never intended to create a strict biotope, it would be more of an unusual species mix than I've generally preferred to make.
Labels: Algae, Aquascape, Planted Aquarium, Reef Aquarium
