my shrimp ate my macros!
- Thread starter trigger40
- Start date
seecrabrun
Active Member
My hermit loves to munch on gracilaria, so I'm not surprised. I would be if he ate it all overnight though haha
flower
Well-Known Member
What type of macro? Are you sure? Shrimps are basically meat eaters, they may dig around in the macros, feeding on the little critters that live in it, but not actually feed on them...sometimes we THINK we see a critter doing something and assume that's the cause. Macros break down and disappear if they don't have enough to feed on (phosphates, nitrates and even iron) If your tank is too clean, the macros can't survive.
Bryce E
Active Member
Never seen or heard of a shrimp doing that. But I have had huge portions of macro algae disintegrate over night before. Are there any clear pieces in the tank or on the tips of the macro? If it is being eaten and you would like to prevent that then keep your macro in a refugium. This will also allow you to light it 24/7 if you want to help with it's growth as well as keep the PH of your tank stable through the night.
trigger40
Well-Known Member
the macros were caulerpa mexicana. flower i think your right. the macros werent doings so well and i gess when the shrimp went into the macros to eat pods i gess, it shredded the macros. but why do you think they wherent doing well. also my kenya trees arent doing so well. do you think there is not enough nutrients in my water?
flower
Well-Known Member
The only way to find out is to test your water and see. Kenya tree and Xenia like a little "dirt"...that's why they are called beginners coral, they do well in tanks where the parameters are unbalanced, and have nitrates. My guess is that your tank is healthy and well kept. The dirtier the tank, the healthier the macros.
pegasus
Well-Known Member
I've never had long-term success with caulerpa Mexicana. I've had it to flourish to the point that I was having to remove handfuls of it from my refugium, only to wither away to nothing in a matter of days. I've tried to grow it on several occasions, always with the same end result. I think it does well as long as there's an abundant food source, ie: nitrate, but once the level drops, it dies off. I have tried several varieties of macros, and the only one I have long-term success with is chaeto. I have a 30 gallon tub of saltwater from a water change, and the chaeto I harvest gets thrown into this tub (I hate to throw it away). I now have about half a tub of chaeto. It doesn't seem to mind that it's not lit up, nor has a fresh source of nutrients. It just sits there all green and pretty. It's the hardiest of all macros in my opinion...
Bryce E
Active Member
Well the macros are going to need nitrates to feed on but strong lighting and good flow is key because there's usually always going to be enough nitrates and nutrients no matter how clean you try to keep your water. Kenya trees will do well under a variety of water conditions and mine is doing very well at the moment but it only likes a certain spot in the tank with the right amount of flow. Once I found that spot it became happy. The disintegration of the macros is going to create an increase in your nitrates because it is organic material that is being broken down and digested in the system so I'd say just do a water change after your recent loss of the macros and try to find a spot in the tank with medium light and medium flow for the Kenya tree. And of course check your ph and other parameters. Do you supplement iodine in your tank?
trigger40
Well-Known Member
i just checkedcthe water and the water is perfect
salinity, 32ppt
ph, 8.1
ammonia, 0
nitrite,0
nitrate,0
but about the time the macros started going down hill diatomscstarted to apear on my sand bed. perhaps they out competed the macros? i want to continue with the same water peremeters so the diatoms die off. but then that leaves my kenya tree un happy. any ideas on how to get rid of the diatoms? i woud try cheato but a emerald crab hitchhiked on a coral and ate all my chaeto then the diatoms showed up. so do you guys think an in tank refugium will do the trick?
salinity, 32ppt
ph, 8.1
ammonia, 0
nitrite,0
nitrate,0
but about the time the macros started going down hill diatomscstarted to apear on my sand bed. perhaps they out competed the macros? i want to continue with the same water peremeters so the diatoms die off. but then that leaves my kenya tree un happy. any ideas on how to get rid of the diatoms? i woud try cheato but a emerald crab hitchhiked on a coral and ate all my chaeto then the diatoms showed up. so do you guys think an in tank refugium will do the trick?
Bryce E
Active Member
Well if you have 0 nitrates then that's probably why the macros went bye bye. That's their food source. How long has the tank been set up? Typically the diatoms are going to be present in a new set up. Unless you've changed too much of your water and (too greatly) reduced your beneficial bacteria population and created a re-cycling so to speak.
Bryce E
Active Member
The diatoms take care of themselves. Trying to clean it out or remove it from your rocks and sand bed is a waste of time. The diatoms will usually go away within a couple of weeks once they run out of food. I would say to wait on the macros for a while. Most people use macros to remove nitrates and phosphates from their system but currently you don't have any.
flower
Well-Known Member
My 90g is over a year old too, set up now as a cold water seahorse tank. My macros started to take a dive as well... Beaslebob said they need iron, so I got an iron test and sure enough, not a trace.
He instructed me to get iron vitamin pills from the pharmacy, and dissolve one capsule in a 16oz water bottle and add one cap full to the tank. I only added one dose, and waited. The macros perked right up within a few days. Now when they look bad, I test for iron, and if I don't see a trace, I add a cap full of my magic mixture (after I shake it up) and it's good for a month or so.
He instructed me to get iron vitamin pills from the pharmacy, and dissolve one capsule in a 16oz water bottle and add one cap full to the tank. I only added one dose, and waited. The macros perked right up within a few days. Now when they look bad, I test for iron, and if I don't see a trace, I add a cap full of my magic mixture (after I shake it up) and it's good for a month or so.
trigger40
Well-Known Member
where do i buy an iron test kit?
flower
Well-Known Member
I purchased mine on-line...SeaChem brand from Marindepot.com $13.49 on sale right now, but it is usually around $20.00