Plant life on the reef in Tonga

[Anonymous]

righty has requested I post in this thread:

My original thoughts.


Seems to me that your pictures are of something with few corals a few miles away from something with lotsa corals.

Given a relatively unlimited supply of nice cleaned proper water then I make these observations.

In one case the environment favored the uglies.

And in the other the environment favored the corals.

So what is lesson for our tanks?

Well we could provide the correct water and do daily 100% water changes. That should provide the correct conditions for the corals.

As along as we know exactly what is required. And can insure that all toxins including fish wastes never enter the system. so no fish, we strip everything out of the water and add the good stuff back.

Or we do weekly water changes and insure there is never anything added to the system in normal operation. And absolutley no livestock other than the corals.


Or we can duplicate what you observed on a smaller scale. Have a section for the corals and a section for other nontoxic plant life. Add fish to feed the corals and plant life. And allow the other plant life to become established and condition the water to ocean values. that way the corals have the environment they need. As do the other plant life and the fish.

Just as you observed and photographed in the ocean.

and just as locals and others have experienced.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks! I am pretty happy with them for a new camera that wasn't mine, not great vis, cloudy skies and a chain as a weight belt!

I've done that spearfishing.

 

[Anonymous]

And that healthy reef scene is positively yummy.

 

[Anonymous]

righty has requested I post in this thread:

My original thoughts.


Seems to me that your pictures are of something with few corals a few miles away from something with lotsa corals.

Given a relatively unlimited supply of nice cleaned proper water then I make these observations.

In one case the environment favored the uglies.

And in the other the environment favored the corals.

So what is lesson for our tanks?

Well we could provide the correct water and do daily 100% water changes. That should provide the correct conditions for the corals.

As along as we know exactly what is required. And can insure that all toxins including fish wastes never enter the system. so no fish, we strip everything out of the water and add the good stuff back.

Or we do weekly water changes and insure there is never anything added to the system in normal operation. And absolutley no livestock other than the corals.


Or we can duplicate what you observed on a smaller scale. Have a section for the corals and a section for other nontoxic plant life. Add fish to feed the corals and plant life. And allow the other plant life to become established and condition the water to ocean values. that way the corals have the environment they need. As do the other plant life and the fish.

Just as you observed and photographed in the ocean.

and just as locals and others have experienced.

I was hoping that the photographs would help you understand what we have been talking about in the last months - but alas.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks! I am pretty happy with them for a new camera that wasn't mine, not great vis, cloudy skies and a chain as a weight belt!

I've done that spearfishing.

It wouldn't have been so bad if I wasn't in a dry suit!

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks! I am pretty happy with them for a new camera that wasn't mine, not great vis, cloudy skies and a chain as a weight belt!

I've done that spearfishing.

It wouldn't have been so bad if I wasn't in a dry suit!

Dry suit?!?

We also used to "anchor chase;" jump over the side with (usually) a small danforth anchor and chain in hand and ride it down. I got to the point where my Eustachian tubes were so loose I barely had to put any effort into equalizing.

 

[Anonymous]

righty has requested I post in this thread:

My original thoughts.


Seems to me that your pictures are of something with few corals a few miles away from something with lotsa corals.

Given a relatively unlimited supply of nice cleaned proper water then I make these observations.

In one case the environment favored the uglies.

And in the other the environment favored the corals.

So what is lesson for our tanks?

Well we could provide the correct water and do daily 100% water changes. That should provide the correct conditions for the corals.

As along as we know exactly what is required. And can insure that all toxins including fish wastes never enter the system. so no fish, we strip everything out of the water and add the good stuff back.

Or we do weekly water changes and insure there is never anything added to the system in normal operation. And absolutley no livestock other than the corals.


Or we can duplicate what you observed on a smaller scale. Have a section for the corals and a section for other nontoxic plant life. Add fish to feed the corals and plant life. And allow the other plant life to become established and condition the water to ocean values. that way the corals have the environment they need. As do the other plant life and the fish.

Just as you observed and photographed in the ocean.

and just as locals and others have experienced.

I was hoping that the photographs would help you understand what we have been talking about in the last months - but alas.

I'm not even sure how to respond to bob's post without feeling it to be futile.

The refugium (eutrophic) part of the reef is not part of a healthy reef system. I don't know the circumstances of that particular reef area's eutrophication, but it usually occurs when export can no longer match import.

The eutrophic part has nothing to do with the healthy part on Righty's reef, one does not exist to crucially support, assist, or exchange with the other. There is zero reason to have them together in captivity. And that's not even scratching the surface.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks! I am pretty happy with them for a new camera that wasn't mine, not great vis, cloudy skies and a chain as a weight belt!

I've done that spearfishing.

It wouldn't have been so bad if I wasn't in a dry suit!

Dry suit?!?

I was told the water temp was 70. It wasn't.

We also used to "anchor chase;" jump over the side with (usually) a small danforth anchor and chain in hand and ride it down. I got to the point where my Eustachian tubes were so loose I barely had to put any effort into equalizing.

Sounds like fun!

 

[Kalkbreath]

What was the temp?

 

[Anonymous]

What was the temp?

ditto?? What was the temp by the corals?

 

[Anonymous]

76. For Tonga that is cold, but it was winter there. They were tweaked when I told them I dove in 50 degree water.