Shaving Brush Algae

[fishfreek]

5 Shaving Brush plants

I am curious as to what these are. I have not heard of these before.

Most livestock is shipped overnight so your order since it was placed in the evening was shipped the following day for next day delivery.

When you get your order please put a post in the General Retilers area describing your order experence so other members can benifit from your experence.

I look forward to photos....

Expecially of those Brush plants.

 

[donkeykong]

Me to, I am interested in these shaving brushes for myself. I have seen something similiar but the LFS said it is maidens hair

 

[Hara]

Shaving Brush Plant pics

someday, I may learn how to take good pictures, until then.......

I like the looks of this plant, very full, looks like a miniature tree. I did notice that my big Hermit Crab thought that climbing the stalk was great fun. I am sure he was just cleaning it, but am also not sure if this will become problematic.

 

[CaliGal]

Hara,

If you are willing, would you post an update telling how your Shaving Brushes are doing. I added several to my tank some time ago and all too soon had to remove them because they were coming apart and making a general mess in the tank. I am not able to say why they did not hold up in my tank, unfortunately. They were under NO lighting.... very possibly the reason for my less than satisfactory experience with them.

Sue

 

[Hara]

actually, I am having the same experience right now as you did. I have written the people that I had gotten them from, asking them about it. I know, that as a general rule, plants get stressed out the same way that fish do. I am hoping that this is just a temporary setback.

I know that when I opened the bag that they were in, the odor that was in there was absolutely vile. I rinsed the plants off before putting them in the tank so maybe that added to the problem.

I will let you know what they tell me.

 

[fishfreek]

when you say you rinsed them off. You used saltwater or fresh?

 

[Hara]

erm...fresh?

 

[Anemoneman]

erm...fresh?

oops!


p.s. I split this topic off with a new subject.
Mark

 

[reefrunner69]

Moved back into the S/W general forum. Mark, when you split a topic it defaults to send it to the lounge.

 

[reefrunner69]

Not really an algae kind of guy, but wouldn't it be wise to wash in F/W, I know alot of F/W plants are rinsed in S/W to remove unwanted critters...Course in S/W we usually want the critters associated with macro algae, just curious as to why it is a problem.

 

[CaliGal]

Hara,

Indeed, I am remembering as you mention it the horrendous odor when I opened the package with shaving brushes!

Possibly you did nothing wrong rinsing with f/w. I will look forward to reading your findings.

Sue

 

[Anemoneman]

My gut was the FW would harm the cell structure due to osmotic shock. I am probably full of baloney on this but I thought that macro alage, for the most part, was kind of delicate. I hadn't heard of a SW dip for terrestrial or FW plants so I guess I plead ignorance here. Isn't algae substantially different from "normal" plants?

more questions than answers...

Mark

 

[reefrunner69]

Hey Mark, you may have a point, the marco algae may have a much different kinda cell structure than a terrestrial plant. Have to wait on some botany guru to give us the scoop

 

[Hara]

I had asked the place I bought them from about the shedding and how they will propogate. They said that the shedding is quite normal for a month or so, then new growth will kick in. Also, they will send out runners under the sand to start the new stalks. I am not looking forward to a bunch of flotsam in the tank, but have decided to stick it out as so much other stuff is going on in there anyway, it will be awhile before it is settled.

I am hoping to get 40 lbs more of LR before the middle of next week.

There is another reason for the shedding, this one is more of a problem. The crabs seem to be having a field day with it. This photo was taken just as the big crab let go of about 1/4 of the bush. You can see the little blue leg having a good time

 

[Anemoneman]

Is that pink coralline growing on that chunk of marble? That was fast. Looks like your tank is off to a running start. Good job.

Mark

 

[CaliGal]

Hara,

That's a hum dinger of a 'little' crab there. Looks huge in the picture. Also looks very healthy!

Thanks for sharing more about the Shaving Brushes. Interesting. I tossed mine, and I guess I should not have, I needed to wait for those runners you mentioned. Look forward to an update down the pike. I hope it does wonderfully for you. (BTW, did you inquire about the horrid stench, opening the sending bag? YUCK!)

Good success.

Sue

 

[enjoyfish]

I put 7 shaving brush in my tank 6 weeks ago , and they looked great , but two weeks ago they started to fall apart . all but 2 . the 2 that are in good shape i put in crushed coral , the rest in sand . Saltwaterfish.com said to put them in sand , Buy the way saltwaterfish.com is exceptional . So i moved 2 more over to the coral , ill let you know how that works out

 

[Hara]

I got mine from saltwaterfish.com as well, unfortunately, all the crabs, not just the big one, would climb them and pluck them. They did not last very long. It was very unfortunate, as they were very attractive, but each variety of crab would climb the stalk and methodically pluck them bald.
It was rather sad.

 

[Toomanyfish]

Things I've learned about shaving brushes....they do not like strong current. Snails and crabs are a problem for them as they eat the crown or damage the stems. If the stems are (severly) bent, crimped or broken you can cut them below the damaged area, and the plant will come back. If they like their conditions, they will reproduce rapidly. Of the 5 brushes I added to my tank a couple of weeks ago, I now have 15 of them popping up. I have mine under 20watts of NO light (50/50), this is in a 5g BTW. I like this macro algae alot, but I wouldn't keep it in a typical reef tank.....