Calcium from substrate? (limestone & oyster crushed)

[HappyGuppy]

OK stop making me miss my plants. Actually only a little love this side of things and have no money left for plants. With my marine setup and Malawi tank I never have to prune rocks. The planted setups are expensive and time consuming. A great planted tank can take as much even more time to manage then a basic marine tank (sometimes).

I've read many times a FOWLR is just a reef tank in waiting... LOL You like growing things corals are very interesting. You can start with frags and build up. There are low tech coral tanks too like softies and some others.

OMG    You got rid of your plants?  Ok, won't say any more.  I miss my plants too.  I think that I do understand you from what you wrote.  I too found pruning to be quite the chore - fun at first, but then when life gets busy wife *nags* once tanks get "ugly".  I contemplated getting back into gathering plants like before, but decided against it.  I still have quite a few plant varieties, but perhaps just 25% of what I used to have.  Perhaps like you I too have felt  a calling to salt.  I have set up a planted brackish.  Now I'm working on getting the marine setup.  Honestly it is the marine that is currently of my highest interest - and the diversity of macros algae is really exciting me, though it seems much harder to get than plants locally.  Pretty soon I'm sure that I'll be a "macro collector" like I used to do with plants (((begging... anyone have any cool macros???)))  I like what you said, that a FOWLR is just a reef in waiting.  I'd just add the alternative... a macro tank in waiting.  I think that soon I'll have to give corals a try too.  I'm sure that the "bug will bite" once I get some basic frags in a few weeks (my tank is still too young).  Thanks for pointing out the low tech coral tanks (like softies) - I shall research this further.

I am contemplating to convert my brackish tank to marine - just to have a second cool tank.  Once I have enough macros to enjoy I'll probably actually do it.

Well Dan, I hope to one day have some excuse to visit you again to see what kind of setup you now have.  From what I remember of you I'm sure that it will be worth the trip to see.

[dan2x38]

Check out the shaving brush... I want some of this I think it is cool stuff. Whenever I hear of it I go there it is usually sold out. :-( If ya have some that means it should be good for resale and/or trading. It is another good nutrient exporter.