Shaving Brush Plants

[dakar]

We picked up 5 shaving Brush plants a couple months ago, they are cool loking and we got a good deal on them, figure if they'd help reduce some nitrates and phospates than all the more power to them. They've been in the display tank all this time and actually doing well, one has even thrown two new shoots that are growing well (actually expect them to look like something more than green sticks in short order).

Out of curiosity I moved one down to medium/high flow are in the refuge just to see how it reacts to different lighting and photoperiods. It was actually unplanted by the Clarkii's doing their digging thing.

So far the Yellow tang hasn't touched them, though oddly she likes to nibble on the halimeda occasionally. They are a strange critter anyhows.

Anyone else keeping these guys in their reef or fuge?

[Reptoreef]

I tried them once, but they pretty much just disappeared.

[Brad524]

picked up a brush and sea fan the otherday
will let ya know

[dakar]

Brad you keep the brush in te display or fuge?

[EQCM2B]

I am also interested in the shaving brush plants. How did they fair in the display?

[Reef_Angel]

The plants did ok, but they didn't stay near as pretty as you see in pictures. In fact, I took them all back out of the main tank, and sent them to the refuge. As they grow, they tend to get stringy on top, so you plan on keeping them groomed. With a 180G tank, that meant taking them out of the tank to keep them cut back to maintain they're original beauty. The tips also got brown as they grew shaggy. The needles would tend to die off and eventually break away, leaving a needle mess in the bottom of the tank. The needles (like a white pine tree needle) break down eventually, but if you're fussy about the aesthetic look of your tank, you'll be rolling up your sleeves to remove the needles from all over the bottom of the tank. As reefers, we all know that we shouldn't have our hands in the tank digging around & disturbing things, but I found myself grooming & cleaning them up often.
On the positive side, Brush plants are quite pretty and give your tank a nice touch if you can keep them groomed. Maybe I didn't give ours enough of a chance, but IMO I think I was reasonable because I am terribly fussy about how the reef presents itself. They would be a good plant for a plant only that you like to fuss over & "garden". I don't like anything to appear brown or dead looking in any of our tanks, so I'd still be fussing with them to keep the Brush Plant's appearance shown in advertisements. I can always go in the refuge, dig one out and try again...maybe I will! I'd be interested to see how other's feel about the Brush Plant, so please don't rely on just my opinion! Maybe in a 10G-30G tank would be much easier to work with, but with our tank, they proved to be quite a project as they grew.
One last thing...we have a 180G tank so it was a bit of a messy, wet undertaking for me. I also have to take in to account that when I groomed them, I was pulling them out of the sand and disturbing their root system. This could have been a great part of my problem. Also remember that this was "my" experience with them. Without trying them again, this is all I can tell you. Good Luck if you try them! .....Angel

[EQCM2B]

Thanks for the information. I am pretty fussy about the way things look also. My tank is pretty deep so it would be a pain to trim and clean up. I think I'll look around some more.

thanks

[carpenterwrasse]

I have read that they "work" best in ref. since they are more of a shallow water plant that like more light than what a deeper display tank is. Its great that your has grown