The official macro algae eye candy thread

Sipec · May 2, 2018

Anyone have any algae to show off? Lets see it!
#macromasters

11f150 · May 2, 2018

@lakereef here is your time to shine

lakereef · May 2, 2018

Yes! Macros are awesome! Here’s some pictures of my sunlit refugium. Algae grows so much faster than coral it’s a constantly changing underwater garden. Perfect place for all those cool little invertebrates that would get lost in a larger aquarium. And many times I have to turn off my skimmer it’s so efficient at lowering nutrients.

Dancingmad · May 2, 2018

When I first started in the hobby I was always into the macro algeas - started with Halimeda. I wouldn't call any of these pictures "eye candy" though. Sharin' for smiles! Here is a picture when I first got one, the second to show some nice growth, and the last when the macro was acting as a nursery for baby cardinals. Using the halimeda I'd usually get 1-2 to survive to adulthood each brood with no effort.

Last is a pic from my macro-tank experiment (not to be a DT, but rather looking for alternative food sources for my critters). Behold - the wall of Ulva.

YellowFinsReef · May 3, 2018

lakereef said:
Yes! Macros are awesome! Here’s some pictures of my sunlit refugium. Algae grows so much faster than coral it’s a constantly changing underwater garden. Perfect place for all those cool little invertebrates that would get lost in a larger aquarium. And many times I have to turn off my skimmer it’s so efficient at lowering nutrients.

Are those Tuna blue kessils? And what settings are they on?

lakereef · May 3, 2018

[QUOTE="YellowFinsReef, Are those Tuna blue kessils? And what settings are they on?[/QUOTE]

Yes A360WE. They run on a controller, 8 hours a day. I’d have to double check how intense but think they max out about 50%. It’s a pretty shallow tank and it gets a lot of sunlight so it’s easy to bleach some random
soft coral I have in there. I have a clam so I try to keep plenty intense for that. I’d prefer any other light (halide/T5) honestly but this works best for the application not blocking the top down viewing and sunlit from the window.

SuncrestReef · May 3, 2018

I think the structure of chaeto is fascinating when viewed under magnification.

Genomecop · May 4, 2018

@lakereef Great tank. Do you know the name of the purple one you have?

lakereef · May 4, 2018

Genomecop said:
@lakereef Great tank. Do you know the name of the purple one you have?

Thanks! I think it's a type of gracilaria.

Sipec · May 15, 2018

Can someone sticky this? #dbl #mdbanister

Daniel@R2R · May 16, 2018

SuncrestReef said:
I think the structure of chaeto is fascinating when viewed under magnification.

Love this pic!!

Joey123 said:
Can someone sticky this? #dbl #mdbanister

Done!

vikinglord13 · May 24, 2018

This is exciting, we might as well see some display refugiums too!

Jeremy K.A. · Jun 10, 2018

I Dig this thread. Gonna have to try some Macros in my 10 gallon reef lobster tank

Joe Grubbs · Jul 13, 2018

Not so much of a display refug,

Chato on the right, long leaf with roots (don't know it's name), on the left growing on top of a DSB.

Love the purple of the Kessel grow light.

Subsea · Jul 25, 2018

@lakereef
Nice macro display. I lean toward mixed garden macro lagoon. As has been mentioned a macro lagoon is a nursery/estuary/refugium in the same display. Your red grapes are looking good, as is your blue algae. Oddly enough, it is grouped with red macro.

https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookochtodes.htm

https://www.live-plants.com/hypnea.htm

Subsea · Jul 25, 2018

First picture is 25 year old 75G Jaubert Plenum.

Second picture is my 7 month 120G new build.

Third picture are two 55G macro growout tanks.

Fourth picture is 55G macro tumble culture.