Just posting up some eye candy, I've been really getting into macro algae lately and am starting to build up a nice collection

I've decided that I'm going to go with a 100% macro algae and sponge pico tank once I can get one made, no corals or anything else aside from some clown gobies. The base on this one's a nice sky bluish color that just doesn't photograph well for some reason.







And then here's the mother colony for my blue macro

cool stuff man....nice to see the branching off from corals!

the last one looks really nice. also like the mantle of a crocea clam.

those are cool as hell! very nice man!

Is the blue stuff a fast grower? I want...frag...piece haha

Very nice. I like the blue one a lot.

I have a cool blue macro, really tiny one with lobed 'leaves'... how could I propagate it without destroying it?

Great colors! If you don't already, get some halymenia. It has an insane red fluorescence under blue lighting.

Where can I find that one?




What's been working for me is to put a bunch of little rocks around it, and the algae spreads onto there. I've seen some fragged and glued down though, dunno how it held up but seems like a good thing to try.

WOW

What kind of light will you use over the tank?
I'm working on a 29g Display Refugium, and I currently have a 2x24w T5HO fixture to use over it.
I've got an ATI Blue+ bulb, and a GE 6500 bulb to use in the fixture.

I was thinking of just doing a pico with a coralife mini over it, think that'll be enough to grow the algae? Right now the blue one loves the 20k halide I've got it hidden under, weird...

It will depend on the macroalgae, they each have different light requirements, just like corals.
And just as with corals, you will have to experiment with how high you place them in the tank, or whether to place them in shade.
For example, if they start to fade, place them lower or shade them a bit.
I have some Red Grape Kelp that was under 4x39w T5HO in a 30g tank and it started to fade.
Now that I have it under PC, it's coloring up again.
There's actually a small group of us on here now that are in the process of setting up Display Refugiums, it would be really cool if we could all get some Macroalgae Resources and Info going.
I had one person point me in the direction of MarinePlantedTanks.com.
You should also check out this thread on a really cool SW Planted Tank:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...mp;pagenumber=1

that stuff is siiiiiiiiick

Hey Miggy, do you want any halimeda, I have some, even my tuxedo urchin scooped up some to throw on it's back, lol! It's a BRIGHT nuclear/neon green by day, and the leaves are very calcious so it'll only thrive in calcium rich tanks. Those blue macros are off the chain though!! If you can name it, I'd name the bright blue one "crocea mantle algae..."

Ok soooo.....

Nice post!!! I am very excited about your macro. Called 3 lfs and everyone was no interested in helping me find some of this. Where do I find some? I am in LA what LFs o you go to?

Thanks

PS already got some cheato and mangroves



I would like some too please!!!! If you are serious let me know!!!

everyone likes the blue one personally i enjoy the speckled "montipora" scrolling algae! nice stuff

I don't go to any LFS, I work as a rep at a wholesaler and get to check hundreds and hundreds of corals every day for cool hitchhikers when it's slow As far as I know no LFS carry or are interested in carrying macro algae aside from the bubbly red stuff, which is exactly why I want to go with a planted and sponge tank. I get to cherry pick so many insane corals every week that they're just not really doing it for me right now...

So far I'm averaging one cool macro a month, so about .001% of corals have one on there... Next is cool sponges and tunicates!




Me too, the texture on that one's just insane! The blue one's cool too though, really does look just like a crocea mantle and grows nicely.

WOW thats a CRAZY macro. too bad all the wholesalers up here suckkkk LOL theyre dirty too. not like the ones down in LA.

WEll I would do that job for free if you need an intern on the weekends let me know!!! Also I will pay you some serious $$$$$$$$$$$$ for the smallest sliver from those guys. I am literally dolling on my desk. If in the near future please let me know. ( I work in television currently and hate it but gots me some money)

PS: you are the F$%@# man

So cool.

Most of the stores in LA are a F@$%@ joke : ( Before I got my associates of arts nano-reef marine science degree those _____ _________ would sell me anything to make a quick buck. I bought so much stuff 9 out of 10 times it would be wrong fish, equipment, disease treatment, food, ect...I think you get the point. I think I will make a post about it. I am sure their are legit stores out there I only know of one in la. It's called vivid

i wana set up a trade!!!

Hey are you trying macro block me take a F@&*#ing number

very neat...

Hate to break it to ya', but he's got some close aquaintances that have dibs from a few months back when he first aquired these pieces. Just sayin'! With that, I doubt he'll be fragging off any of it anytime soon if I know him as well as I do, lol!

Yeah, unfortunately not interested in selling any macro since I don't have much and really don't want to put a price tag on things that were free, but if anyone has some sick captive raised (and I mean insane) macro or sponges I'd be up for a trade down the line after it grows out. If it's not jaw-dropping macro though please hold off, I'm veeeeeeeery picky, especially when it's going into a tiny tank

It sounds like fun, but picture this at least once a week scenario. You get in at 7:30am so that locals don't take the corals that you've got set aside for out of state shops in your personal "these corals are set aside and not for you" section. You work all day and then incoming shipments get delayed by customs, so now it's 6pm and you're just starting to unpack 60-95 boxes. You get to cherry pick some great corals for shops the next day and get home by 9-10pm, but then you have to wake up to be there at 7:30am so the locals don't take your stuff before you can ship it out. The worst is when sometimes the shops want all hammer corals and none of the great cherry picks so you get stuck with them for a few more days until they move or until you have to give them up. Don't worry though, because inevitably when you're at lunch, browsing for cool macro algae or messing around on nano-reef the locals will take your stuff

The other day I left 15 minutes before closing time because there was hardly anyone left here, got here the next day and someone had taken my nicest acro during those last 15 minutes.

I work long hrs to however most of the time I am in front of a computer Seriously I would love to come down sometime and help unpack boxes! Or I could be security sounds like you need it

Heres what I do check it out.

robertpenzel.com

I am trying to incorporate it in the the marine world somehow.

Do work at any of these distributors? (they are the only ones I know about)

Quality Marine
Ocean Blue Distribution‎
Underwater World Enterprises‎

I head that maco algae like this is illegal : (

Only certain species of caulerpa are illegal in California due to the fact that if they make it into the water here they can take over the entire coastline.

miguel

those are hawt

I was wondering when Blue would show up what was your plant forum again? I lost the link

MarinePlantedTank.com?

very cool algae! from the pacific? looks like a Platoma sp. & a Distromium sp. respectively. If you are looking for something really wild see if you can get some Halichrysis coalescens...rivals even the most colorful of coral.

i wish u could have seen my macro collection from a few years back before i moved and sold off all my LS... u wouldve been like whoa!


calm down, no need for alarm (or profanity LOL)

Hi my name is Robert I have a problem....


After my post yesterday went and droped 120.00 @ my LFS. Got me some madiens hair and unkown red and other stuff

how about some halymenia.

OoOoOh, can't wait to get mine next week!!!
*drools*

Yes please! PM me on what you'd like to trade, I've been looking for that one for a long time

pm'ed

How do you keep it so short, do you clip it or does yours grow that way? Mine reaches the top of the tank every 2 weeks...

Wow, it's that fast of a grower? Good to know

lol that could wear on ya miguel

i give props to anybody that does a job like that. it's hard work, long hours and not appreciated by the end customers.

the LFS i work at has a bunch of halymenia or something similar that is growing all over in one of our tanks (where we keep frags). i don't think it's actually halymenia because it doesn't have the orange tips... but it's similar looking, bright red. it doesn't get tall, but spreads like crazy. almost too fast, but easy to remove. I rubberbanded some to a piece of rock to put in my tank, and within about 1 hour one of my turbo snails ate the whole thing. a strip about 1" wide and 4" long. So apparently i can't keep that.

Yesterday was the best, a walk-in shop well known here for not caring about people's corals that are set aside came in and had grabbed one of my pieces, I told him to cut it out for the last time and he flipped. Wanted to fight because "I'm not a thief you **** ****** ******", did a lot of posturing, chest beating and hand waving then fizzled out while I just sat there and laughed. It was surreal...

His son (who is on here actually) was with him and couldn't have been more embarrassed, I feel bad for what that kid had to go through the rest of the day with the mood his old man was in when he stormed out. But on the plus side, that dude's for sure not touching my stuff again

man Miguel, trouble just seems to find you. its not like your some macho meat head either lol. hope all else is well!

I know, you'd think I look like some beefcake frat head with all the retard bs I fall into! I think it's got to do with the fact that if someone takes advantage I'm the first to point it out to them. Problem is that the bullies that walk on people their whole lives aren't used to having someone respectfully make them feel 2" tall and they flip while you just sit there and smile at them until they're done making themselves look ridiculous

The internet has really spawned a lot more of those kinds of people than there used to be in my opinion...

Hey just letting everyone know that LA Reefs has some of that blue scroll algae for sell. Blue Scroll Algae. I ordered some on Tue and got it yesterday. Pretty cool stuff. Also picked up some of the Metallic Blue/Green Algae shown below.

Click to view attachment

I was debating that metallic algae but 19$ an inch was more than I am willing to fork over.

I'd be interested in seeing how well it grows for you.

Organism, I hate you for you awesomeness and covet your macro's

This one resembles a Crocea!!!!!