Yoshii's 5.5g Macro Reef

[yoshii]

Very nice, love macros!! Look for blue scroll macro.

Thanks! Blue scroll is nice, although I fear if I got some and put it on top of the rocks it would get shaded by the C. Prolifera. I do want to get more macros though.

I haven't been to a LFS since Nov or Oct

[yoshii]

In my phycology class one of our projects is to collect seaweeds and press and identify them in a herbarium.

Just wanted to share with you guys how it's going so far I've still got quite a bit of algae in my fridge that I haven't pressed yet, but I think it's turning out pretty good!

 

[vlangel]

Very cool!

[Kijho]

Awesome updates, look really interesting!! Good to hear things going well! I'm a huge fan of all your reef's!

[yoshii]

Very cool!

Thanks! Congrats on TOTM btw, it looks amazing, I love the gorgs!

 

Awesome updates, look really interesting!! Good to hear things going well! I'm a huge fan of all your reef's!

 

Aww thanks! I'm hoping maybe during spring break (or hopefully sooner) I can make it to a LFS and search for more macros

[FlowerMama]

Wow, with views like that from class, I don't know how you guys manage to study. I'd be too interrupted. It sounds like a cool class though I never heard of phycology before.

[supernip]

steal me specimens

[yoshii]

Wow, with views like that from class, I don't know how you guys manage to study. I'd be too interrupted. It sounds like a cool class though I never heard of phycology before.

I definitely bombard my friends with pictures of sunsets a lot

Phycology is the study of algae, but were focusing on marine algae.

 

steal me specimens

Go collect some! Just not in a MPA

[vlangel]

Thanks! Congrats on TOTM btw, it looks amazing, I love the gorgs!

 

 

O thank you yoshii. Glad you like it, that makes me think I am doing something right!

[tibbsy07]

Great little tank. I need to get some macro for my pico.

[yoshii]

O thank you yoshii. Glad you like it, that makes me think I am doing something right!

Haha you definitely are doing a lot of things right!!

 

Great little tank. I need to get some macro for my pico.

Yes you do! Stella is selling macro packs right now! go go go

[Felicia]

I love those pressings! They look like art! I hope you get to keep them after your class. You should frame them in a bunch of different frames and groupings and make a really cool gallery wall out of them. Now I want to take up algae pressing as a hobby!

[yoshii]

I love those pressings! They look like art! I hope you get to keep them after your class. You should frame them in a bunch of different frames and groupings and make a really cool gallery wall out of them. Now I want to take up algae pressing as a hobby!

I will get to keep them, I'm excited I've already started to make some art for some friends with my extra pieces

I also got a bunch of extra pressing paper so I can press some of my tropical species too.

If you can get your hands on some seaweed and thick paper (like watercolor or thicker) it's really fun!

[Rural]

In my phycology class one of our projects is to collect seaweeds and press and identify them in a herbarium.

Just wanted to share with you guys how it's going so far I've still got quite a bit of algae in my fridge that I haven't pressed yet, but I think it's turning out pretty good!

 

 

put in a driftwood frame and sell on etsy... mind blown, you are welcome for the extra tank money.

 

at least i think they would be cool wall art after you are done with them for school. perfect for a home library or ocean/water view room.

[Felicia]

I will get to keep them, I'm excited I've already started to make some art for some friends with my extra pieces

I also got a bunch of extra pressing paper so I can press some of my tropical species too.

If you can get your hands on some seaweed and thick paper (like watercolor or thicker) it's really fun!

Once I'm done being super busy with trying to write my dissertation and graduating, I totally want to try this. I'll be hitting you up for the instructions. I used to press flowers with my grandmother when I was little, but this seems so much more fun since its aquatic.

[Anden]

That look so good what do you press them in? Just a book or?

[yoshii]

 

put in a driftwood frame and sell on etsy... mind blown, you are welcome for the extra tank money.

 

at least i think they would be cool wall art after you are done with them for school. perfect for a home library or ocean/water view room.

Haha my professor actually said we could sell them on etsy when we're done

The only thing is they are pretty fragile, probably hard to ship

 

I agree, I'm definitely going to keep my favorites on the wall

 

Once I'm done being super busy with trying to write my dissertation and graduating, I totally want to try this. I'll be hitting you up for the instructions. I used to press flowers with my grandmother when I was little, but this seems so much more fun since its aquatic.

That look so good what do you press them in? Just a book or?

It's pretty simple. I have a special "herbarium press" that looks like this:

 

But really this is all you need:

-Herbarium paper (it's just extra thick paper like watercolor paper or thicker)

-Blotting paper or newspaper

-Wax paper

-Cardboard

-Heavy book

 

Set the cardboard down, then the blotting paper, then your herbarium paper, arrange the specimen on it, cover with wax paper, then add another blotting paper on top for your next layer, and so on. Then on top of the stack put a piece of cardboard and add your weight.

If you have really wet specimens then make sure to change the blotting paper so it doesn't get moldy.

Some algae will start peeling off the paper, just use Elmer's glue to glue it back.

 

The most time consuming part is arranging the specimens

[yoshii]

In lieu of tank pics, here's some algae pics!

I'm making a digital copy of my herbarium, and I took some test shots today (without scale/labels)

I want to change the lighting a bit so you don't see as much of the paper's texture on the specimens, but I still like how they came out!

 

Rhodymenia california or R. pacifica

 

Egregia menziesii "Feather Boa Kelp"

 

Botryocladia pseudodichotoma "Red Grape Kelp"

[teenyreef]

Those are beautiful!

[yoshii]

Those are beautiful!

Thanks! I think the Red Grape is my favorite so far!

[D3monic]

I think they turned out perfect. Amazing work!

[TFish77]

Thanks! I think the Red Grape is my favorite so far!

 

But.... but... you popped all the grapes :-p.

 

Looks awesome!

[yoshii]

I think they turned out perfect. Amazing work!

Thank you!

 

 

But.... but... you popped all the grapes :-p.

 

Looks awesome!

Haha I know! I think time I'm going to try to pop them with a needle or something and try to drain them before pressing

It's not an intertidal species, so it's harder to find nice pieces.

[TFish77]

Thank you!

 

Haha I know! I think time I'm going to try to pop them with a needle or something and try to drain them before pressing

It's not an intertidal species, so it's harder to find nice pieces.

 

Lol its not like it's an endangered species or anything. Just forum perusing and giving you crap :-). You just need to get dive certified to find the better pieces!

 

I do really love the idea of giving macro's their spotlight though as I have always tried to use decorative algae in my main display. Keep up the good work.

 

P.S. After reading a lot of your posts this is all I can picture haha.

 

[yoshii]

 

Lol its not like it's an endangered species or anything. Just forum perusing and giving you crap :-). You just need to get dive certified to find the better pieces!

 

I do really love the idea of giving macro's their spotlight though as I have always tried to use decorative algae in my main display. Keep up the good work.

 

P.S. After reading a lot of your posts this is all I can picture haha.

 

 

That would be awesome. So far I've gotten everything from the intertidal, either growing on rocks or picking up pieces that have washed up and gotten trapped between the rocks. There's a beautiful cove here that's popular for scuba/snorkeling, but I can't collect there because it's a marine protected area.

 

YAS MY FEARSOME ALGAE POWERS!!