Macro Algae Lovers Rejoice! The most amazing colors... take a look

Alpha Aquaculture · Feb 17, 2010

Whatup!

I have had this macro algae tank for some years now and it needs to be shown off. This 10 gallon tank contain over 20 different types of algae, plus some montis that have grown from small frags. The blue algae is native to the Dominican Republic. It is CRAZY neon sparkle blue and I love it. I hope everyone else does too!

Enjoy!!!!

Kris

Alpha Aquaculture · Feb 17, 2010

this last pic really shows how this stuff glitters. just imagine seeing the whole tank in person... the blue just makes me happy. this is my happy blue algae tank lol

nayrgaijin · Feb 17, 2010

That's really neat, I've never seen that kind of macro algae!

Alpha Aquaculture · Feb 17, 2010

Thanks. I don't think too many others have seen it either... until now!

Look closely and you can see a striped pattern close to some tips. I just stare forever at this. This stuff is waaaaaaaay nicer in person and the contrast with all the other colors of the montis and other algaes make it pop even more.

stedfast82 · Feb 17, 2010

cool were did you get it from??? i could use some.

JR's Reef · Feb 17, 2010

Cool! I would really like to see a FTS

Azurel · Feb 17, 2010

That is some cool stuff......How fast does it grow?

Jason edwards · Feb 17, 2010

dibs on frags.

stunreefer · Feb 17, 2010

That's wicked! I've seen it while diving down there a couple times but it looks much brighter under tank lights.

Blackhawk Fan · Feb 17, 2010

That's really cool Kris.

benny z · Feb 17, 2010

w0w!

looks like christmas tree tinsel!

nissanrs · Feb 17, 2010

what the blue calld and wher did u find it

Alpha Aquaculture · Feb 17, 2010

JR's Reef: I don't really do FTS's lol. I don't even much like to clean the front glass. I am really tall and so I usually just look from the surface so I don't ruin my back! That first photo is almost a FTSurface shot!

stunreefer: Very interesting. Do you have any pics from the ocean?

Thanks for the nice comments everyone. I have had these algaes in this tank for over four years now. I'm really proud of the whole tank because there is so much color contrast between the algaes. Also because it has stablized with all those algaes in there. For all those who have the 'macro bug' like me, you know that algaes battles and its not easy to have them all growing together with minimal work. Probably if I were to just leave this tank for 10 more years one or a few algaes would become dominant, but maybe not. Like I said many of these algaes are from the D.R., I think its stabilized nicely because they have evolved to live together!

Can you see the halimeda in the photos? The type that is in this tank was a hitchhiker from an indo coral. It has only grown small (1/2 dime size) coins and not those big quarter sized one. I really like seeing it under the blue macro!

Can anyone give me an id on the blue algae? I think its a Coelothrix.

Lowsingle · Feb 17, 2010

Love that blue macro! let me know if you ever want to sell a frag (I've started to collect unique algae for a future seahorse tank).

cheers,
Darren

Alpha Aquaculture · Feb 20, 2010

Lowsingle: Thanks man. If I do let some of it go, I will hit you up for sure.

So I had this tank under a 20k 150 mh and actinic t5's for a few years and it did not do as well as its doing now. The mh was 5 inches off the surface and in my 10 gallon tank this was too much for the algae. I switched a year and a half ago to t5's and now its growing much better.

Anyone else have some cool macro? I would love to see it. Feel free to post some pics of whatev you got!

mevstheworld · Feb 21, 2010

Nothing as cool or rare as yours, but pretty neat nonetheless.
Caterpillar weed:

DHaut · Feb 21, 2010

AC, if you decide to thin it out, let me know - I wouldn't mind a frag. I'm in NYC.

Alpha Aquaculture · Feb 21, 2010

mevstheworld: Totally cool! Do you find that it becomes problematic around the corals with the calcerous nature of it? I really enjoy all types of macro. I actually spotted some of that in this same 10g with the blue algae around 2 years ago. I wonder if its still in there... bout to go stare off into the blue for an hour :)

DHaut: BROOKLYN IN THE HOUSE! If I do thin it out, I will definitely take care of my people from NY first!

So my 10g tank with the blue is great. I do water changes maybe three times a year, max. I don't feed or add any supplements. You can see that sunset monti has grown huge under this regime. What an amazing tank!!!