Display Refugium and Seeking Macros

[JoannaCora]

Hello all!

First post here on the forum, been in the shadows for a while though. Nice to meet you all!

I'm stocking a display refugium and this post is to a) show off, c) request specific IDs if anyone knows them, and b) find anyone in the Southern California area willing to sell, trade, or otherwise offload any ornamental macroalgae (Hopefully that's a question I'm allowed to ask?). Specifically, I am interested in any blue or calcareous macroalgae.

Here's the complete setup:

And here's a wide angle of the refugium:

Thus far I have managed to acquire:
Chaeto: if anyone knows the specific species name I'd love to have that information (I separated the caulerpa bits since taking this picture.)

Gracilaria: Hayi or possibly curtisssae, maybe even both if I could be so lucky. Bought together, unlabeled at LFS (or as red razor which is definitely incorrect.)

G. Parvispora?

G. sp? Came with what I think is parvisipora, might be more of the same. Labeled only as gracilaria at (different than above) LFS. Kindly disregard the chaeto bits.

Caulerpa prolifera (I'll do my best to be careful with this one)

Thanks for taking the time to look!

 

[zukihara]

 

[Subsea]

Third the last is Gracilaria Parvispora. Requires intense light. Turns pale under insufficient light.


Gracilaria Hayi should be lightly calcivied.

second the last looks like Gracilaria cervicornis

 

[Subsea]

Welcome to r2r.

Of course you can ask anything you want. Macro collection will pick up in the next few months.

Try Gulf Coast EcoSystems. As divers, collection is off during winter months but is picking up shortly with nice diving conditions in GOM.

Macro Algae: Your Source For Quality Marine Plants and Macroalgae | Gulf Coast Ecosystems

We specialize in saltwater Macroalgae and Seagrass | GCE has the largest selection of Macroalgae online, offering over 35 different species

www.live-plants.com

There free guide is a valuable macro resource.

Marine Plants In The Aquarium: An online guide to the identification and care of marine plants and macroalgae in the aquarium.

An online guide to the identification and care of marine plants and macroalgae in the aquarium.

www.marineplantbook.com

 

[JoannaCora]

Welcome to r2r.

Of course you can ask anything you want. Macro collection will pick up in the next few months.

Try Gulf Coast EcoSystems. As divers, collection is off during winter months but is picking up shortly with nice diving conditions in GOM.

Macro Algae: Your Source For Quality Marine Plants and Macroalgae | Gulf Coast Ecosystems

We specialize in saltwater Macroalgae and Seagrass | GCE has the largest selection of Macroalgae online, offering over 35 different species

www.live-plants.com

There free guide is a valuable macro resource.

Marine Plants In The Aquarium: An online guide to the identification and care of marine plants and macroalgae in the aquarium.

An online guide to the identification and care of marine plants and macroalgae in the aquarium.

www.marineplantbook.com

Thank you very much.

 

[Subsea]

Incidentally, your display refugium is the bomb with the daylight spectrum. I like 6500 - 10K for display. I never did like Windex look in a reef tank.

 

[JoannaCora]

Incidentally, your display refugium is the bomb with the daylight spectrum. I like 6500 - 10K for display. I never did like Windex look in a reef tank.

Thanks! Yeah blue is cool but I don’t like the look of only actinics either, also a big fan of just using what I already have lying around too haha.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Welcome to R2R, ask away.

 

[JoannaCora]

So far all the macro seems to be growing pretty well. Caulerpa has grown at least tenfold from the itty bits I acquired and I’ve thinned it out and dispersed it to other setups. I found two more macroalgaes at another LFS.

Codium taylorii or fragile. Will maybe be easier to tell when it gets bigger?

Caulerpa racemosa (I think)

The tiniest bit possible, I don’t think they even knew they had it. But judging by the other caulerpa I’m sure I’ll have a handful in a week.

 

[neonreef3d]

Love your setup. looks like an ultra low maintenance tank. And you can have fun collecting the different types of macro algae.

 

[Subsea]

So far all the macro seems to be growing pretty well. Caulerpa has grown at least tenfold from the itty bits I acquired and I’ve thinned it out and dispersed it to other setups. I found two more macroalgaes at another LFS.

Codium taylorii or fragile. Will maybe be easier to tell when it gets bigger?View attachment 2124777View attachment 2124779

Caulerpa racemosa (I think)
View attachment 2124783
The tiniest bit possible, I don’t think they even knew they had it. But judging by the other caulerpa I’m sure I’ll have a handful in a week.

I found Codium very fragile even at large size. Of recent @Paul B posted collecting Codium in colder water of Long Island Sound compared to reef tank. It looks liked you may also have Caulerpa Prolifera.

 

[uscggirl]

Hello all!

First post here on the forum, been in the shadows for a while though. Nice to meet you all!

I'm stocking a display refugium and this post is to a) show off, c) request specific IDs if anyone knows them, and b) find anyone in the Southern California area willing to sell, trade, or otherwise offload any ornamental macroalgae (Hopefully that's a question I'm allowed to ask?). Specifically, I am interested in any blue or calcareous macroalgae.

Here's the complete setup:

And here's a wide angle of the refugium:

Thus far I have managed to acquire:
Chaeto: if anyone knows the specific species name I'd love to have that information (I separated the caulerpa bits since taking this picture.)

Gracilaria: Hayi or possibly curtisssae, maybe even both if I could be so lucky. Bought together, unlabeled at LFS (or as red razor which is definitely incorrect.)

G. Parvispora?

G. sp? Came with what I think is parvisipora, might be more of the same. Labeled only as gracilaria at (different than above) LFS. Kindly disregard the chaeto bits.

Caulerpa prolifera (I'll do my best to be careful with this one)

Thanks for taking the time to look!

Love your set up!! Sorry everyone, but don’t know how to reply without the photos showing up too. Still, they are very nice!

 

[vlangel]

Very nice display fuge. You have a nice assortment of different macros. I also have a fuge, but have found it challenging to meet the needs of different macro algae. The one that caused me the most consternation was feather caulerpa. Its growth was so fast that it hogged all the nutrients for itself and starved the other macros. Finally I pruned it almost to extinction, ( which is really impossible with caulerpa) and keep it well in check so everything else has a chance at the nutrients. That is working.

 

[JoannaCora]

Very nice display fuge. You have a nice assortment of different macros. I also have a fuge, but have found it challenging to meet the needs of different macro algae. The one that caused me the most consternation was feather caulerpa. Its growth was so fast that it hogged all the nutrients for itself and starved the other macros. Finally I pruned it almost to extinction, ( which is really impossible with caulerpa) and keep it well in check so everything else has a chance at the nutrients. That is working.

Sorry for the late response! I keep having the fear that the caulerpa is sucking up all the nutrients but I am keeping it pretty small, and dosing chaetogro.

 

[legionofdoon]

I wish I could find prolifera, it's probably the easiest caulerpa to grow. I thought Cali was pretty bad about getting caulerpa, I live in Florida and last time I wanted caulerpa no one had prolifera locally so I collected some from the beach lol. I think it was mexicana

 

[legionofdoon]

Before and after

 

[JoannaCora]

I wish I could find prolifera, it's probably the easiest caulerpa to grow. I thought Cali was pretty bad about getting caulerpa, I live in Florida and last time I wanted caulerpa no one had prolifera locally so I collected some from the beach lol. I think it was mexicana

Prolifera absolutely lives up to its name. I started with literally like 2 or 3 half leaves and could probably fill up a 10 gallon tank with it already lol

 

[Northwest_Scapes_]

Hello! Sorry with being late to this, but if you're looking for another source of Macros, Reef Cleaners is excellent. Just like Gulf Coast Ecosystems, they're also starting to get in some pretty cool macros since it's becoming a lot warmer in Florida now, here's a link to their macro page: https://www.reefcleaners.org/aquarium-store/plants-macroalgae

As for people willing to trade, I don't know if she lives in southern or more of the middle of Cali, but thatms.mermaid on Instagram has some Blue Hypnea and I think Red Feather / Palm? She's taking a brake from socials for a while but she was on today so it might be worth a shot messaging her. But she might be up for a trade since hearing from her and some other macro keepers in Cali, there's not a ton of local stores / hobbyists selling any and your collection looks awesome! So you might be able to do a trade

 

[ReefguyEric]

Nice setup

 

[Dcal]

Hello! Sorry with being late to this, but if you're looking for another source of Macros, Reef Cleaners is excellent. Just like Gulf Coast Ecosystems, they're also starting to get in some pretty cool macros since it's becoming a lot warmer in Florida now, here's a link to their macro page: https://www.reefcleaners.org/aquarium-store/plants-macroalgae

As for people willing to trade, I don't know if she lives in southern or more of the middle of Cali, but thatms.mermaid on Instagram has some Blue Hypnea and I think Red Feather / Palm? She's taking a brake from socials for a while but she was on today so it might be worth a shot messaging her. But she might be up for a trade since hearing from her and some other macro keepers in Cali, there's not a ton of local stores / hobbyists selling any and your collection looks awesome! So you might be able to do a trade

shes down in sd she works or worked at an lfs down here