Algae

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  Algae Wars: A New Hope

  The algae battle began in July 1999 with small patches of cyanobacteria in a 7-month-old tank. Despite various treatments including chemical additives, snail introductions, and manual removal, the problem persisted with algae coverage reaching up to 85% before eventually being brought under control.

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  Blue Coralline Algae

  This blue coralline algae species is a slow grower that exists primarily low in the tank near the sand bed level, where it's often overgrown by faster-growing coralline types.

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  Caulerpa Macroalgae - Caulerpa peltata

  Pictures show Caulerpa peltata macroalgae grown in the sump, which required trimming and showed excellent growth under 100w+ lighting. After several weeks it went sexual (switched to reproductive mode), expelling its contents and dying out, which is typical for caulerpa species.

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  Chaetomorpha sp. Macroalgae

  This Chaetomorpha sp. macroalgae is by far the best for refugium nutrient exporting - it doesn't go sexual, grows rapidly in dense clusters, lacks problematic holdfasts, and is enjoyed by tangs as an occasional treat.

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  Coralline Algae - Articulated Coralline Cluster

  This red calcareous algae (Rhodophyta) shows a branching or articulated growth form that is much less common than encrusting coralline algae species.

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  Halimeda Macroalgae

  This Halimeda macroalgae sprouted from rocks after being in the system for 2 years. As a calcareous macroalgae, it can rapidly remove calcium from the water, making it unsuitable for tanks without calcium reactors despite its nutrient export potential.

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  Monthly Macroalgae Pruning

  This image shows the typical volume of macroalgae pruned from the refugium each month as part of nutrient export maintenance, placed in a container for scale reference.

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  Purple Coralline Algae

  Pictured here is a form of non-articulated (encrusting) crustose corraline algae.

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  Red Algae

  This unidentified algae sample was found growing in one overflow chamber, exhibiting a firm, sponge-like texture and relatively rapid growth, but was not detected in other chambers or the main tank.

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  Reddish and Orange Coralline Algae

  This reddish and orange encrusting coralline algae has really started taking off in the past year, forming several very large patches that are considered prettier than typical purple coralline.

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  Sargassum Macroalgae

  This Sargassum macroalgae is very common in newer tanks but was rare when the hobby began, as live rock today typically comes pre-loaded with it. It grows into towering plant-like structures until reaching the water surface, requiring months of manual removal until limiting nutrients are depleted. While it's great for nutrient export (doesn't go sexual like caulerpa), it needs significant light levels such as Metal Halide, HPS, or Mercury Vapor lighting.

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  Valonia Bubble Algae

  This Valonia Bubble Algae is one of the largest single-cell organisms, typically growing as individuals but also observed in small clusters, attached to surfaces via strong rhizoids that make removal difficult.