I am a big fan of Macro algae and would really want to setup a large planted marine setup one day. I find macro algae to be worthy of a lot more attention than they get today and that they often are nothing short of stunning. This is the reason I get happy every time I see a new macro algae becomming readily available on the Market. I am very happy to introduce the new Blue Hypnea that ORA recently made available to their retailers. It is a completely stunning algae that can stand its ground against any coral and that diserves to be given a central place in any aquarium rather than just being grown in algae scrubber. It can make a completely breathtaking center piece for any nano tank that has been planned around this blue beauty.

The Blue Hypnea is a resilient species that will grow in most lights but will look its absolut best if it is a given a position with an intermediate level of light, (for a marine reef tank). They will grow in more low light environments but will never really thrive or look as good as it can unless it is given an adequate level of light.

They prefer a nutrient rich water with plenty of free Iodine in the water. Regular use of Iodine supplements are recommended if you want to grow this and other Hypnea species

If you want to rknow more about how to care for blue hypnea and other Macro Algae i recommend that you visit our page about planted marine aquarium.

Hopefully we will soon see more stunning Macro algae from ORA.

Scientific Name:  Centroceras clavulatum.
Classification:  Macro Algae
Common Names: Red hair algae,
Reproduction: Non-sexual
Color: Red to Dark Red
Growth Rate: Moderate
Lighting: Moderate
Flow: Low / Moderate to High
Care level: Easy to Moderate

Appearance

Red hair algae, as the name suggest, is a type of hair algae.  Due to the very nice red coloring, some hobbyist to try to keep it in there aquariums.  As this is not a fast growing algae, many other  types of algaes can out compete it for nutrients.

Lighting Requirements

Red hair algae will do well with moderate levels of light at the 6500K color temperature range.  However, stronger levels of lighting with lower color temperatures can accelerate growth provided all other conditions / requirements are met. I have obtained very good results with high levels of CFL lighting in the 3000K range. I have also had the best results with a 18 hour photo period followed by a 6 hour period of no light.

Water Conditions

As this is a more difficult algae that will good and stable water conditions, maintaining your water parameters as described in the below link will help to ensure this algae will grow well.  Red hair algae will also do best in a set-up that normally produces around 5ppm of nitrate which is the exception to the information in the below link.  This macro algae will not do well with lower levels of nutrients. You may also need to consider dosing iodine if you experience difficulty keeping this algae healthy and growing

https://www.reefaquarium.com/2013/the-basics-of-marine-aquarium-water-parameters/

General Care

It is very important to maintain the correct flow, lighting and water parameters for this macro algae.  This can also be a tasty treat for most crabs and tangs so it is important to make sure your current or future tank inhabitants are not known to eat macro algaes

Scientific Name: Caulerpa sp.
Classification: Macro Algae
Common Names: feather algae, green feather algae
Reproduction: Sexual and non-sexual
Color: Green
Growth Rate: Fast
Lighting: Moderate
Flow: Low / Moderate to High
Care level: Very Easy

Appearance:

Caulerpa is a fast growing macro algae.  It is a green algae which sends out runners and will grow leaf like structures that will look more like features.  The ‘leaves’ can grow as large as 4 inches long and ¾ of a inch wide. I find it to be very nice looking macro algae.  But don’t be fooled by its looks. It can quickly spread across your rock and substrate, even chocking out corals or other forms of algae making it a rather invasive macro algae for a display tank depending on your cleanup crew and fish.  Caulerpa is a great algae to grow in a sump or refugium for nutrient removal as it will quickly remove nitrates and phosphates from the water out competing many other forms of algae for these same nutrients.

Lighting Requirements

Caulerpa macro algae will do will with moderate levels of light at the 6500K color temperature range.  However, stronger levels of lighting with lower color temperatures will accelerate growth.  I have even used almost pure red lighting with great results.  I have obtained very good results with high levels of CFL lighting in the 3000K range.  I have also had the best results with a 18 hour photo period followed by 6 hours of no light.

Water Conditions

This is a very hardly algae that will grow in almost any conditions. However, maintaining your water parameters as described in the below link will help to ensure this algae will grow well.  Caulerpa will also do best in a set-up that normally produces around 5ppm of nitrate which would be the exception to the below information.

https://www.reefaquarium.com/2013/the-basics-of-marine-aquarium-water-parameters/

General Care

As this macro algae can reproduce sexually, it is best to heavy trim it back on a regular basis to help prevent this macro algae from spawning in your set-up.  This also will help when using Caulerpa in a sump or refugium as removing some of the algae will also remove the nutrients absorbed by the algae and promote more growth continuing the cycle.

Caulerpa can be a tasty treat for most crabs and tangs so it is important to make sure your current or future tank inhabitants are not known to eat macro algaes.

Scientific Name: Scinaia complanata
Classification: Macro Algae
Common Names: Red leaf macro algae
Reproduction: Non-sexual
Color: Red to Pink
Growth Rate: Moderate
Lighting: Moderate
Flow: Low / Moderate
Care level: Moderate to difficult

Appearance

Scinaia will have a very nice red to redish pink coloring.  It will typically grow in clumps of smaller leaf like structures which get wider the closer you get to the top.  These leaf like structure will also have somewhat inconsistent shapes.  The clumps of scinaia will attch themselves to rocks or other objects in your aquarium. They can grow as large as 5 inches tall and 4 to 5 inches wide.  This macro algae is a great addition to any display tank.  Just make sure you do not have herbivorous fish or invertebrates that will typically eat macro algaes.

Lighting requirements

Scinaia will do best with moderate levels of light in the 6500K to 6700K color temperature range.  However, I have obtained very good results with moderate to high levels of CFL lighting in the 3000K to 4000K color temperature range. I have also had the best results with a 18 hour photo period followed by 6 hours of no light.

Water Conditions

As this is a more difficult algae that will good and stable water conditions, maintaining your water parameters as described in the below link will help to ensure this algae will grow well.  Scinaia will also do best in a set-up that normally produces around 5ppm of nitrate which is the exception to the information in the below link.  This macro algae will not do well with lower levels of nutrients. You may also need to consider dosing iodine if you experience difficulty keeping this algae healthy and growing.

https://www.reefaquarium.com/2013/the-basics-of-marine-aquarium-water-parameters/

General Care

It is very important to maintain the correct flow, lighting and water parameters for this macro algae. It can be a more fragile algae so handling it is not recommended, just place it in a spot in your tank and leave it there.  Mishandling or frequent handling can cause scinaia to die-off very quickly.  You may experience a few set-backs with keeping Scinaia for the first time, but as this is such a beautiful macro algae it can be worth trying and sticking with it.

As Scinaia can be a tasty treat for most crabs and tangs so it is important to make sure your current or future tank inhabitants are not known to eat macro algaes

Have you ever wanted a planted salt water tank?  For the most part, that is not possible as there really are no truly salt water plants as there are for fresh water planted tanks.  But we can keep many different types of macro algae that will grow into plant like structures adding a variety of colors and looks to your tank.  You can develop your tank into a complete marine ecosystem with macro algae, and it is an inexpensive way to design a great looking tank. The below pics are a few examples:

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