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Macroalgae discussion.


FluxCapacitor

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What lights are you all using to grow macro algae? I've had a difficult time keeping my macro alive in my refugium as it eventually shrinks into nothing. I don't think it's being eaten by anything down there and I do have a light on it that is just outputting white and blue light from a small array of leds. My wild stab into the dark is that this spectrum isn't ideal for the macro as the led's that are marketed to grow macro have a more purple hue.

I was considering a Kessil H380 or the KSH150P (linked below respectively):

https://www.amazon.com/Kessil-Spectral-Halo-Spectrum-Light/dp/B00T2ZFLEY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484141556&sr=8-1&keywords=kessil+h380

https://www.amazon.com/Kessil-KSH150P-Grow-Light-Purple/dp/B003XP06DK/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1484141556&sr=8-4&keywords=kessil+h380

My refugium area is 18" square and 20G. I don't know that I need a $300 grow light for this area.... so I'm thinking the smaller one will do fine but I wanted to get some opinions on the subject. Are there any lights that are more cost effective/better than the ones above for this task?

My next question is what do you do to keep your ball of chaeto rotating? I used an airstone bar to do this but I found that the ball would consistently end up stuck against the drain baffles going into the area where the return pump was and not rotating any longer. I know this is likely a simple problem to fix and any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

I'd like current opinions from experienced people rather than being told to search or linked to other articles/forum threads. This can be a fresh discussion given that nobody's experience with the hobby is more advanced than it is right now today. Old threads and articles would contain relevant info but would not cover newer ideas/concepts/equipment being used. Also, some members on forums scoff at bumping old threads with the obligatory "zombie bump" type replies and, in any case, i'm not here to preach forum etiquette.

Thank you for any replies and help you all can offer.

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I have a few of these I'm selling for $20 each if you're interested in one. I've got 3000K and 5000K versions, and they use cree LED's. They grow chaeto like crazy. You would need a fixture though. I'd be happy to just lend you one to see if it works as well.

IMAG1804%20(Small).jpg

I just grow mine in a mass so can't comment on the tumbling personally.

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Yeah, you don't need a $300 grow light at all.

My setup:

On my main tank I have a $9 shop light fixture from home depot http://www.homedepot.com/p/150-Watt-Incandescent-Clamp-Light-HD-300PDQ/205031467

In that I've got a high (relatively) wattage LED along these lines http://www.homedepot.com/p/Westinghouse-90W-Equivalent-Warm-White-PAR38-LED-Flood-Outdoor-Wet-Location-Light-Bulb-2-Pack-0311400/206105560

That's not the actual bulb I have, the one I bought was "240 watt equivalent" and I think in the 5k range of spectrum. It's not ideal but it does a great job.

(I just noticed this guy, which I'm going to grab and give a shot http://www.homedepot.com/p/VividGro-90W-Equivalent-Grow-Spectrum-PAR38-LED-Light-Bulb-VGRO-38-NFL-120-G2/300903839)

I don't tumble the cheato, but I do manually move it around and mix it up when I'm adding to my ato resevoir, once or twice a week.

I pull out and throw away about half of the cheato about twice a month.

I started using my backup tank (intended for QT) as a macroalgae grow area, where the algae's just in the tank, and I've got two of those home depot lights on it. This tank was fallow for quite a while and I'd give it a little squirt of mysis now and then to feed the nitrogen cycle, and thus the plants.
Things do tumble in this one just due to the flow in the tank. This chaeto is a deeper green, and thicker, but doesn't actually seem to grow faster maybe just a bit more robust.
What I've learned:
Light is important, but so is dark. It seems like several of the macro's used in refugiums require a good amount of "rest" period? In my main tank fuge the lights are off from 7 am to 8pm. In my secondary they're on from 6:30 to 9pm.
This may be obvious, but they need nutrients. If your export game is excellent, they may be starving.

I actually run several types, and I get why chaeto is the go-to. Most of the others I have are much slower growers, but they're also more pretty and my foxface really LOVES a few so I try to grow them out and then give portions as treats.

Right now I've got:

Lots of chaetomorpha

Hypnea pannosa

Fine branched coraline (actually threw into my main DT as it's a slow grower and I want to promote more coraline)

Some sort of Caulerpa

And... some sort of red that is actually colored red, but I should really get around to identifying...

I need to find some more time to research here as I'd like to expand what I keep in my DT, but don't want to create myself headaches down the road.

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Thank you for the answers. I will not spend $300 on a grow light then if there is no benefit to doing so.

Jestep - I have fixtures that fit those but they're "clip-on lamp" fixtures that don't hold up very well with the weight of those types of bulbs. If you have suggestions in regards to what would be a good fixture for that type of bulb I'm all ears. I'd also be interested in trying that bulb and buying it from you if it's surplus and it works well for me. All of my chaeto is gone/dead as well so I'm looking to acquire some from someone before getting this up and going again.

Alex - Thank you for those links, I'll check those out. I've also tried using my DT/live rock tank for growing chaeto but I think it suffered the same problem of not having enough light.

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My main form of macro was chaeto and I didn't tumble it. It was in the first section of my sump with my return water form the tank. I felt in this section it got first dibs on any nutrients it needed. I'll be honest the light I used was the cheap clip on work light from Lowes. I used a 25watt lamp bulb and had to throw chaeto away all the time because it grew so fast. My light in the sump area would come on in reverse of my tank. No special tricks or anything I just let it ride.

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I use one of these, at least I think it's the same brand. I swear mine was only $20 - $30 when I originally purchased it though.

https://coralcompulsion.myshopify.com/products/par38-par30-lamp-clamp-fixture-black

There's some others like it on ebay and other sites that are about half the price.

https://www.amazon.com/WYZM-Adjustable-Flexible-Gooseneck-adjustable/dp/B011RBD6YW

I'm looking to see if I can find any reviews on the cheaper ones. My only complaint with this one is that it's tough to get a really tight bend radius, which these cheap ones correct by using an adjustable fixture attachment, but otherwise mine has been going fine for 3 or so years.

Just let me know on the bulb though. I had 4 of them growing an orange tree in my office for a while, which is now planted in the ground, so no problem if you want to test one out.

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Ah that looks perfect Mike. I think that's exactly what I need. I'm going to order some.

Jestep - thank you for the offer. I think I have enough info here to guide me in getting what I need. I'm not going to worry about tumbling the chaeto.

I'm glad it was mentioned that the chaeto was in someone's first chamber. I think this may be a small mistake I made in my setup. The 40 micron filter sock is catching a lot of things and then the over skimmed setup is likely removing a lot of the nutrients the chaeto would eat. That water is clean looking though :P

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  • 2 weeks later...

Mike - I purchased the same setup you listed and it seems to be doing very well in my sump.  Gig'em hooked me up with some chaeto from his tank and everything seems to be doing well.  Thank you for the suggestion on those parts.  They were cost effective and efficient for the job.

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Dang - just noticed this thread and I definitely need to follow along.  Same issues as Flux - my chaeto simply doesn't grow.

This is the light I'm using and it's on 14hs, off 10hrs.  http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/auqa-gadget-magnafuge-innovative-marine.html

Anyone else w/ experience using this light?  I bought it because of how compact it is and I don't have a lot of room.  Don't think I could get one of those bulbs Mike posted above the tank, but might be able to find a way to the backside of the fuge, similar to where the current light is.

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57 minutes ago, BobcatReefer said:

Dang - just noticed this thread and I definitely need to follow along.  Same issues as Flux - my chaeto simply doesn't grow.

This is the light I'm using and it's on 14hs, off 10hrs.  http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/auqa-gadget-magnafuge-innovative-marine.html

Anyone else w/ experience using this light?  I bought it because of how compact it is and I don't have a lot of room.  Don't think I could get one of those bulbs Mike posted above the tank, but might be able to find a way to the backside of the fuge, similar to where the current light is.

It should definitely grow chaeto, spectrum is good, and plenty of intensity for a small space. Can you explain the layout of where you have your chaeto and what your nutrient levels are like? No reason this shouldn't be able to grow it.

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Nutrients have been 0 or very close whenever I have tested recently.  I do have a carbon/GFO reactor running, but I am afraid to turn it off because the microalgae in the tank goes nuts.

Here's what it looked like when I had a big bunch in there.  It wasn't growing at all and faded to lighter green, so I pulled it out, leaving only the richer green chunk in the newer pics - but that hasn't shown any sign of growth over the last 60ish days either.

 

And currently:

3e420bbfed5a2c337d52f58adf6877cb.jpg

88b01b3760365fc3a4ee69b04ddc75cf.jpg

36f25071e1d177c6658bd071af130d63.jpg

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