Chaeto lighting opinion

[Tcox]

Hi guys. I am having trouble growing chaeto. I wanted to check with you all to see if you think my lighting is suffient to grow chaeto.

I have a reflective clamp on 60w fixture with the following bulb:
https://www.amazon.com/ABI-Spectrum-610-640-450-470-15000K/dp/B00CXT9L1U

I started with a clump of chaeto and over about a month, my chaeto is turning white and dying off. My setup is a 60 gallon that's been running for about 6 months. I run this light setup opposite from my DT with some overlap (14~hours). Any suggestions?

 

[maddmaxx]

from my personal experience with this situation. i tried 4 different set ups using red/blue grow bulbs. all 4 situations the chaeto died off. however, every time i used a CFL spiral 6500k bulb, cheato has flourished and pruned often.. ive seen threads on here where chaeto did very very well under the type of bulbs you posted. but 8 out of 10 ive read, chaeto perished under these type of lights.

go on 1000 bulbs . com and get a good 6500k bulb and watch it grow...hope that helped

 

[Tanthaitrung]

from my personal experience with this situation. i tried 4 different set ups using red/blue grow bulbs. all 4 situations the chaeto died off. however, every time i used a CFL spiral 6500k bulb, cheato has flourished and pruned often.. ive seen threads on here where chaeto did very very well under the type of bulbs you posted. but 8 out of 10 ive read, chaeto perished under these type of lights.

go on 1000 bulbs . com and get a good 6500k bulb and watch it grow...hope that helped

Dear maddmaxx

This bulb is ok?

https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/6765/FC18-MS65.html

How long is your light turned on daily?

What do you think about brown algae growing on chaeto?

Thanks so much

 

[SnoopyDaPimp]

I have used the light in the link below for about three years and it works great. I got it at Petsmart in an open box for $20. I run it for the 12 hours after my display lights turn off.

Marineland LED light

 

[JTL]

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/video/view/brstv-investigates-do-refugiums-work/

 

[sfdan]

FWIW I can't get chaeto to stay alive under an h380, which I believe is among the most powerful fuge lights. Sometimes it isn't the bulb, but just there aren't enough nutrients/iron/whatever for the chaeto to grow. Tank is happy otherwise though so I don't fret about it. That bulb looks pretty good to me so my guess is it isn't the bulb but something else.

 

[Tcox]

Thank you all for the input. For what it's worth, I went to ace hardware and bought a par 38 LED 6000k. I'm going to see if that makes any difference. Originally I was thinking maybe it was law nutrients but I have minor algae in my DT and I have some random sponges here and there. I would think there is enough nutrients to support chaeto but who knows.

 

[Stickboy97]

What size tank, how many fish & how often do you feed? Lighting isn't always the problem/solution.

I currently use this mars light on a 105g with 10 fish in it.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170502/523a7226b0a100b1c540e4d7d4bd3d92.jpg

And I trim my chaeto every week.

 

[ca1ore]

FWIW I can't get chaeto to stay alive under an h380, which I believe is among the most powerful fuge lights. Sometimes it isn't the bulb, but just there aren't enough nutrients/iron/whatever for the chaeto to grow. Tank is happy otherwise though so I don't fret about it. That bulb looks pretty good to me so my guess is it isn't the bulb but something else.

I agree. I have to add iron to my tank otherwise the chaeto won't grow. FWIW, I run the H380 and it grows the stuff awesomely.

 

[Stolireef]

Best fuge light although stupid expensive is the tunze submersible

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[Tcox]

I have a 60 gallon cube and a 25 gallon sump. A dozen or so soft coral/LPS. Two fish: circus goby and yellow clown goby (4 inches total fish) I feed fish 1/4 Cube of mysis about every other day as they snack on pods and I feed my LPS some coral frenzy pellets about every 3 days.

 

[ca1ore]

Oh no, the Kessil H1200 Tuna Flora is STUPID expensive ......

 

[Punchanello]

Oh no, the Kessil H1200 Tuna Flora is STUPID expensive ......

Insane money.

On previous posts in this thread, I don't understand why a grow light with enough par wouldn't work.

 

[Reefiez]

i run a crappy no name brand 12W LED strip light over my chaeto refugium (mainly white LED, with a few blues and like 3 reds) for like 40$

it grows chaeto like crazy!

I almost went with double tunze submersible lights, but luckily the LFS was sold out when i went.

on the iron note, what signs will the chaeto show from iron deficiency?

 

[Stolireef]

i run a crappy no name brand 12W LED strip light over my chaeto refugium (mainly white LED, with a few blues and like 3 reds) for like 40$

it grows chaeto like crazy!

I almost went with double tunze submersible lights, but luckily the LFS was sold out when i went.

on the iron note, what signs will the chaeto show from iron deficiency?

To be honest, it's actually worth the money (and I'm really really cheap). I tend to buy Tunze pumps because they are simply dead on reliable. The light is of the same quality. Grows chaeto like crazy. I'm sure a cheaper light would work well but for things that go under my cabinet, I don't like taking chances.

 

[Tcox]

My 6000k bulb doesn't seem to be doing the trick. I have 0.02 phosphate and nitrate reads about 10. Maybe time to try iron.

 

[Sk8r]

I use a 6500 k Lowes hardware CFL floodlight in a shoplight body.