Electrobes
Montipora type guy
wharfrat, th best lighting would prob be the 6500K but the LOA bulb I got seems to be just fine.. it says 6500K but it definately does not look it on the sylvania ballast...
chaeto + lighting
- Thread starter hnf2k
- Start date
Plantbrain
Active member
When it comes to growing macro's and plants in a tank, there are studies that show the same results based on RGR's(relative growth rates) for the pricy bulbs vs the cool whites(4100K).
I can look it up but it's on the web posted somewheres......
I think aquabotantica's site has the article, it's for FW, but the depth most macros grow is similar to FW plants.
The main thing is getting a color that looks nice to
your eyes. The plants and most macro's simply do not care.
2-6w/gal is good for most fuge's.
With vigorous aeration, CO2 is quickly offgassed out of any marine system like the O2.
Therefore has little influence on pH.
This effect is insignificant if you monitor it with a pH/alkalinity measurement(I'll ignore the boric buffer system effects) and a DO meter you will find this to be true.
Regards,
Tom Barr
I can look it up but it's on the web posted somewheres......
I think aquabotantica's site has the article, it's for FW, but the depth most macros grow is similar to FW plants.
The main thing is getting a color that looks nice to
your eyes. The plants and most macro's simply do not care.
2-6w/gal is good for most fuge's.
With vigorous aeration, CO2 is quickly offgassed out of any marine system like the O2.
Therefore has little influence on pH.
This effect is insignificant if you monitor it with a pH/alkalinity measurement(I'll ignore the boric buffer system effects) and a DO meter you will find this to be true.
Regards,
Tom Barr
Triterium
New member
Found this on a cannabis website. Its not backed up with data, but I think those people do their research when it comes to what lights to use.
5K - 7K Kelvin: Strong Blue Light
Promotes bushy growth. Ideal for rapid growth phase of plants.
Greatly enhances all-around plant growth when used with super
high output, high pressure sodium or 3K warm metal halide lamps.
4.2K - 4200 Kelvin: Cool white Flourescents
Can be used as supplimental blue lighting when used with a 3K
source.
4K - 4000 Kelvin: Neutral Metal Halide
Best single source for plant growth, producing shorter, bushier
growth than 3700 Kelvin and color rendition. Used in general
plant lighting.
3.7K - 3700 Kelvin: Softer Metal Halide(coated)
This coated lamp is used in general plant lighting and for more
rapid growth than 4000 Kelvin produces.
3K - 3200 Kelvin: Warm Metal Halide
Highest photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) value of all HID
lighting for all phases of plant growth. PAR watts account for the
nutritional value of light and are a direct measure of the light
energy available for photosythesis.
2.7K - 2700 Kelvin: High Pressure Sodium Lamps
Redder color mix, used for propagation, blooming, supplemental
greenhouse lighting.
5K - 7K Kelvin: Strong Blue Light
Promotes bushy growth. Ideal for rapid growth phase of plants.
Greatly enhances all-around plant growth when used with super
high output, high pressure sodium or 3K warm metal halide lamps.
4.2K - 4200 Kelvin: Cool white Flourescents
Can be used as supplimental blue lighting when used with a 3K
source.
4K - 4000 Kelvin: Neutral Metal Halide
Best single source for plant growth, producing shorter, bushier
growth than 3700 Kelvin and color rendition. Used in general
plant lighting.
3.7K - 3700 Kelvin: Softer Metal Halide(coated)
This coated lamp is used in general plant lighting and for more
rapid growth than 4000 Kelvin produces.
3K - 3200 Kelvin: Warm Metal Halide
Highest photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) value of all HID
lighting for all phases of plant growth. PAR watts account for the
nutritional value of light and are a direct measure of the light
energy available for photosythesis.
2.7K - 2700 Kelvin: High Pressure Sodium Lamps
Redder color mix, used for propagation, blooming, supplemental
greenhouse lighting.
piercho
New member
I've used 5000K PC and 6500K Iwasaki HID (250W) to grow Chaeto. Light intensity under the Iwasakis is much higher. Chaeto grows dark green and slower under the PC lighting. It grows light green and fast under the Iwasakis. The problem I have using HID lighting with Chaeto is that filamentous algae tends to overwhelm the Chaeto. So, I try to keep the Chaeto tumbling in current or in a dimmer area of the Iwasaki-lit tank.
I don't consider Chaeto the greatest algae to "lock up" nutrients. I still use Sargassum as my main export plant. Given good current, daily additions of iron, periodic large water exchanges, and very intense illumination, my experience in my refugia setup is that Sargassum will outcompete other algaes I've tried, including Chaeto and a few specie of Caulerpa. In the main tank (also under 250W 6500K), a Halimeda sp. that grows in the sandbed dominates, perhaps because it can access the abundant nutrients in the sandbed porewater.
Anyway, I guess my point is, don't get tunnel-vision on Chaeto. It does not grow well in all conditions, and may never grow well in your refugia conditions. Especially if your tank conditions tend toward being eutrophic, IMO. Rather than try to tweak your tank to grow this particular algae, try several different alga. The main thing is get an efficient source of wide-spectrum light over the refugia. Generic MH bulbs (4000K) are a good choice, IMO. I re-use the 6500K Iwasakis off my main tank for my refugia to get another years use out of them. In general, strong circulation, effective gas exchange (aeration), and regular additions of Fe will help. For some alga, I've personally observed that occasional large water exchanges also helps to maintain growth.
Probably more opinion than anybody was looking for, but there it is, anyway.
I don't consider Chaeto the greatest algae to "lock up" nutrients. I still use Sargassum as my main export plant. Given good current, daily additions of iron, periodic large water exchanges, and very intense illumination, my experience in my refugia setup is that Sargassum will outcompete other algaes I've tried, including Chaeto and a few specie of Caulerpa. In the main tank (also under 250W 6500K), a Halimeda sp. that grows in the sandbed dominates, perhaps because it can access the abundant nutrients in the sandbed porewater.
Anyway, I guess my point is, don't get tunnel-vision on Chaeto. It does not grow well in all conditions, and may never grow well in your refugia conditions. Especially if your tank conditions tend toward being eutrophic, IMO. Rather than try to tweak your tank to grow this particular algae, try several different alga. The main thing is get an efficient source of wide-spectrum light over the refugia. Generic MH bulbs (4000K) are a good choice, IMO. I re-use the 6500K Iwasakis off my main tank for my refugia to get another years use out of them. In general, strong circulation, effective gas exchange (aeration), and regular additions of Fe will help. For some alga, I've personally observed that occasional large water exchanges also helps to maintain growth.
Probably more opinion than anybody was looking for, but there it is, anyway.
Plantbrain
Active member
Sounds right on to me.
If you use MH's for the fuge, may as well use the old bulbs for something.
Many use PC's I find these work super for macro algae, you can use more, but it's not needed.
Most sargassums will love all that light though, I always keep this genus near the light.
Regards,
Tom Barr
If you use MH's for the fuge, may as well use the old bulbs for something.
Many use PC's I find these work super for macro algae, you can use more, but it's not needed.
Most sargassums will love all that light though, I always keep this genus near the light.
Regards,
Tom Barr
"Found this on a cannabis website. Its not backed up with data, but I think those people do their research when it comes to what lights to use."
ha, funny you post that that just so happens to be my favorite site i go there more than here. but anyways, yes what you read in that FAQ pretty much carries out through the grow. CFL's should only be used during your vegging periods as it doesn't provide the right lighting color during your entire grow. you can run a very successful grow with just CFL lighting but to get the real bang for your buck you wanna use HPS. i dont think the lighting there matters much here thouhg. When you're growing that you need the proper part of hte color spectrum to promote the most positive plant growth you can get, here i dont think we're taht interested in how green our chaeto turns. im sticking with my PC light. cannabis plants are a lot less hardy than macro algae, i wouldn't go all out with my macro algae's light.
ha, funny you post that that just so happens to be my favorite site i go there more than here. but anyways, yes what you read in that FAQ pretty much carries out through the grow. CFL's should only be used during your vegging periods as it doesn't provide the right lighting color during your entire grow. you can run a very successful grow with just CFL lighting but to get the real bang for your buck you wanna use HPS. i dont think the lighting there matters much here thouhg. When you're growing that you need the proper part of hte color spectrum to promote the most positive plant growth you can get, here i dont think we're taht interested in how green our chaeto turns. im sticking with my PC light. cannabis plants are a lot less hardy than macro algae, i wouldn't go all out with my macro algae's light.
trilinearmipmap
New member
My chaeto in my fuge is hardly growing at all after about a month, I have considered dosing micronutrients (iron/trace mix) similar to what I dose in FW plant tanks. I have held off doing this because of fear of an algae bloom in the main tank.
Does anyone know if commerical salt mixes (IO for example) have enough iron and trace elements and whether any of these (Fe, traces or K or other nutrients) need to be supplemented, and whether these supplements might be toxic to any corals.
Does anyone know if commerical salt mixes (IO for example) have enough iron and trace elements and whether any of these (Fe, traces or K or other nutrients) need to be supplemented, and whether these supplements might be toxic to any corals.
Plantbrain
Active member
I have never found a correlatiuoin between traces and nusiance algae in macro tanks, the same can be said for low dosings of KNO3, if you are feeding little to the main tank, have few fish etc, then adding KNO3 or reducing the biomass of Chaeto should take care the issue.
Also, always double check to make sure Ca++ and alk are high.
Regards,
Tom Barr
Also, always double check to make sure Ca++ and alk are high.
Regards,
Tom Barr
