-
Welcome back Guest!MARSH is a private reefing group. Comments and suggestions are encouraged, but please keep them positive and constructive. Negative threads, posts, or attacks will be removed from view and reviewed by the staff. Continually disruptive, argumentative, or flagrant rule breakers may be suspended or banned.
A couple of questions about your refugium/algea scrubber/cheato (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter chris85
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Users who are viewing this thread
Most people run a fuge with cheato. It's pretty safe and will not go asexual on you. I'm running a 25/G with low flow, Floralux mini AIO, and the light is very yellow and it's completely overkill. I'm doing fern algae because with this particular species, it's beautiful. I hate cheato because it seems to get into my DT, but now that I have a remote fuge maybe it won't be as bad. There's a good little fuge light over at Coral Compulsion. Reef breeders used to sell one, but they don't anymore. I'm not sure why or what happened. Anything will grow it, but depends on how fast you want to grow it. Follow my DT thread to see the progress of mine. I'll be updating shortly.
Last edited:
Just wondering what everyone uses i know what i have and what most use just wanted wanted to see what everyone thought and there personal opinion. But i will check it out. I like to build stuff so always looking for new ideas.
You want this?
Or this... Lol
Or this... Lol
Old Reefbreeders Par38
This fern is the kind I like. It's under the 14W Coral Compulsion Par30. Dose a good job grow algae.
This fern is the kind I like. It's under the 14W Coral Compulsion Par30. Dose a good job grow algae.
Pics From Melev's Reef
Last edited:
I try not and go under about 5500k .I have been using the spiral compact fluorescent ,but i found some led floodlight bulbs at home depot so i am trying all three to see what works better. Thanks for the info. I have done a lot of research ,but it always nice to be able to ask questions if need be. How often do you trim and about how much?
The best light I've used so far is the HPS growlight that has a really yellow/orange spectrum, probably around 2200k or less if I had to guess. But its also a really intense light. Those CF bulbs are pretty weak.
If I was going to try LED, it would be one of the really red ones.
All you have to do is look at the horticulture scene and see what those guys are using. Basically, if it grows weed, it will grow chaeto!
If I was going to try LED, it would be one of the really red ones.
All you have to do is look at the horticulture scene and see what those guys are using. Basically, if it grows weed, it will grow chaeto!
Cody
Vice President
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Content Moderator
Board Member
Supporting Member
As far as lighting, looking at chlorophyll and the spectrum that it utilizes will give you more insight. Why is grass, a leaf, or chaeto green? Simplease answer, it's because chlorophyll doesn't need the green part of the spectrum. It reflects ot, hence why your eyes pick up the green coloration that's being reflected to you. In the chart below, it shows the spectrum used by chlorophyll.
Notice that the chart also shows the efficiency at which each end of the spectrum is used as well. As you will notice, the low blue end of the spectrum is used much more efficiently than the red. Hence, why you see maybe 1 blue LED for ever 4-6 reds in grow LED lights. Transfer this information to a halide or general light bulb, the ones that have higher peaks and more of those two specific parts of the spectrum covered, the happier the chlorophyll will be. Personally, I stick to LEDs because they target those exact spectrums. Also, I build my lights too considering that 660nm is the peak you need for the red LEDs yet most manufactured grow lights hit at 620nm, which typically isn't as effective. By building the light myself, I can be sure that I'm getting the spectrum that I need. Here's my refugium in action. Don't mind the music, I was on a Star Wars trip
https://youtu.be/9KkvU1Loczw
Notice that the chart also shows the efficiency at which each end of the spectrum is used as well. As you will notice, the low blue end of the spectrum is used much more efficiently than the red. Hence, why you see maybe 1 blue LED for ever 4-6 reds in grow LED lights. Transfer this information to a halide or general light bulb, the ones that have higher peaks and more of those two specific parts of the spectrum covered, the happier the chlorophyll will be. Personally, I stick to LEDs because they target those exact spectrums. Also, I build my lights too considering that 660nm is the peak you need for the red LEDs yet most manufactured grow lights hit at 620nm, which typically isn't as effective. By building the light myself, I can be sure that I'm getting the spectrum that I need. Here's my refugium in action. Don't mind the music, I was on a Star Wars trip
https://youtu.be/9KkvU1Loczw
I've usually heard that the fancier macros do like a bluer light.
Have you tried a spectrum of more like 8-10k?
The best light I've used so far is the HPS growlight that has a really yellow/orange spectrum, probably around 2200k or less if I had to guess. But its also a really intense light. Those CF bulbs are pretty weak.
If I was going to try LED, it would be one of the really red ones.
All you have to do is look at the horticulture scene and see what those guys are using. Basically, if it grows weed, it will grow chaeto!
After hanging this HPS and seeing the power it puts off, I've now understood what cheato really likes. It likes a lot of light. More than I've offered it. That's if you don't want to play around and wait for good growth. The HPS grow it fast.
Thanks cody.What are the specs for your lights (colors, bulb watt, driver watts and ma, and heatsink) i saw you posting about your t5 led combo. Looks great wish you lived closer when i always need a hand with something.As far as lighting, looking at chlorophyll and the spectrum that it utilizes will give you more insight. Why is grass, a leaf, or chaeto green? Simplease answer, it's because chlorophyll doesn't need the green part of the spectrum. It reflects ot, hence why your eyes pick up the green coloration that's being reflected to you. In the chart below, it shows the spectrum used by chlorophyll.
Notice that the chart also shows the efficiency at which each end of the spectrum is used as well. As you will notice, the low blue end of the spectrum is used much more efficiently than the red. Hence, why you see maybe 1 blue LED for ever 4-6 reds in grow LED lights. Transfer this information to a halide or general light bulb, the ones that have higher peaks and more of those two specific parts of the spectrum covered, the happier the chlorophyll will be. Personally, I stick to LEDs because they target those exact spectrums. Also, I build my lights too considering that 660nm is the peak you need for the red LEDs yet most manufactured grow lights hit at 620nm, which typically isn't as effective. By building the light myself, I can be sure that I'm getting the spectrum that I need. Here's my refugium in action. Don't mind the music, I was on a Star Wars trip
https://youtu.be/9KkvU1Loczw
The ulva likes it around 5000-6500k. I have some red macro that looks like dragons breath that grows best in about 10k-14k but grows under anything from 5k to to 15k. Some branching brown macro forget the name that likes the 5k-6k of coarse the cheato that grows under about anything bright egnough and some black mangroves that i just picked up are doing better under the 5500
All my stuff is in the garage cant do anything that gets to hot and those things use a lot of energy, but yes they work really well. Really want to build something but bulbs are so cheap i want to figure out what spectrum I like the best before i jump all in. I even thought about doing an outside tank to grow it in but have to do some more experimenting.
Ya, now that I know you want to grow all those macros and not just cheato, I think you should use high powered reef lighting.
Either LED or T5. Treat it like coral.
