Best light for growing chaeto in sump?

juanmanuelsanchez

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So I need to grow chaeto and absorb as many phosphate as it can, I'm having a really bad algae issue.

At the moment I'm using a led tube light, nothing impressive, almost no growth.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

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Fritzhamer

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I tried the h80 and was thouroughly underwhelmed. Granted the h380 uses like eight times the wattage but I'm skeptical of the ROI on a light like that. I have upped my setup to two of these bulbs and it certainly is in the "like weeds" category.

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tdileo

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If you are really looking for crazy growth, look into buying lights that people use for growing a different type of plant in a different industry. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about haha. Look at the GalaxyHydro 300W grow light. I use their 165W aquarium version and it’s been growing all my acros without a problem just over half power (100% blue 8% white/full spectrum). The brand definitely has good products and while I haven’t used that light personally I am confident it would grow things very well.
 

KIRBLIT

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Par 38 off Amazon with red and blue led only. I think mine is 53w and was like $25, works amazing. I get about 4 gal of chaeto every month, but I do run high nutrient tank.
 

Donavon

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That will do it, lots of red and bright white
 

SashimiTurtle

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Anything in the 6500K spectrum will grow chaeto. You need the nutrients to grow it and you have to be able to out compete your display lights, or you'll grow GHA up there that'll out compete your chaeto.
 

stevieduk

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So I need to grow chaeto and absorb as many phosphate as it can, I'm having a really bad algae issue.

At the moment I'm using a led tube light, nothing impressive, almost no growth.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

59a6d73b72cd96e566b41c4dc85ba94b.jpg
light is to far away from tank, give it intense light, any cheap white light but strong and it grows like mad.
I started of with a tennis ball size lump and just one month later was having to throw some away , it grew that fast
 

stevieduk

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and some of us can't grow it to save our lives........3 different bulbs, 3 batches of dead chaeto!
oh you are trying to hard. just a cheap but bright white light about 6 inches away from the chaeto with a little water flow and it will rocket away. you do need a little nitrate in your water of course to feed it
 

robert teseo

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yep, been there,done that, still doesn,t grow. nitrates are at 40, is that enough?i,m now trying the brs par 38 bulb, but so far nothing I can see. maybe it's the stuff I,m buying on ebay. I ordered some more from another supplier
 

stevieduk

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yep, been there,done that, still doesn,t grow. nitrates are at 40, is that enough?i,m now trying the brs par 38 bulb, but so far nothing I can see. maybe it's the stuff I,m buying on ebay. I ordered some more from another supplier
well maybe, mine is in the sump right next to my return from the display tank so it gets flow from there. The lights are on about 14 hrs a day, The only other thing is , and i dont see why it should make a difference to it , i have a fine air bubble wooden airstone also in that part of the sump to richen up the oxygen supply in the water ,(for the fish ) and the bubbles circulate around and go on and into the chaeto, now whether the plant likes that high O2 environment i dont know. Are you in the U.K ?
 

cracker

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I just ordered the Morsen grow light from amazon. We shall see !
 

stevieduk

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no, long island. ny
oh right , just got the impression from how you said things that you might be here in the uk.
I was going to say , if you were that if your latest lot you are buying does not work out then i would send you a lump of mine , but maybe N.Y. is a little to far .
 

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