Chaeto put to the test: Going beyond our expectations! (Part 1)
- Thread starter randyBRS
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I tried this on the 160 for a while as the test, and the cheato didn't grow at all. In fact, it bleached and receded. The moment I went to 12/12 it started to thrive immediately. However, I have considered two fuges on opposite light cycles for 24/7 : )
I pulled it off recently as the light or power brick is dying and I haven't determined which. The light is dim and flickers a bit. Hoping it's just power supply failure which is more likely and I haven't gotten around to testing it with a multimeter yet. But due to receiving minor salt water misting etc over time I realize the possibility that a fixture designed for horticulture may have succumb to the stresses of being in a reef sump.
As far as the lighting when it was on the tank. I think I had it on a 16 hour lighting cycle. As well as a jeabo powerhead to circulate water. Probably should've reduced it to a shorter photo period in hindsight. I did however use some black plastic mesh in a couple layers to block light output so that it wasn't so intense of light. Which helped with the algae burning. But I never saw all that much growth.
I've been kind of lax on maintenance with other things going on. And I'm making some changes to the system as I've regained some of the vigor for the hobby and want to test out new options. I think that most likely regardless of the light failures cause I'm not sure I would reuse it again. I think I would go the ATS route. Although designing an ats that used a pendant would be interesting. It would be more work, bulkier and less effective than current designs. At least with the few possible ways it could work that come to mind.
On an unrelated note.
I didn't realize that it was Ryan that responded. Just wanted to say BRS is awesome and it's great having that kind of resource locally. When the move to the Sandburg location happened BRS moved within a couple miles of my house so it is more convenient than ever.
I know there are probably insurance issues for tours. But I'm curious if the 160 or any of the cool lab/testing rooms are in areas that could do occasional tours where it's not as risky as having people in the warehouse. Or maybe something one time organized with TCMAS.
I keep an eye on job postings. But sadly have yet to see an IT opening pop up.
I do really appreciate all the information BRS provides the community. And I think BRStv has become one of the best channels dedicated to reefkeeping. I do miss the product spotlight videos. At least I don't feel like there has been any I've seen recently. I always appreciated getting more in depth information on a product beyond just what you can see reading a description and sorting through conflicting reviews online.
Thanks again,
Justin
Rjramos
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I'm running 24/7. Like he mentioned in the video, the chaeto always being kept in photosynthesis and taking up CO2 helps to maintain and prevent pH drops at night. I've been using different lighting on 4 different set ups. My 120 display has 2 65w PC's over the refugium. Another 2 smaller setups have 1 36w PC. And a 29 biocube has a vertical refugium with 4 LED light stuck on the wall behind the tank. All the tanks have great chaeto growth. I am in the process of transitioning everything to LED's, so we will see how it goes! One important factor related to refugium design I always consider is being able to keep the surface water clean and free of surfactants. This can reduce light penetration and gas exchange, a cause for lack of success and growth. Refugium area water should exit by overflow. Skimming also plays a big role in keeping PO4 and Nitrates down. Thinking back to the scientific experiment, with increased feedings, these tanks with chaeto are probably gonna develop a nasty surface scum that's gonna have to be dealt with.[emoji848]
Barry jones
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I have a 75 gallon reef tank and around 4 months ago decided to build my own chaeto reactor. Its now my only source of nutrient removal on my system. My nitrate is less than 1 ppm and phosphate 0.02 with a ph of 8.4. The results are far better than I expected and I shall keeping the unit on my system.
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FishGuyBri
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I have 290 gph in the refugium (not through) to tumble my chaeto. It's probably 6 gallons or so section of sump. What do you think?
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I don't know but Kessil is about to release the H80 and it should be about $130 like the A80.
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Are you dosing iron to keep it healthy?I have a 75 gallon reef tank and around 4 months ago decided to build my own chaeto reactor. Its now my only source of nutrient removal on my system. My nitrate is less than 1 ppm and phosphate 0.02 with a ph of 8.4. The results are far better than I expected and I shall keeping the unit on my system.
I run a Mars aqua box with just the whites and my chaeto grows like crazy. I started with a tiny ball that came with algagen pods a year ago now I have a 10 gallon completely filled and a huge chunk in my sump and probably tossed twice that much.
I'm a heavy feeder. a fat fish is a healthy fish
I'm a heavy feeder. a fat fish is a healthy fish
Needreefunds
New Member
Good stuff Randy. Thank you for putting in the time and effort. Very interested to see how it goes from here.
Really interesting topic so thanks for looking into this. I've been running algae beds all my saltwater time but find it interesting your only talking about chaeto. I know caulerpa isn't allowed in some states (not a problem we have in cold rainy england) but it would be interesting to see a comparison between the two algaes as most over here believe it's far superior (assuming your not in a state where it's controlled).
It would also be interesting if you looked at the water clarity to see if gelbstoff was a factor with these types of filtration. I wonder if any discoloration throws your pH reading off.
It would also be interesting if you looked at the water clarity to see if gelbstoff was a factor with these types of filtration. I wonder if any discoloration throws your pH reading off.
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