Chaeto Reactor Progression

[rickybrooks05]

Setting up to help with phosphates. I want keep phosphates constantly at .03. I do with now with GFO and 10% weekly water changes.

This week I overfed and let P04 climb to .09. Tank is a 60 gallon SPS cube. I'll update weekly. Starting with chaeto around the size of a tennis ball. Going to run lights 24/7 and then I'll text 12 on 12 off.

 

[sadam]

Nice. Do you know anyone else that has done anything like this

 

[Ou8me2]

Nice. Do you know anyone else that has done anything like this

Marine Depot actually a video on how to do one of these. I have seen others use it with success on other forums and on youtube. I also watched a video on youtube BRS did this past week on growing chaeto and they replied to my comment and said they had seen the best results with a 12 hour lighting period.

 

[rickybrooks05]

12 hr light period is good to know. Maybe it gives the chaeto time to rest?

 

[Ou8me2]

12 hr light period is good to know. Maybe it gives the chaeto time to rest?

I'm not sure to be honest but I know when I started trying to grow chaeto and left it on 18+ hours it actually started dying. I'm no expert by any means but they said they saw explosive growth when they went with 12-hour lighting cycle. When they ran it 24 hours a day they seen major GHA issues.

They do have a thread on it here on the forum.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/c...-going-beyond-our-expectations-part-1.295748/

 

[lion king]

I connected an algae scrubber to a bc29 that I did about a 25% water change monthly, inhabitants are a wartskin angler being fed live food. I haven't tested po4, but the nitrtaes would at least climb into 20s. I filled a small aquamaxx biopellet reactor loosely 1/2 way with chaeto and ran 12hr light cycle. At the end of the month my nitrates are running around 5, and the reactor is packed somewhat tightly all the full.

 

[rickybrooks05]

Thanks! No change in Ph still dropped to 7.94 overnight.

 

[lion king]

Thanks! No change in Ph still dropped to 7.94 overnight.

That's a pretty normal drop, maybe when you have a larger amount of chaeto it will balance the ph more. As far as light cycle goes, you pretty much want a cycle opposite to your display, that is where your ph benefit comes in. 12 hours is a good cycle time for your algae reactor, I know of no plant life on earth that would benefit from more.

 

[Southpawzzz]

Any updates???

 

[oscargrumete61]

My reactor but i have not installed yet waiting for some valves , its 5 inches base 23 inches high

 

[lion king]

I've now installed one on another tank, the 1st tank did so well I added it to a 90g reef that I have been using nopox on. Nopox works but it has worked better on my tanks with nitrates than phosphates. I was still running chemi elite to help with phosphates. i haven't tested for comparison yet but have seen my sandbed and glass stay cleaner and the pocket areas that may get less flow hasn't been as much of an issue. These things are great, considering one for a 3rd if I don't do a scrubber, Researching best option, reactor vs scrubber.

 

[vanpire]

Where did you get the light strips?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Isn't the inside of the acrylic going to be quickly covered with a film of algae that reduces light to the chaeto?

 

[drawman]

Any updates?

 

[scriptmonkey]

How's it running?

 

[oscargrumete61]

Where did you get the light strips?

Amazon

 

[lion king]

Isn't the inside of the acrylic going to be quickly covered with a film of algae that reduces light to the chaeto?

Not an issue, I've been harvesting chaeto once a month. I do a quick wipe down the cylinder but it hasn't been bad at all. This is an excellent addition.

My phosphates are now running pretty negligible,

I got these lights for my 2nd reactor and they perform just as well as the ones I got from marine depot. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0132NME6O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Kzoo]

here is mine

 

[Kzoo]

 

[cpschult]

Nice, I tried a calcium reactor chamber and had it jam up. Will have to try with a larger reactor!