Chaeto Test Part II: Closing out the old and introducing the next evolution! | BRS Investigates

[randyBRS]

Hey guys!

We made it to another episode of BRStv Investigates! In today's video, Ryan shares the final results of the first Chaeto test, including final weights and PAR/PUR tests for each light and more.

BEST OF ALL... We find out where the next phase of this test will take us!

 

[drsalomon]

I setup a chaeto reactor using red blue led flexible striplights for 20 bucks and a repurposed GFO reactor. All sides of the chaeto get exposed to intense light but it does not tumble. Flow is controlled by a ball valve. I wonder how important tumbling is beyond exposing surfaces to light. If I have upwelling flow through the chaeto and intense light on all sides, will I get the same growth as spinning ball of chaeto under kesil? Here is what I used: Toogod Full Spectrum 16.4ft/5m 5050 Waterproof LED Strip Plant Growing Light Red Blue 4:1 for Aquarium Greenhouse Hydroponic Pant Garden Flowers Veg Grow Light,DC12V.

Here is the reactor I used: AquaMaxx Fluidized GFO and Carbon Filter Media Media Reactor XL. Just wrapped the lights in a spiral pattern around the reactor facing inwards. Then wrapped the outside with tin foil around the reactor and lights to reflect the light around on the inside and then wrapped the foil in saran wrap to try to keep the water off the lights. It is not my idea, lots of talk of this design around the internet. My goal was to discontinue vodka dosing and GFO but I found that vodka was still necessary. I have a sendeye par meter and i can try to see how much par I am getting in the reactor.

 

[drsalomon]

Hello

 

[SharkLaser]

I probably missed this somewhere in your previous video, but how did you get from mysis to NO3 in test tanks without live rock or something other than water to hold the population of nitrifying bacteria? one cube a day for the water volume you have is pretty significant. I'm concerned that if there is any free ammonia or nitrite in the water long term, it would somehow impact chaeto growth and NO3/PO4 consumption as a result...

 

[FireEMT]

I would love to see a chaeto reactor put into the mix. I have an existing synergy reef sump that does not have a refugium and a reactor would be much easier to add into the mix. BRS please make that happen.

 

[david p.]

great video as always, interesting to see the comparaison. it's pretty much what i observe on my system, high PAR light source, crazy chaeto growth and N-P at 0 all the time!

 

[LV3]

great video as always, interesting to see the comparaison. it's pretty much what i observe on my system, high PAR light source, crazy chaeto growth and N-P at 0 all the time!

I experience the same as well in my system. How are you increasing your NO3 levels in your tank? Or are you keeping NO3 at 0/Undetectable?

 

[david p.]

I experience the same as well in my system. How are you increasing your NO3 levels in your tank? Or are you keeping NO3 at 0/Undetectable?

i did not really care to have N and P at 0, i just recently tried to reduce my nutrient export (instead of increasing import by feeding,etc), i reduce photo period over my cheato and i trim more just to keep 2 handfull of cheato, i used to have 2/3 of a 40b packed with cheato and triming 5gal per week. my assumption is if i reduce the amount of cheato and reduce photo period, i should bea ble to find a balance, but still waiting for result on that.

note that i feed my acro 3-5 time per week and dose acropower.

 

[gkf]

i have used cheato for 10 years and never has it let me down . always test 0 and lets me really feed my fish with never any algae in my tank.
tank is 75 gal 48" with a 40 gal 48" under as a sump.
light is a nano led strip full spectrum that clamps to the rim on from 5pm till 12 am next day. every week it fills completly it's space.
i remove half every weekend and by the next it is full again
wouldnt be without it

 

[beaslbob]

Great and can hardly wait for phase 2 results.

One concern I do have is the not measuring ammonia. Could that be added to the test? plant life like chaeto will consume ammonia first then nitrates for nitrogen. So you can get a nitrate bump because the chaeto is consuming ammonia instead of nitrates.

Others on where nitrates are coming from. I guess the chaeto supplied aerobic bacteria do start the nitrogen cycle. And that bacteria just gets there. No live rock require. Besides it is the algae on the rock that does the work not bacteria. IMHO

I do want do thank BRS for conducting this experiment. It takes time and money to perform plus a lot of effort especially in the test design. I think ya done good!!!!!!!!

FWIW 2 of the $10 lights may be as effective and the more expensive setups. And more volume as well.

On my old 55g I just crammed in some egg crate 3" in front of the back glass, added chaeto and caulerpa, and lit it up with 2 4' 2 tube shop lights with 6500k tubes. Cost about $50 total. and nitrates dropped to 0 in three weeks. Meanwhile 2 five inch tangs constantly grazed on the macro poking through the egg crate and all fish enjoyed the pods being created.

Again thanks to brs.



pssst at the end of the test, when you have all your results, bump up ammonia to a few ppm. And measure how long It takes to return to 0.

 

[LV3]

i did not really care to have N and P at 0, i just recently tried to reduce my nutrient export (instead of increasing import by feeding,etc), i reduce photo period over my cheato and i trim more just to keep 2 handfull of cheato, i used to have 2/3 of a 40b packed with cheato and triming 5gal per week. my assumption is if i reduce the amount of cheato and reduce photo period, i should bea ble to find a balance, but still waiting for result on that.

note that i feed my acro 3-5 time per week and dose acropower.

Ok, I'm in the same boat looking for that balance. Good to know. Thanks.

 

[Ryanbrs]

I probably missed this somewhere in your previous video, but how did you get from mysis to NO3 in test tanks without live rock or something other than water to hold the population of nitrifying bacteria? one cube a day for the water volume you have is pretty significant. I'm concerned that if there is any free ammonia or nitrite in the water long term, it would somehow impact chaeto growth and NO3/PO4 consumption as a result...

I know this kind of goes against what reefers are commonly told but the glass is often enough surface area. That said we also ran an air driven sponge filter on the tanks. I did test for ammonia from time to time but not nitrite. Related to that I think there are a lot of people that suspect that cheato actually prefers ammonia over nitrate as it's nitrogen source. We have been thinking about methods of identifying if that is true.

 

[JoshuaBrown]

I was building a nano sump while this experiment was going on, glad it had the results it did,
Surprised we didn't get a ruling on it based on phase one, but I'm certainly interested in phase two.
Great work guys!

I am using an 150w led grow light, and am seeing impressive results after just a couple days on an isolated sump that has not been attached to the tank yet,
I've been recording 25sec of video of it a day and plan to compile it into a single video, Here's today's, day five. Sump was cycled before cheato, and is now zero everything.

 

[SharkLaser]

I know this kind of goes against what reefers are commonly told but the glass is often enough surface area. That said we also ran an air driven sponge filter on the tanks. I did test for ammonia from time to time but not nitrite. Related to that I think there are a lot of people that suspect that cheato actually prefers ammonia over nitrate as it's nitrogen source. We have been thinking about methods of identifying if that is true.

Interesting! My consistent experience with very basic quarantine tanks was that ammonia would not get converted into NO3 without some additional surface for bacteria and quite a bit of bacteria seeding. So just relying on glass surface and water volume was never enough. A good size sponge makes a bit more sense.
Chaeto probably consumes at least some ammonium but not ammonia, which is toxic even to chaeto...

So there you go, at least two more new topics for you to investigate.

 

[Rick.45cal]

Awesome test! Great video as always!

 

[j-don]

I'm a little disappointed you dropped the par38 in favor of the CFL. I'm all for using cheaper options that work in this hobby, but I think your previous test eliminated the CFL as a true competitor when you are dropping money on a reef tank. Par38's remain viable, and there are even custom red/blue par38s available on the market that may not beat a h380, but would probably give the h80 a thorough beating. The par38 does take up a significant amount of space, so the h80 is still valuable for space limited applications.

 

[ReefingwithO]

I have a 75 gallon tank but only a 3 gallon refugium. Initially I thought the space was too small for any nutrient export so it was mainly designed as a place for pods and other micro-fauna to grow.

Do you think the H380 or H80 would make a big difference on cheato growing in such a small space? I might have to empty it every week but I'm ok with that.

It's not my primary export but as I live in an apartment - anything that reduces water changes even once or twice a year is a big deal for me and I'm willing to pay for that.

 

[revhtree]

Let's keep the discussion rolling! Thanks for the great video BRS!

 

[Z3speed4me]

I'm gonna give chaeto a shot again, for whatever reason it does not live in my sump and I've tried 3-4 dif lights. All the other algae seem to out-compete it and win.

 

[JamesP]

I tried a refugium when I first started reefing and I did not have much growth and eventually abandoned it. Ive decided to give it another try and I have my H380 in hand. If youre going to do something, might as well do the best you can.

If it wasnt for this video series I doubt I would have interest, but now I cant wait to get things set up. The only thing is Ive also learned the importance of quarantine so I am going to have to wait my 76 days before that green ball can get in my display tank out of quarantine.

Thanks BRS! You guys are awesome.