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

[rbraunberger]

sound almost like my repetitive advice for cyano and algae. Kill the lights then adjust to the good stuff (in this case chaeto) thrives but the bad stuff (hair algae) dies off.

my .02

You think 3 days dark would do it?

 

[beaslbob]

You think 3 days dark would do it?

It does vary with the system. for instance I had one very very cloudy 20g for culturing macro algae the took 2 weeks to clear up.

but yes three days can clear up many tanks.

my .02

 

[vanpire]

I had planned to get an algae scrubber, but after seeing that the Chaeto eventually out competed hair algae, I thought I would use the lights for the algae scrubber on the Chaeto instead. How much simpler could it be than to thin out the Chaeto as needed.

Hopefully this works. It would be so much easier and simpler to maintain than an algae scrubber with the added benefit of raising PH. Great for some one with a CA Rx.

Thanx BRS.

 

[Mike Feliciano]

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!

The Kessil H380 may have turned the tank into one big uv sanitizer as well you think? Maybe retest the Kessil H380 alone. Same way one cube of food everyday and no chaeto at all this time and see if that has any effects as well. You can still use the same control data from this test to compare it too. What you guys think?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I wonder if co2 can be a limiting factor in some of these setups. People actually dose co2 in grow rooms and in planted tanks to encourage growth.

Many macroalgae can get the CO2 from bicarbonate, not from CO2/H2CO3 directly. Chaeto may use CO2 and may grow more slowly at higher pH (although corals will grow more slowly at lower pH, so it may be a trade off).

I address these issues here:

Photosynthesis and the Reef Aquarium, Part I: Carbon Sources by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-10/rhf/index.php

 

[SantaMonica]

Yes when a scrubber is growing fast, alk will drop because CO2 cannot dissolve fast enough into the water.

 

[vanpire]

Yes when a scrubber is growing fast, alk will drop because CO2 cannot dissolve fast enough into the water.

The purpose of the algae scrubber is to expose it to air so CO2 is not the limiting factor but even with this, you are saying that even then there is not enough CO2?

Would adding an algae scubber increase PH by removing CO2 out of the aquarium? Kinda like a natural CO2 scrubber

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes when a scrubber is growing fast, alk will drop because CO2 cannot dissolve fast enough into the water.

Alkalinity won't change due to an ATS. None is consumed or generated. If CO2 is deficient, pH must be high. If pH is not high then, then CO2 is not deficient.

That doesn't mean a higher CO2 at lower pH might not be helpful, but it is not an unknown parameter for folks to worry about. pH is the EXACT indicator of CO2.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Would adding an algae scubber increase PH by removing CO2 out of the aquarium? Kinda like a natural CO2 scrubber

ALL photosynthetic organisms do that. That's why tanks have daily pH swings. How big depends on how well the tank is aerated, with perfect aeration eliminating the swing.

 

[vanpire]

Randy, what you are saying is that algae cannot strip the CO2 from carbonate and bicarbonate and reduce ALK. Therefore, if ALK is dropping faster, it is most likely the organism in my tanks, ie corals, clams, etc., that is the cause of the alk to drop faster.

I did notice notice that alk did drop faster several weeks after adding a big ball of Chaeto and my corals showing more white tips (sign of faster growth). Nothing else changed. I attributed that to the Chaeto increasing the Ph. I think you confirmed it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Randy, what you are saying is that algae cannot strip the CO2 from carbonate and bicarbonate and reduce ALK. Therefore, if ALK is dropping faster, it is most likely the organism in my tanks, ie corals, clams, etc., that is the cause of the alk to drop faster.

I did notice notice that alk did drop faster several weeks after adding a big ball of Chaeto and my corals showing more white tips (sign of faster growth). Nothing else changed. I attributed that to the Chaeto increasing the Ph. I think you confirmed it.

Correct. Algae cannot ever reduce alkalinity (unless they are one of the few types that deposit calcium carbonate skeletons such as halimeda).

 

[Ryanbrs]

Randy, what you are saying is that algae cannot strip the CO2 from carbonate and bicarbonate and reduce ALK. Therefore, if ALK is dropping faster, it is most likely the organism in my tanks, ie corals, clams, etc., that is the cause of the alk to drop faster.

I did notice notice that alk did drop faster several weeks after adding a big ball of Chaeto and my corals showing more white tips (sign of faster growth). Nothing else changed. I attributed that to the Chaeto increasing the Ph. I think you confirmed it.

The day after we added a co2 scrubber to the skimmer to elevate the pH the alk/cal levels started to drop and we ultimately had to raise the dose 50% to compensate for the higher consumption related to the higher pH and very likely faster growth.

 

[tangerine3486]

Ryan how is this part II test going? Looking forward to this one!

 

[Thoax]

Any news on Part 2?

 

[randyBRS]

Any news on Part 2?

Sure thing! Here was the follow up to this video and thread! We’ve done a couple more after the one linked below as well. Just let me know if you need help finding them!

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/c...ime-to-up-the-game-brstv-investigates.315660/

-Randy

 

[Bronx19]

Boys, I need advice on a new build. Should I go for the Kessil H380 or Radion XR15 FW? Radion is cheaper and controllable, but will the spectrum difference matter?

 

[randyBRS]

Boys, I need advice on a new build. Should I go for the Kessil H380 or Radion XR15 FW? Radion is cheaper and controllable, but will the spectrum difference matter?

Absolutely great question! Check out this video where we compare both of those options and more!

 

[Crabs McJones]

I know that I'm very late to the party on this one, but I just recently started a chaeto fuge. I had a caulerpa fuge before being lit by a little marineland led light, and it was doing ok, but the caulerpa kept dieing off, and I had read stuff about it nuking the tank. So I took it out, cleaned out the fuge chamber, and got some chaeto. The marineland light wasn't enough to grow it, so I bought the Kessil H80. Unfortunately the H80 wasn't strong enough either to grow chaeto because the display tank was out competing the fuge for nutrients so the chaeto would turn white and die off. As @Ryanbrs said in the video, you cannot expect a 13 watt light to out compete a 185 watt (Kessil AP700) So I sold the H80 and got the H380. Now my chaeto has taken off and the algae in the display tank is slowly dwindling down to nothing. I have to say i'm super happy with this light and its performance and thank Ryan and the BRS crew for all their information and hard work in these videos.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Boys, I need advice on a new build. Should I go for the Kessil H380 or Radion XR15 FW? Radion is cheaper and controllable, but will the spectrum difference matter?

Follow up, what did you end up going with?

 

[beaslbob]

fwiw I got a 63 watt led grow on ebay for $13. nice red blue type