How to get my chaetomorpha algae to grow better /work better

[Lowstorm]

I just chucked mine in my sump with a clamp-on lamp. Grew to a volleyball size in about a month. I cut it in half, its not doing as well but it's starting to grow again.

 

[jam583]

What do you guys think of this light ..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/301910707030

I'm using a LED spotlight now on one of my tanks with less than ideal results. Was considering replacing it with this.

 

[NanaReefer]

I use the Reef Radiance 7w LED and harvest about 1/2Ib a month. No tumbling, just the flow through the sump. I also run a sock and oversized skimmer.
IMO to much light and not enough nutrients will make it disappear. To much flow and the chaeto doesn't get a chance to absorb the nutrients.

 

[dragonfish]

following
what u guys say about DIY like this ?

 

[Pola0502ds]

Has anyone tried the maxspect C35 algae grow light? I just purchased this. The spectrum has a ton of red... Just curious how this one is going to work out.

 

[Catchemall]

I, along with a few others that I "know of"follow the hydroponic principal: light bombardment of plant life..

What I mean is actually very simple in theory, and for cheato, works ridiculously well.. You simply throw more light on a plant, and, as long add the plant is healthy, it will grow, consuming nutrients.. But.. You need a lot of light.. In our cases, we use low wattage(150 watt) high pressure sodium mini fixtures.. With this low wattage, you don't get heat, but what you do get, is extremely strong light(11k footcandles) in the red spectrum(below 4000 Kelvin)..

When you throw one of these on your cheato, it is going to grow like crazy. What a lot of people don't realize, and it came to me all of a sudden one day, ids that, our systems are fairly low nutrient. Just like any other plant life, a small amount of light is ok to keep them alive, but, if you really want to grow, throw some real light on it. Whether these days, a small sodium, or, a full horticultural led fixture(Amazon is full of them very cheap) of at least 100 watts.. 300 works best in my experience, but, you need a lot of light.. A lot! And it will literally scrub your tank of nutrients. All of us that use these lights, as far as I know, your phosphate stays extremely low, and your nitrate generally stays close to, if not at zero..

The one consequence though, is your going to be harvesting a ton more cheato. Every week to two, at the most, or your sump is going to be literally packed full.. But, throw some more light on it.. A real light just like we use to light our coral..


And no, it doesn't need to tumble at all as long as you have enough strong light. The light will penetrate through, keeping all of it green, thick and growing. Though, d2minis cheato "death star" ball is awesome!

You don't have to add any chemicals at all. Our salt mixes, along with the food we add has all the nutrient we need to grow plant crazily. Which, just like pellets, ats and other methods that less to ulns parameters, you can then begin feeding more to your fish and not ever have to worry about it..

It actually is amazingly simple..

I know this thread hasn't been updated since April. But I totally agree with this guy.

Check this out. First picture is sitting in a nutrient rich sump full of phosphate lit with a wavepoint led clost to the water and tried all different hours of light and it never grew. Or very little that is


Until I bought better leds. 133 actual watts 300 equivalent. This is only 1 weeks growth.