LED Strip for Algae Reactor

BigGimp77 · Nov 4, 2019

Hey All,

I've had some trouble getting my Chaeto to grow in my algae reactor. I still have tons of algae in my display tank, but no growth for the chaeto. I was thinking of trying some new LED lights.

A lot of the threads I've seen suggest using:

LED Lights

But those are unavailable. Does anyone have any testimonials on any other LED strip lights? These are what I'm currently using with no luck Current Lights

reef lover · Nov 18, 2019

Bump!

dhof · Nov 18, 2019

BigGimp77 said:
Hey All,

I've had some trouble getting my Chaeto to grow in my algae reactor. I still have tons of algae in my display tank, but no growth for the chaeto. I was thinking of trying some new LED lights.

A lot of the threads I've seen suggest using:

LED Lights

But those are unavailable. Does anyone have any testimonials on any other LED strip lights? These are what I'm currently using with no luck Current Lights

I ran a chaeto reactor for about a year very successfully with the light from Marine Depot (also not available anymore) https://www.marinedepot.com/accel-a...stant-led-strip-light-with-transformer-6-foot.

That light was recommended on several build videos I watched back then, but I honestly could not tell any real difference between it and any other led strip light. I would think that any warm-white LED strip light would work the same.

In my refugium now, I have chaeto, and use a high power grow light that is pink/purple. I think that the pink/purple like what you are using makes more sense than a warm-white LED strip, but I know that the warm-white strip really works.

Given that you have algae growing in the tank, but the Chaeto is not growing, makes me wonder if your Cheaeto is iron starved. I'd personally keep the LED light you have, get some Ferrion or Chaetogrow and dose your tank per their instructions. Clean the algae in the tank as often as you can for the first few weks, and the Chaeto should start outcompeting the tank algae.

Another mistake I've made in the past is leaving too much chaeto in there. You might consider pulling out all but the size of a baseball. You can keep the stuff you pull out in a container of saltwater for weeks/months and it won't die. There might be enough nutrients for the smaller ball to thrive, whereas an already full reactor might be outcompeting itself for nutrients.

Just a few thoughts...

BigGimp77 · Nov 19, 2019

I've tried dosing both of those with no luck. The Chaetogrow I started about 2 weeks ago. I've switched to some white LED (New Lights) instead of the Red/Blue and haven't noticed any difference. There's some stuff growing in my algae reactor but its not the chaeto haha.

The good news is that the algae in my display tank has gone down quite a bit over the past month. Not really sure why as nothing has changed but I'm not complaining. I do hope that eventually I can get this algae reactor going though.

BigGimp77 · Feb 26, 2020

Wanted to bump this old thread. I've been using the white lights listed above. My cheato hasn't died but It's not growing much if at all. Anyone have lights that they have proven success with?