Lighting for your Refugium

Wildcats1023

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I'd like to see how people light there refugiums with Chaeto and other Macro algae and the effects of each
I switched my light from a cheap Amazon ufo led grow light to a Kessil H80 about a month ago. I could only grow calurpa with the ufo light and it grew slowly. Now with the Kessel I have chaeto and calurpas growing much faster than before. Chaeto would be white in a week with my old light.
 
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Areeflover

Areeflover

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I'd definitely like to do that but I'm removing my protein skimmer and extending my refugium of my 30 gal sump to about 3/4's of the sump so one wont cut it
 

catfishblues

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I use two par 38 led bulbs for growing plants that I got on Amazon. My chaeto and other things I've collected all pearl (grow so fast that oxygen bubbles form) and grow like crazy. When I put these on my hair algae vanished in days.
07c3693074882fa3d62558a8b0e23be6.jpg
 

PerplexyHexy

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This badboy works really well... im currently using it to grow dragons breathe, chaeto, and grape caluerpa... Growth rate is insane and the price is really reasonable as well... actual unit dimensions are 15”x9 1/2” nice size for a bigger refugium
 

Crabs McJones

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Kessil H380
Z3hNzq1h.jpg
 

catfishblues

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db41ea0d73ebe02b61bd34c5afbb7b6f.jpg

This badboy works really well... im currently using it to grow dragons breathe, chaeto, and grape caluerpa... Growth rate is insane and the price is really reasonable as well... actual unit dimensions are 15”x9 1/2” nice size for a bigger refugium
Dang this is a cool looking light!
 

PerplexyHexy

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Dang this is a cool looking light!

Its really nice... im getting another one for my frag setup where Im gonna have a 40 gallon refugium... for $100 its amazing... I have boatloads of macros growing for when the frag setup is ready... It really is for the most part waterproof as well... It is built very well and the power cables are extremely hevy duty and durable... comes with hanging kit as well
 

mch1984

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I switched my light from a cheap Amazon ufo led grow light to a Kessil H80 about a month ago. I could only grow calurpa with the ufo light and it grew slowly. Now with the Kessel I have chaeto and calurpas growing much faster than before. Chaeto would be white in a week with my old light.
It always amazes me how people can have completely different experience with lights. I use a 150 UFO and it does great. I grow chaeto fast and have to thin it out often, sorry you have had a bad experience with it.
 

TheWalkman99

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I use the Inovative marine cheatomax light on my AIO and I’m getting great growth out of my cheato
 

Wildcats1023

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It always amazes me how people can have completely different experience with lights. I use a 150 UFO and it does great. I grow chaeto fast and have to thin it out often, sorry you have had a bad experience with it.
I have never really been able to grow chaeto until now. Maybe low nutrients in my tank but now it's growing. Not extremely fast but growing.
 

timrocks311

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I switched my light from a cheap Amazon ufo led grow light to a Kessil H80 about a month ago. I could only grow calurpa with the ufo light and it grew slowly. Now with the Kessel I have chaeto and calurpas growing much faster than before. Chaeto would be white in a week with my old light.

I use a cheap LED grow light from Amazon. My Chaeto does turn white if I don't tumble it every couple of days. I always thought this was from too much light or too strong of light, but is it actually from insufficient light? I thought it would be worse to go with something more powerful, but am I wrong? Should i get something more powerful?
 

fish farmer

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I started growing chaeto in my 20 gal sump just over a month ago. I'm lighting a small section with an LED grown bulb from Home Depot in a cheap shop light fixture. The bulb is a Feit Electric plant grow light 9 watts, model A19/GROW/LEDG2. K temp is 3300. It has peak wavelengths at 630 nm and 448 nm. I started with maybe a cup of chaeto and it has filled the area I have it in. I pulled about a cup out of it yesterday and I still have two or three cups left. I flip it every few days. I have high phos and nitrates and they both have started dropping since the addition.
 
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Areeflover

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I started growing chaeto in my 20 gal sump just over a month ago. I'm lighting a small section with an LED grown bulb from Home Depot in a cheap shop light fixture. The bulb is a Feit Electric plant grow light 9 watts, model A19/GROW/LEDG2. K temp is 3300. It has peak wavelengths at 630 nm and 448 nm. I started with maybe a cup of chaeto and it has filled the area I have it in. I pulled about a cup out of it yesterday and I still have two or three cups left. I flip it every few days. I have high phos and nitrates and they both have started dropping since the addition.
I actually went today and got 2 6500k bulbs and fixture
 

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