I've heard of the benefits of using chaeto is to lower nitrates as well as house pods. I've also read/heard it requires high flow to make it "tumble". I only have a HOB fuge and the total volume is 1 gallon. The box says it pumps 4.5 or 4.8 gph or something, and that's controlled by an air pump (the HOB fuge is made by finnex). Is it true that chaeto needs high flow? Could I just use a 2700K bulb to make the chaeto grow/absorb nitrates, or does chaeto also require a light to grow/absorb them anyways?
Chaeto?
- Thread starter pyro
- Start date
frank180reef
Well-Known Member
any bulb is fine
HD or whatever
HD or whatever
beckbrass
Make it fun.
One gallon is not much space to grow much of anything so I don't know how much of a benefit it will be. The 6500 k bulbs, any store, I use a standard compact florescent work well. Here is an article about bulbs in sump with some grow pics
http://www.melevsreef.com/fuge_bulb.html
http://www.melevsreef.com/fuge_bulb.html
CoralJunkie
John
Is it possible to give chaeto too much lighting?
Moe_K
Stabbed by Foulke
I doubt it. My chaeto is sitting right under my 250 watt HQI MH lamp and loving it.
Ruge13
Well-Known Member
Flow is not an issue for the chaeto, flow is an issue with the crap it will collect within the twirling mass of green as it grows and to cause it to roll around withing a water cell so that light gets to all parts of it to maximize growth. It will get thick, so without heavy flow it can accumulate detritus, which can suffocate and kill it at the center and releases the nutrients back into the water. Same for making sure all sides get light, if it is allowed to get so thick that light no longer gets through, the underside will die and release nutrients back into the water. For chaeto to work as a removal system it needs to be grown and pruned often. Removing material is the only way nutirents are removed from the system.
NO.
Dont use a regular light bulb. Go to Petco and get a 10K bulb. They cost $10 and looks just like a regular light bulb.
frank180reef
Well-Known Member
I have mine in 1 of my frag tanks, sepearted by eggcrate, it still tends to get everywhere , a bit of a PITA
frank180reef
Well-Known Member
it will grow with either
So for clarification, chaeto WILL grow/export nitrates with light spectrums of 2500k, all the way up to 10000k? And if there's not a high flow, as long as I turn it over every other day or so itll still grow? What if I bought a medium sized clump, and then cut it into 2 or 3 smaller clumps so I could constantly turn them around/over every other day or so? Would that work?
stingythingy45
Well-Known Member
You don't need to turn it every day.
I've got a 20L full of chaeto under a spirel (daylight) 65K work light.
I haven't turned it over in months and it's fine.
Keep it all together in one bunch as well.
I've got a 20L full of chaeto under a spirel (daylight) 65K work light.
I haven't turned it over in months and it's fine.
Keep it all together in one bunch as well.
The only thing that makes me second guess using chaeto is the last time I used it, it died in a week.. I had it in this strawberry container of some sort just floating around in my tank under my old fluorescent.. how ever it did put loads of pods in my tank.. I literally watch them fight over $hit on the rocks.. lol
jamesdong009
Anthony
I was in the same boat as you with growing chaeto when I first started. I could never get it to grow.
I don't know what the difference is but my chaeto has been growing pretty well these days. I recently switched over from CFL bulbs to a mix of red and blue LEDs to see if I can get the chaeto to grow faster.
I don't know what the difference is but my chaeto has been growing pretty well these days. I recently switched over from CFL bulbs to a mix of red and blue LEDs to see if I can get the chaeto to grow faster.
