Adjusting Chaeto light schedule to maintain nutrients.

[casey012293]

I recently created a chaeto reactor for my Biocube. The chaeto is just starting to grow and has made me more comfortable feeding my fish and adding more to my tank. I currently have the lighting 12/12hr opposite the lighting of my display tank. It has been so efficient at reducing nutrients that I fear it has driven my nutrients too low and am thinking I’m seeing reduced color in my SPS and LPS.

I guess my question is how do people adjust chaeto lighting instead of dosing nutrients. My light timer has a 3, 6, and 12 hour lighting mode. I’m considering reducing the lighting to 6 hours daily and if still really efficient, is 3 hours too little to keep chaeto alive?

My lighting also consists of two separate strips of which one could be disconnected. Would it be better to disconnect one for lower lighting and still keep the schedule set to 12 hours? I under the impression that the chaeto will start to die if the light isn’t bright enough also.

what combinations of adjustments have you all made in your refugium or reactors to keep nutrient levels from being depleted in your tanks?

(My photo was from earlier on in the chaeto reactor addition, don’t have a more recent one at the moment.)

 

[Reefahholic]

I’d reduce the light intensity first. If that doesn’t bring the nutrients back up, I’d go down to 6 hrs. I think 3 hrs would be pushing it. You could also turn one strip off if the other things combined aren’t working. Lastly, harvest some cheato.

Good luck!

 

[attiland]

I would buy a different timer allowing you freely adjust time. Go slow with changes and if current intensity grows chaeto I would touch that setting

 

[casey012293]

I’d reduce the light intensity first. If that doesn’t bring the nutrients back up, I’d go down to 6 hrs. I think 3 hrs would be pushing it. You could also turn one strip off if the other things combined aren’t working. Lastly, harvest some cheato.

Good luck!

I’m wondering what everyone else does that works. I was assuming these would be my game plans, but also if similar hasn’t worked for others I’ll definitely hop on dosing. I also wasn’t sure if the decreased intensity or schedule would be a death sentence to chaeto.

 

[Reefahholic]

I’m wondering what everyone else does that works. I was assuming these would be my game plans, but also if similar hasn’t worked for others I’ll definitely hop on dosing. I also wasn’t sure if the decreased intensity or schedule would be a death sentence to chaeto.

It’s not gonna kill it. Just don’t go drastically low.