Assistance with DYI Algea Reactor!!

[RC88]

Hello fellow reefers,

I wonder if anyone has experienced the following and have some tips they can give me.
I set up a DYI algea reactor about 3 weeks ago. The reactor has a capacity of about 700ml and I’ve added about 100ml worth of cheato. I have a iNextStation Plant Grow LED Strip Light around it (12v 24w - 4 red to 1 blue bulbs). The cheato hasn’t grown at all nor has it reduced my nitrates. I have a 22 gallon/ 100 litre 7 month old tank. The pump supporting it is a 720l/h pump.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to why it’s not growing? I have the lights switched on for about 14 hours a day - alternating with my tank light. Do I have enough cheato in the reactor? Do I have enough flow? Enough nutrients? Below are my parameters. These have been stable for quite some time.
Alk - 9
Ammonia - 0
Calcium - 450
Nitrate - 25
Nitrite - 0
Ph - 8.0
Phosphate - 0.2
Salinity - 1.026

I am considering using a cheato boost liquid to see if it gets it going but wanted to consult my fellow reefers first before dosing anything in my tank.
Your advice is greatly appreciated - thank you.

 

[Subsea]

Hello fellow reefers,

I wonder if anyone has experienced the following and have some tips they can give me.
I set up a DYI algea reactor about 3 weeks ago. The reactor has a capacity of about 700ml and I’ve added about 100ml worth of cheato. I have a iNextStation Plant Grow LED Strip Light around it (12v 24w - 4 red to 1 blue bulbs). The cheato hasn’t grown at all nor has it reduced my nitrates. I have a 22 gallon/ 100 litre 7 month old tank. The pump supporting it is a 720l/h pump.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to why it’s not growing? I have the lights switched on for about 14 hours a day - alternating with my tank light. Do I have enough cheato in the reactor? Do I have enough flow? Enough nutrients? Below are my parameters. These have been stable for quite some time.
Alk - 9
Ammonia - 0
Calcium - 450
Nitrate - 25
Nitrite - 0
Ph - 8.0
Phosphate - 0.2
Salinity - 1.026

I am considering using a cheato boost liquid to see if it gets it going but wanted to consult my fellow reefers first before dosing anything in my tank.
Your advice is greatly appreciated - thank you.

Your major nutrients are fine. You would assume that chaeto boost liquid would handle trace minerals. I always dose iron. Not that familiar with your led strip light but that seems to be more than adequate. Does the chaeto in algae reactor grow at all.

I also made an algae reactor with 3’ of clear 3” pvc with 100W of led light bar.

 

[RC88]

Your major nutrients are fine. You would assume that chaeto boost liquid would handle trace minerals. I always dose iron. Not that familiar with your led strip light but that seems to be more than adequate. Does the chaeto in algae reactor grow at all.

Hi - thanks for that. What iron product do you use? Would like a recommendation. Regarding the chaeto growth - I would say minimal close to none. I have been using the strips of LED along the reactor to measure growth and I’ve seen hardly any.

 

[RC88]

Your major nutrients are fine. You would assume that chaeto boost liquid would handle trace minerals. I always dose iron. Not that familiar with your led strip light but that seems to be more than adequate. Does the chaeto in algae reactor grow at all.

I also made an algae reactor with 3’ of clear 3” pvc with 100W of led light bar.

Also what did you use to cover the light? At the moment mine is in the box it came in to block some of the light. Have tested the heat it’s generating and seems to be fine. But would ideally prefer a better way to block the light

 

[Subsea]

Hi - thanks for that. What iron product do you use? Would like a recommendation. Regarding the chaeto growth - I would say minimal close to none. I have been using the strips of LED along the reactor to measure growth and I’ve seen hardly any.

Consider dosing iron, manganese and iodine

 

[Subsea]

Also what did you use to cover the light? At the moment mine is in the box it came in to block some of the light. Have tested the heat it’s generating and seems to be fine. But would ideally prefer a better way to block the light

With respect to heat gain in your reactor, the flow of water prevents heat buildup. However, my phytoplankton reactor builds up heat when led strip touches container wall. I used eggcrate as a spacer to prevent led from touching outside of container.

With respect to covering light on algae reactor, use pvc pipe ripped along its length making two long semicircle covers.

 

[RC88]

With respect to heat gain in your reactor, the flow of water prevents heat buildup. However, my phytoplankton reactor builds up heat when led strip touches container wall. I used eggcrate as a spacer to prevent led from touching outside of container.

Do you have anything to block the light from filling your room? Seems from your picture that you have covered it with something?