Best light for growing chaeto in sump?

[Pntbll687]

I use a finnex light that's for planted tanks. I got it used for like $5-$10 from someone parting out their freshwater system. I believe new they shouldn't be more than $50.

I just have it on a timer, nothing special.

 

[bmbpka]

https://www.aquaticlife.com/aquatic-life-reno-freshwater-led-aquarium-light-fixtures.html

7” clip on. Grows like weeds.

Photo was 5min after I dropped a golf ball size in the sump. Size of a basketball now.

 

[Oberst Oswald]

I'll give another thumbs up for the Kessil H380. It is excellent for growing Chaeto. The company is 1st class in their products and customer service.

 

[Joe Heavy]

I was using a marineland led w/ built in timer and it worked good at 12 hours blue and 8 hours of whites . I have since purchased an H80 because I am using Ulva and Chaeto for Copes. After reading the one reply you have gotten I am wondering if its an upgrade from the cheaper unit I had.

I am running two h80’s time will tell. Two golf ball sized chaeto were added a week ago and now they look more dense

 

[DylanE]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...rd_wg=YLpsy&psc=1&refRID=VCQM10SR00SXK1P259NX

This was affordable, easy to install, and the growth I've gotten from it is unreal. No need to drop a ton of money on a fuge light.

 

[PaulK]

I've been using this one from Amazon for about six months:

https://www.amazon.com/MAXSISUN-Dim...473&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=maxsisun+300w&psc=1

It's adjustable. I run it at half power (about 50 watts). I pull out about half of a five-gallon bucket full of cheato every week or two.

 

[eb_reef]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...rd_wg=YLpsy&psc=1&refRID=VCQM10SR00SXK1P259NX

This was affordable, easy to install, and the growth I've gotten from it is unreal. No need to drop a ton of money on a fuge light.

I have a AIO 32 biocube do you think this light will be ok pressed up against the back glass?

 

[Dave Splain]

I have been using the H80 for about a month now and my chaeto has grown incredibly! I have it over a 10 gal aquarium I am using as a amphipod tank. Not only has the chaeto increase in over all size, it has become very dense! I had a cheaper light over it before and it did grow however not like it's growing now.

 

[Dan Caldarona]

I've just set up my refugium and have only had Chaeto for 4 days under a 60w 5000k daylight led bulb, the bulb is about 6" away from the chaeto. No noticeable growth. I'm thinking about getting a 6500k bulb to see if it boosts growth. I have cyano in my display so I need the chaeto to out compete it. If the 6500k fails then I'll get the green Amazon grow bulb. Time will tell.

 

[djbetterly]

+1 H80
I spent money on a lot of other lights, not one has given me the success of the H80!

 

[Nano1908]

I know this is an old post but wondering can a current orbit pro will grow any macros? That will be my cheapest route being that I have a few [emoji6]

 

[Alexander Lucas]

I tried the h80 and was thouroughly underwhelmed. Granted the h380 uses like eight times the wattage but I'm skeptical of the ROI on a light like that. I have upped my setup to two of these bulbs and it certainly is in the "like weeds" category.

What do you mean the ROI?

 

[sde1500]

What do you mean the ROI?

Return on investment, basically is the expense of the light worth it.

 

[Dave Splain]

I used a Kessile H80 and had fantastic results. I have been throwing away chaeto because it grows so dense and quick.

 

[w2inc]

Return on investment, basically is the expense of the light worth it.

I would say no. Really adamantly no.

Articles I have read about horticulture and spectrum looks like the circle is complete. Has gone from sodium vapor Yellow to Led pink, red and back to white again. The newest hype in grow lights this year is the new Samsung LM301B 5000k.

There are soo many really good grow lights out there. The new stuff is just fine tuning for maximum par per watt.

My experience is that watts and flow matter most. I used the Finex 15 watt on one of my tanks and it grew things chaeto. It didnt grow it fast enough to keep up with nutrients on the 40 gallon 2 fish system It was on. I use a 150 watt grow light like the one in the link above (LED Grow Light Full Spectrum, New Technolgy 150W Grow Lamp with CREE COB) on my 120 tons of fish system and it grows massive amounts. The fan is loud. I am sitting on the other side of my house about 30 feet from the tank and I can hear it. I am going to change it out for a fanless one with better watts per par output. Before that I had great results from a 75 watt black box. It worked great but got rusty and I got rid of it.

My other reef fuge has an LED patio light: CHUNNUAN LED Flood Light, 100W, 10000 LUMEN，6000-6500K Cold White, Waterproof, IP65, Instant On, CE and ROHS Certified. No fan. $29 on amazon. My Seneye agrees with the stats they claim. I originally got it for one of my planted tanks. I like the color. It out preforms all other "aquatic plant" lights I have owned. (Beamworks, Orphik, Kessil Sun, Finnex, Black box, DIY, and Ikea.) The reef tank is new, no fish, really not enough nutrient to see much growth yet. Keeps Chaeto alive at week 4.

I love Kessil for reef lights, but if you want the best bang for your buck on a horticulture light, go shop their competition in that arena and see what you find.

 

[Mr Mumblez]

So I need to grow chaeto and absorb as many phosphate as it can, I'm having a really bad algae issue.

At the moment I'm using a led tube light, nothing impressive, almost no growth.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[MichaelReefer]

AI Fuge Light

PAR, spectrum and spread of the AI Prime Fuge HD for refugium lighting? - #AskBRStv

This Ask BRStv question, “How does the Aqua Illumination Prime Fuge HD LED stack up?”, came to us from our sponsor forum Reef2Reef.com. We tested the PAR and Spectrum to see how this new LED light from Aqua Illumination stacks up against the competition. Control Aqua Illumination

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[w2inc]

I use a 100 watt 6500k LED outdoor floodlight. I got it on amazon for $35. It is fantastic. No fan, normal color light, doesn't put out too much heat, splash resistant and cheap. Grows Chaeto and Mangroves as fast as my more expensive grow lights from about 10 inches away.

I have tried a variety of lights and am happy to go into detail if you need it. In my experience with growing plants both in and out of water I have found that bright lights grow things. There are times that I feel the need to control spectrum for one reason or another (bloom vs vegetative) but plants find a way to grow when they have bright light and nutrient available.

I live in southern California and power can cost up to $.25 per Kw/hr and so there are times I consider a specialized horticultural light that will give me the most growth per watt, but I feel like the return on investment would be a really long wait.

A dimmable light would be convenient in some situations, but a light timer can accomplish most of the same things.

 

[FullyCichlid]

Anything in the 6500K spectrum will grow chaeto. You need the nutrients to grow it and you have to be able to out compete your display lights, or you'll grow GHA up there that'll out compete your chaeto.

Im new to this chaeto set up and was wondering what you mean by having to have the lights out competing the display tank. Also what exactly is GHA

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Im new to this chaeto set up and was wondering what you mean by having to have the lights out competing the display tank. Also what exactly is GHA

GHA is green hair algae, the bane of every reefer with high nutrients. Algae will grow where ever there is light and nutrients. You dont even have to introduce it, the stuff just appears out of thin air. If your display is a better place for algae to grow than your refugium, then it will grow in your display. It wont restrict itself only to your refugium because that is where you want it.