Macro & Light Spectrum Question

[MA Reefer]

Background- Im new to the sump/fuge scene. To light my fuge i bought a $5 light reflector and a "14 PAR" grow bulb from home depot. My tank has been up about 5 weeks got through cycle and is slammed with brown and green hair algae.

My fuge us nearly perfectly clean.

Watched the brs videos and determined the light is probably way underpowered so i bought a kessil A80 tuna blue for the fuge to replace the el cheapo light. Lots of threads the Blue light isnt good for chaeto and realized i shoulda got something with higher wavelength/lower temp.

I threw the A80 up to either sell or trade, but then browsing algae barn, saw a bunch of red algae options.

If the algae color is red, it must be reflecting the red spectrum and absorbs more blue/yellow/green light theoretically growing better than green algae thats absorbs more blue & red spectrums and relfects back green/yellow.

Lighting for Algae Cultures

About light and photosynthesis When we talk about light for photosynthesis, we are talking about PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation). This radiation consists of photons of light that are between 400-700nM in wavelength. (Explore the ARS Algae Lights) To choose the correct light for...

algaeresearchsupply.com

Anyone confirm or thoughts? I bought some red ogo; red pom pom; and green sea lettuce to round things out.

 

[Spare time]

Blue is the strongest for nearly all algae. You want strong blue. Look up a graph for chlorophyll A and you will see what I mean.

 

[lapin]

So if you are looking for a inexpensive light to grow a small amount of macro in a small area I found the LED grow lights like this work great with a reflector, as long as the algae is not too deep in a tank.

Feit Electric 60-Watt Equivalent A19 Medium E26 Base Non-Dimmable Indoor and Outdoor Full Spectrum LED Plant Grow Light Bulb A19/GROW/LEDG2 - The Home Depot

Feit Electric LED grow lights provide the lighting essential for healthy plant growth while producing considerably less heat and using less energy than standard incandescent grow lights. Feit Electric

www.homedepot.com

 

[MA Reefer]

So if you are looking for a inexpensive light to grow a small amount of macro in a small area I found the LED grow lights like this work great with a reflector, as long as the algae is not too deep in a tank.

Feit Electric 60-Watt Equivalent A19 Medium E26 Base Non-Dimmable Indoor and Outdoor Full Spectrum LED Plant Grow Light Bulb A19/GROW/LEDG2 - The Home Depot

Feit Electric LED grow lights provide the lighting essential for healthy plant growth while producing considerably less heat and using less energy than standard incandescent grow lights. Feit Electric

www.homedepot.com

Problem is I'm already $150 into the A80 easier and cheaper if i can get an algae to work with it rather than buy another one

Btw my fuge space is only about 12x12x8

 

[MA Reefer]

Blue is the strongest for nearly all algae. You want strong blue. Look up a graph for chlorophyll A and you will see what I mean.

Thats what i thought too, and why i got the tuna blue, but there are a lot of threads that say the Tuna blue doesnt grow chaeto well.

Sometimes its hard to know what to believe, there are threads that say the H80 isnt great either, but they are comparing it to the H160

Maybe all these forums just got me thinking about it too hard.

 

[Spare time]

Thats what i thought too, and why i got the tuna blue, but there are a lot of threads that say the Tuna blue doesnt grow chaeto well.

Sometimes its hard to know what to believe, there are threads that say the H80 isnt great either, but they are comparing it to the H160

Maybe all these forums just got me thinking about it too hard.

I think there are lots of factors relating to its growth but based off of the graphs of light spectrum used by chlorophyll a (and others used in it), blue and violet always seem to be the strongest. I think flow is also one other thing to remember

 

[AlgaeBarn]

What lights are you using on your display tank?

 

[MA Reefer]

What lights are you using on your display tank?

Hey Algae Barn, no kidding, i just ordered those macros from u guys....should be coming in today

Display tank (40 breeder) is two Kessil A160s in tuna blue running under 45% intensity color 18k right now.

Fuge is set up right now with 1x a80 in tuna blue running 100% intensity, color about 12k

 

[MA Reefer]

In case anyone else reads this for information sharing....the red algae plan is a bust

Got some red ogo and some red pom pom pom along with some sea lettuce.....reds were dead within the week.

Chalked it up to my own stupidity and not acclimating, just threw it in the sump and basted it with light. So i placed an order for more red ogo. And watched it carefully, again started looking really bad within a week.

In an attempt to save it, pulled it all out and put it in a bowl floating in my sump and hit it with big dose Seachem Flourish and hit it with strong blue light-

It looks like its starting to come back slowly with some bright red tips here and there.

Btw Algae Barn support has been simply awesome!

Moral of the story, based on my n=1 experience, my tank is too new and too "clean" to support red ogo or pom pom. With seeing it respond to Flourish, i think it needs a decent amount of nitrogen and/or trace to survive.

If i can bring this stuff back from the dead, i'll be looking to dose my tank with Flourish or Flourish Nitrate.

 

[Tahoe61]

I have red and green growing well under 14k of MH. Phoenix bulb so a little blue.

I routinely blow it off with turkey baster or shake and rotate clumps. It seems to like higher flow.

For nutrients 1 fish water from display.

 

[MA Reefer]

I have red and green growing well under 14k of MH. Phoenix bulb so a little blue.

I routinely blow it off with turkey baster or shake and rotate clumps. It seems to like higher flow.

For nutrients 1 fish water from display.

Is that ogo or pom pom?
The sea lettuce i got had no issues, just tossed right in

 

[Tahoe61]

Ogo red and green.

 

[MA Reefer]

Now im curious. Do u register nitates or phosphate?

Mine have been solidly 0 but im only 6 weeks in

 

[MA Reefer]

Trying to figure out what is going on with this stuff and why im having so much trouble with it.
Nh3-0
No2- 0
No3- 0
Ph- 8.0 - 8.1
Po4- 0
Ca- 400-440
Salinity- 1.023-1.024
Temp 77
Alk- 3.5 meq/L
Fuge light kessil a80; tank lights kessil 2xa160s
Several corals, inverts and sea lettuce all seems to be doing well