Mark's chaeto bubbler (MCB device)

watchguy123 · Dec 11, 2015

So I have followed with interest over years, the various macro algae growing efforts such as the turf scrubber, the up flow scrubber, and the ARID. Each using some technique to increase flow and turbulence around macro algae in order to improve and increase its growth and thereby increase nutrient uptake and ultimately export.

I have a simple refugium that has chaeto growing in it that I harvest once or twice a month. I know some hobbyists have "rolling" chaeto by means of a pump or flow to maximize light on the entire chaeto ball. It just seemed that the flow was never quite right in my refugium to achieve that effect.

So I thought, why not add a bubbler or two. So after googling the best bubbler or air diffuser, I found the micro pore which has really tiny bubbles. Unfortunately, it appears the company either no longer makes them or is out of business, I don't really know. I called all kinds of plant and hydroponic suppliers and finally found two which I quickly ordered.

I use a really powerful air pump and voila. I have a huge amount of really tiny and a few large bubbles rising through my chaeto. I have an LED light for plant growth which I have had for a while but thats not really the point, I think any light that grows your chaeto is fine. What I am curious to observe is: if the increased turbulence and bubbles will increase my chaeto growth. I guess it is all a variation of a turf scrubber, up flow scrubber and ARID, although I don't know yet if it will increase growth. I thought i would share my experience and welcome any input. I call my device Mark's chaeto bubbler or just the "MCB device". Since there is no commercial benefit to me, I thought I would at least enjoy making up some silly name for it.

I have a glass top over my refugium because all these tiny bubbles do pop and i don't want salt creep everywhere. What I have found so far is that the bubble popping keeps the glass pretty clear. I am waiting to see where all the salt creep ends up still, maybe it will just dissolve back into the refugium, I don't know that yet either. I may post this thread on other forums because different reefers follow different forums.

Here are a few pictures to get a better idea of what I am doing:

This is the bubbler, its about 10 or 12 inches long, I believe. I have two in the refugium and both are powered by the single air pump.

This is the air pump sitting on the glass lid which sits on my refugium.

Side view of the bubbles passing through the chaeto

Top view of refugium, chaeto and a lot of bubbles

hawkinsrgk · Dec 11, 2015

Following. Thanks for sharing. Depending on how this works out I may try this myself

domination2580 · Dec 13, 2015

Please let us know how this works!

Dtackett · Dec 13, 2015

you will likely still have salt creep issues but this was a good idea. if you want to avoid the salt creep you can always make a spray bar and use a pump. essentially you drill several holes down a length of PVC pipe that fits your pump and you have a wall of directional flow. but if this works stick with it. my only concern would be the skimmer effect. you will likely have protein buildup cause of these micro bubbles. but that may not be much of an issue.

revhtree · Dec 14, 2015

Very cool!

watchguy123 · Dec 14, 2015

Dtackett said:
you will likely still have salt creep issues but this was a good idea. if you want to avoid the salt creep you can always make a spray bar and use a pump. essentially you drill several holes down a length of PVC pipe that fits your pump and you have a wall of directional flow. but if this works stick with it. my only concern would be the skimmer effect. you will likely have protein buildup cause of these micro bubbles. but that may not be much of an issue.

So far (2 weeks) salt creep is not an issue. I do wonder if I will get a calcium build up on the glass cover. When I had a glass cover in my tank, a sort of calcium build up would develop on the glass that was just about impossible to remove. Fortunately, I have not seen any salt creep anywhere

revhtree said:
Very cool!

Still wondering if this will increase chaeto growth/production. Hard to tell if any real improvement, yet. I can't imagine that someone else hasn't tried adding a bubbler to their refugium.

I can say that the air pump and micro pore diffusers are creating a lot of water movement within the chaeto.

NeuroticAquatics · Dec 14, 2015

I'm following just to see how it goes.

Rjramos · Dec 14, 2015

Also following to see how it goes! I have a chaeto sandwich(CS) idea under the DIY forum on R2R, you might want to check out. I have run an air stone underneath one of my sandwiches but have not noticed increased growth.Also, I do not like any kind of salt creep. For one thing, my sandwich acts as a barrier in the sump and can be placed so that all refugium water has to go through it to exit. It also allows to place the chaeto a few inches underwater to maximize light exposure. I grow one side full and then flip the sandwich periodically. Growth can be easily monitored and harvested periodically when necessary. Here are some pictures.

ImageUploadedByREEF2REEF1450132928.112058.jpg

ImageUploadedByREEF2REEF1450132954.348961.jpg

rboutin111 · Dec 22, 2015

What type of light is everyone using to grow their chaeto?

Rjramos · Dec 22, 2015

2- 6500/10000k 65 watt PC's

domination2580 · Dec 23, 2015

What do you mean pcs?

Rjramos · Dec 23, 2015

Power compacts

Sabellafella · Dec 23, 2015

Kessil a150

hawkinsrgk · Dec 23, 2015

5500K Home Depot LED

watchguy123 · Dec 26, 2015

So I harvested today and took some pictures and I'll do do it again in two weeks. @Rjramos, I read your thread with the sandwich and I like it. I have a goofy eurobrace running around my Refugium so it makes it not reasonable to use the egg crate otherwise I would do it just like yours.

I have included some pictures, I didn't weight the chaeto so I'm not able to make any objective comparisons yet. And next time I'll use a ruler

watchguy123 · Jan 23, 2016

I forgot about the Refugium because of traveling, so here it is just shy of 4 weeks and I trimmed the cheato today. My aim was to remove 1/2 but I probably removed about 75% of it because it's hard to aim with the scissors in the Refugium cutting away. This time I weighed it on a digital food scale and it weighed 1 pound 2.8 ounces. Let's see what this averages overtime. Seems like a pound plus of export is pretty good even for a 4 week period.

I think it may be easier to keep track of chaeto growth if I make a sandwich ala @Rjramos . Is there a special eggcrate that I should purchase ( my concern: does the plastic leach anything into the water)

Rjramos · Jan 23, 2016

No special eggcrate, just what you find at your HD or lowes. Otherwise I would have a bunch of dead animals cause I use eggcrate for many different aquarium applications.[emoji4]I just harvested yesterday, between the chaetosandwich pictured above and a smaller one on the tank at work, both sides leaving about 1/2" on the crate,I filled 3/4 of a 5gal bucket.