Optimal wavelength for chaeto

[eamike261]

Does Chaeto just need 660nm and 430nm (AKA chlorophyll A)? Does it benefit more to incorporate 630nm and 460nm (AKA chlorophyll B) as well?

From a post on RC about macro algae...

"Blues at 430nm produce chlorophyll A and at 460nm chlorophyll B is produced.

Reds at 660nm produce chlorophyll A and at 630nm produce chlorophyll B."

 

[ether]

Can't speak to exact wavelengths, but I've been using cheapish growlight leds off of Amazon with success.

 

[eamike261]

Do you remember what wavelengths the LEDs were in your your specific light? Or do you have a link?

 

[miPapareef]

I used this first and it grew cheato well.

But this Kessil H80 is way better. (Less hair algae growth, faster thicker cheato growth)
Even with less watts it’s better, I can only assume it’s wavelenght related. I have it on the grow setting.

 

[ether]

Do you remember what wavelengths the LEDs were in your your specific light? Or do you have a link?

Here are the two I've used so far:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TT3EKD2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0748D2SMB/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Second one is the same as papareef's above. Unscientifically, the light looks red/purple.

 

[OhDumb]

I use own a version of this LED grow light off of Amazon.

Here is a pic the spec sheet that shows the wavelength. It peaks at both the blue and red mentioned above. They also list out the LEDs they use for red and blue which match up with the CheatoMAX light.

 

[Subsea]

Define optimum.

As was pointed out about nuisance algae thriving with generic greenhouse grow lights, it’s not about what chaeto needs, it’s about what other nuisance algae thrive on. Chaeto will thrive at any spectrum, if nutrients and other conditions are satisfied. I have grown it outdoors under 2000 PAR of Texas summers at 5000Kelvin and I have grown it under 20K blue spectrum at 50 PAR. Chaeto will photo adapt. When I receive Bortacladia from the divers, it is a rich dark burgundy color as it is collected between 60’-120’. At that depth, light is not very bright and the spectrum is heavy blue because lower energy wavelengths have been eliminated as water depth increases. I grow these same Red Grapes under 12K & 6500 Kelvin with good results. So, in the wild, why dooesn’t Bortacladia thrive at lower depths that includes red & yellows spectrum. It’s because other algae’s thrive at that depth and outcompete slow growing Bortacladia. In shallower water which includes red spectrum, nuisance algae will outcompete Bortacladia but that same algae can not adapt to the Blue only spectrum.