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Articfox32

Cheto lighting

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I will be posting an update soon on my new 195 build but I am trying to battle algae and red slime algae for the last couple months.
I am asking this question because it seems my cheato macro algae isn't growing much. I can't seem to find online what a good lighting schedule is for it. Right now I am using t-5 18000 lights for the Refugium. Are these lights to strong and how lunch should I have them on for?
Ally parameters are good in the water with my phosphate at 1.0, I recently added a phosban reactor about 2 weeks ago and brought it down from 1.4

Thanks

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Comments

  1. Midnight's Avatar
    If that is 18000 K lighting than it is the wrong spectrum for plants. Normal daylight is best for algae, try to stay with 6500-8000k for growing macro algae.
  2. devonow's Avatar
    Articfox- Im kind of going through the same thing. Im using a 6500k daylight bulb from Home Depot. I just recently moved it closer to the water to see if it has any positive affects on chaeto growth. I also read up online that reverse cycles are best for refugium lighting. When your tank lights are on, your refug. light is off and vise versa. Im gonna try this approach and see if it cuts down on nutrients (phosphates and nitrates) which ultimately should illiminate algae growth in my disply tank.
  3. Midnight's Avatar
    I reread your post and realized that you are saying your P04 is at 1.0! Yikes that is way too high. that is certainly not help the issue. Reefers should be striving to keep this number below .02, check your numbers. If your phosphate is that high you prolly gonna have to use a chemical method to tie it up and bring that number down.

    The reverse lighting is for the benefit of reducing PH swing and will not have much affect on macro algae growth.
  4. Articfox32's Avatar
    Thanks midnight and denonow. I am gonna go to lfs and see if they have that spectrum and see about picking up a new test kit for po4.
    i have tried my redsea kit with no chemical reaction, use my Hanna meter and got a 1.0 on po4. I will retest tonight. Any recommendations on a chemical method? My live rock is reaching 9 years on. Old tank syndrome could that have any affect on po4? I will repost new test results later tonight.
  5. Midnight's Avatar
  6. melev's Avatar
    You are going to want to buy some stuff to resolve the Po4 and Cyano issues. And you can buy those from Melev's Reef! RedCyano Rx and Phosphate Rx both work great, I've used them both and that is why I sell them now.

    You can bring PO4 down to 0 in a matter of days, and Cyano can be killed in 72 hours.

    If you can get a light that is 5100K like the flood lights I've recommended for years, you'll be good to go for those plants.
  7. Midnight's Avatar
    Marc, when I visit you site and click on Reef Shop I am not seeing those products
  8. Articfox32's Avatar
    I'm not seeing products except for rodi filter
  9. melev's Avatar
    The new site goes up by MACNA. If you want to sneak a peek, send me a PM.