RegalFlush17
Active member
I was wondering what the opitimal kelvin rating was best for growing chaeto. Thanks.
RegalFlush17
RegalFlush17
Optimal Color Temperature for Refugium
- Thread starter RegalFlush17
- Start date
Help Support Reef Aquarium & Tank Building Forum:
liveforphysics
Banned
Doesnt exist. Learn what color temp is decided by, and you will understand why. You just need to get a bulb that happens to have a couple of the correct wavelegnths of light. That could mean it says 20k, or 2k.
Color temp is like this. Lets say the chaeto is looking for "C" (as in the grade) students. You have a class with 10 "A" students, and 10 "F" students. Your average student is a "C"(you can look at that like color temp), yet you would be providing the chaeto with no "C" students that it needs.
Now, you could also have a class just full of "C" students, which would also have the same average as the above class (C), but would be providing the chaeto with just what it wants. Both have same C average (aka same color temp), but only one is provideing something useful to the chaeto.
This is why your question is impossible.
You need to find a bulb that works. I belive I made this pretty clear in an earlier post I made for you.
Color temp is like this. Lets say the chaeto is looking for "C" (as in the grade) students. You have a class with 10 "A" students, and 10 "F" students. Your average student is a "C"(you can look at that like color temp), yet you would be providing the chaeto with no "C" students that it needs.
Now, you could also have a class just full of "C" students, which would also have the same average as the above class (C), but would be providing the chaeto with just what it wants. Both have same C average (aka same color temp), but only one is provideing something useful to the chaeto.
This is why your question is impossible.
You need to find a bulb that works. I belive I made this pretty clear in an earlier post I made for you.
Krish
RF STAFF
If you haven't seen this link yet, it may help you some. Best of luck
http://www.melevsreef.com/fuge_bulb.html
http://www.melevsreef.com/fuge_bulb.html
twilliard
What next?
Mine grows great under a 10K lamp. I know for me it is hard to grasp the theroy behind lamp K's so trial and error was my buddy.
liveforphysics
Banned
Twilliard- By grows great, could you give an estimated time before the mass doubles? And also please state the exact model, brand etc of the bulb.
I started with some 10k bulbs becaues that was what everybody told me I needed. I did an OK job and keeping things alive, but growth was pathetic, and it would get these clear spots in it way too easily. If your 10k's actaully GROW it, please share the brand with everybody.
It would be great to have people make some postings of every model of bulb that grows chaeto with a doubling rate of 1 week or less. I think that would be a valuable resource for the site to help people who are trying to setup functional algae export systems. I know it could have saved me all the frustration of trying a series of different bulbs that all sucked.
I started with some 10k bulbs becaues that was what everybody told me I needed. I did an OK job and keeping things alive, but growth was pathetic, and it would get these clear spots in it way too easily. If your 10k's actaully GROW it, please share the brand with everybody.
It would be great to have people make some postings of every model of bulb that grows chaeto with a doubling rate of 1 week or less. I think that would be a valuable resource for the site to help people who are trying to setup functional algae export systems. I know it could have saved me all the frustration of trying a series of different bulbs that all sucked.
moortim
Mountain Goat
liveforphysics said:
I think this is a great idea, I have been trying various bulbs and with the one I have right now my chaeto doubles in 5-6 days. It is a GE compact fluorescent with a floodlight reflector (similar to the one in the melevsreef site that krish posted above). I am not sure what the k rating on it is but I will find out and post it when I do.
Tim
Edit: I used a 10k at first but it didn't do anything for my chaeto (doubling in about 2 months!).
Last edited:
Electrokate
Well-known member
I am using the cheapest screw in compact flourescent bulb from Home Depot, I think it's 11 watts... chaeto grows right out of the water. It's very yellow, I think the plants like that.
The bulbs don't last super long, and you want to make sure they don't get any spray from bursting bubbles. My fixture is made for brooding baby chicks, it's made with a ceramic socket and can hold a 300 watt bulb. $9 at Del's. I believe it's more durable than others and has a handy hanger on it so I screwed a hook into the crossbeam of the stand above it and hang it off that.
Used up/old 10K or desklamp bulbs also are good.
Kate
The bulbs don't last super long, and you want to make sure they don't get any spray from bursting bubbles. My fixture is made for brooding baby chicks, it's made with a ceramic socket and can hold a 300 watt bulb. $9 at Del's. I believe it's more durable than others and has a handy hanger on it so I screwed a hook into the crossbeam of the stand above it and hang it off that.
Used up/old 10K or desklamp bulbs also are good.
Kate
jlehigh
Hermit D Crab
Go with a low Kelvin bulb for intencity and efficiency. IME flood lights work very well with Cheato. They are typically between 5000 and 6500K. I use a 5.00 Home depot socket and reflector with a 9.00 70 watt flood light.
Keep in mind that these results can be VERY biased based upon many things. The light you use to grow chaeto is only one of a many things that determine its ultimate growth. How clean your topoff water, livestock load, size of system, photoperiod, feeding density - all of these things are very and maybe more important than the bulb you use.
Now, that being said trying a few bulbs on the same system with the same presumed production of nitrogen compounds may be a good idea. There certainly are some bulbs that are better than others, but personal experience in a huge variety of systems may not be that helpful. A better question would be if you have tried a variety of bulbs, which one produced the best growth.
Now, that being said trying a few bulbs on the same system with the same presumed production of nitrogen compounds may be a good idea. There certainly are some bulbs that are better than others, but personal experience in a huge variety of systems may not be that helpful. A better question would be if you have tried a variety of bulbs, which one produced the best growth.
moortim
Mountain Goat
bc_slc said:
This is true, and like Luke said earlier, the kelvin rating doesn't necessarily mean anything, however I think most people have seen that lower kelvin ratings give better growth 2700k, 5100k, 6700k all come to mind. Personally if I were just starting up I would start somewhere in this area and experiment from there out.
rudeanduncouth
Ghetto Engineer
Is there any particular reason that people are using the screw in type bulbs? I have a spare PC fixture and a 6500k bulb that I plan on using when I get around to getting my glass cut.
moortim
Mountain Goat
I use one because of space issues, I don't have much room in my 55 stand and the screw in fixture can clamp to the side of my sump. I am guessing everyone uses a screw in because they are cheap.
Tim
Tim
rudeanduncouth
Ghetto Engineer
Ok, I guess I am using a 55g as my sump so I have a bit of space. Plan to make a 24" refugium when I get to it. I would have it done now but I got the glass about 1/8" to wide.
Willy
Well-known member
rudeanduncouth said:
They are cheap
I have a $5 reflector and use a $9 6100k bulb from walmart
lights of america 2830 S-L is the model number
Last edited:
twilliard
What next?
I have to pull it out about once every two months down to about the size of a mellon. Before I pull it out, it will fill that 10G tank to the rim with cheato.liveforphysics said:
I use a 10K 28W PC right to the top of the tank. No reflector. Irridium lamp. Workhorse ballast. A lot of flow. I feed the tank kinda heavy so I think it is thriving on the phosphates. I always read a little high on that. Like a .1 to .2 It stays a deep green and also this red algae that the little bugs in there love to eat.
Thats about all I can think of.
Also I just threw in a little bit of grape Calupra in a few weeks ago to see how it too grows out and it too is growing very well.
Here is a pic of it.
