CTS. Chaeto turf scrubber

spamreefnew · 04/09/2015, 09:48 PM

Has anyone ever tried to use chaeto as an ATS? In my sump I Put a large chunk of chaeto, under it I put some airline and above it it I put some strong LED lights,mostly 660nm red and420nm blue. It's only been 2 days and my algae went from 9x9 inches to 12x 12 inches. My thinking is the bubbles will break up the boundary layer and the strong lights will enhance growth.

ca1ore · 04/10/2015, 12:40 AM

Cheato isn't a 'turf' algae per se; but any refugium with macro will help to reduce nutrient levels along the lines of an ATS. You can certainly enhance growth by using 660 red LED and 'tumbling' the algae; though the latter requires a good sized tank volume.

Floyd R Turbo · 04/10/2015, 06:34 PM

I know someone that took an old Santa Monica SM100, took out the mesh screen, modified the slot pipe to be a spray bar (holes), and rolled up a piece of mesh and stuck it in the drain to act as a strainer and then filled it up with chaeto. It worked great, grew chaeto multiple times faster than when it was submerged.

The problem, IMO, with a ball of chaeto is that your flow is not random enough right at the surface, all the time throughout the entire mass.

Heck you could probably rig up a wet/dry trickle filter, all the way out of the water, and provide it a ton of flow and light from 4 sides and get better growth than a submerged ball of chaeto

many ways to skin the cat

d2mini · 04/10/2015, 09:28 PM

Here's my 22"x22"x24" "chaeto algae scrubber".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyc9fdCe244

spamreefnew · 04/11/2015, 09:15 PM

D2mni, wow! How did you do that? That looks just like my sump I would love some tips!

d2mini · 04/11/2015, 09:20 PM

Water enters the fuge through a spray bar at the top right pointing across the water surface which is what's keeping it rolling counterclockwise.
And the secret to the growth is the 150w HPS grow light.
It goes from softball size to that monster in just a few weeks.

System has immeasurable nitrates. Due to the cheato? Couldn't tell ya for sure.

ca1ore · 04/11/2015, 09:22 PM

That video is just creepy ......

d2mini · 04/12/2015, 06:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ca1ore

that video is just creepy ......

lol

CStrickland · 04/12/2015, 10:39 AM

It's true. I expected the sun to rise from behind it like the beginning of 2001: A Space Odyssey

BigCountry74 · 04/12/2015, 08:52 PM

that video is totally killer man.

spamreefnew · 04/12/2015, 09:40 PM

Cool. I have got to try this!

04/09/2015, 09:48 PM	#1
spamreefnew Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: rhodeisland Posts: 1,491	CTS. Chaeto turf scrubber Has anyone ever tried to use chaeto as an ATS? In my sump I Put a large chunk of chaeto, under it I put some airline and above it it I put some strong LED lights,mostly 660nm red and420nm blue. It's only been 2 days and my algae went from 9x9 inches to 12x 12 inches. My thinking is the bubbles will break up the boundary layer and the strong lights will enhance growth.

04/10/2015, 12:40 AM	#2
ca1ore Grizzled & Cynical Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 17,319	Cheato isn't a 'turf' algae per se; but any refugium with macro will help to reduce nutrient levels along the lines of an ATS. You can certainly enhance growth by using 660 red LED and 'tumbling' the algae; though the latter requires a good sized tank volume. __________________ Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs

04/10/2015, 06:34 PM	#3
Floyd R Turbo Either busy or sleeping Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: West Des Moines, IA Posts: 4,265 Blog Entries: 15	I know someone that took an old Santa Monica SM100, took out the mesh screen, modified the slot pipe to be a spray bar (holes), and rolled up a piece of mesh and stuck it in the drain to act as a strainer and then filled it up with chaeto. It worked great, grew chaeto multiple times faster than when it was submerged. The problem, IMO, with a ball of chaeto is that your flow is not random enough right at the surface, all the time throughout the entire mass. Heck you could probably rig up a wet/dry trickle filter, all the way out of the water, and provide it a ton of flow and light from 4 sides and get better growth than a submerged ball of chaeto many ways to skin the cat __________________ Algae Scrubber Basics!!! GOOGLE "algaescrubber zoho" General Interest Forums --> Advanced Topics --> Algae Scrubber Basics (sticky) --> POSTS #3251-64 (Basics), #5206 (Cleaning), #6884 (LEDs), #729

04/10/2015, 09:28 PM	#4
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 10,344	Here's my 22"x22"x24" "chaeto algae scrubber". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyc9fdCe244 __________________ -dennis Elos Diamond 120xl \| Elos Stand \| Radion G4 Pros \| GHL Profilux Controller \| LifeReef Skimmer \| LifeReef Sump Photos taken with a Nikon D750 or Leica M.

04/11/2015, 09:20 PM	#6
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 10,344	Water enters the fuge through a spray bar at the top right pointing across the water surface which is what's keeping it rolling counterclockwise. And the secret to the growth is the 150w HPS grow light. It goes from softball size to that monster in just a few weeks. System has immeasurable nitrates. Due to the cheato? Couldn't tell ya for sure. __________________ -dennis Elos Diamond 120xl \| Elos Stand \| Radion G4 Pros \| GHL Profilux Controller \| LifeReef Skimmer \| LifeReef Sump Photos taken with a Nikon D750 or Leica M.

04/11/2015, 09:15 PM	#5
spamreefnew Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: rhodeisland Posts: 1,491	D2mni, wow! How did you do that? That looks just like my sump I would love some tips!

04/11/2015, 09:22 PM	#7
ca1ore Grizzled & Cynical Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 17,319	That video is just creepy ...... __________________ Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs

04/12/2015, 10:39 AM	#9
CStrickland Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: New England, U.S. Posts: 4,595	It's true. I expected the sun to rise from behind it like the beginning of 2001: A Space Odyssey

04/12/2015, 08:52 PM	#10
BigCountry74 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 1,761	that video is totally killer man. __________________ 135g mixed reef (retired) http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2132815 Current 40g reef http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2483250 Current Tank Info: 40g bare bottom reef

04/12/2015, 09:40 PM	#11
spamreefnew Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: rhodeisland Posts: 1,491	Cool. I have got to try this!