Who grows chaeto like crazy? AKA. Growing tip wanted!

[NanoReefer]

I was wondering who's chaeto grows like crazy and what the conditions are like for some of the following ( you don't have to post all that info just the important parts):
lighting (watts and/or K)
distance from the lighting
supplements used (if any, like iron)
flow in GPH of refugium of location of the macro(if known/guess is ok)
unusual bioload or something that you think helps it grow better (24/7 lighting, 12 hour, etc...)

I just want to see if I am missing something.

My refugium flows about 200-250GPH, my chaeto is about 4-5 inches from the light (10K NO flourecent) 2 fish and some softies/polyps, top off with a weak kalk mix (only softies)a few times a week (plain water the rest) and reverse photoperiod.

 

[JD46]

My chaeto never stops.

I have it in the refugium (using a 10g tank) of my 46g. Using a 65W LOA abour 4 inches from the surface. Chaeto sit on top of 4.5" sand. Flow is about 250gph. No additives to the tank, other than DT's and limewater. 24hr photo period, although I might change it to 16.

I usually remove about 1/4 to 1/3 of it every 3-4 weeks.

My guess is that you would get better growth with a stronger light.

 

[Scuba_Dave]

Mine hardly grows at all. I have 80w 9.2k bulbs over a 75g...

 

[Syris]

I notice my chaeto never seems to grow outward in appearance but rather increases in thickness. So I occasionaly pull it apart to loosen it and as it grows again it will keep the same area of the fuge but become more dense.

Oh and for the record its in a 29g fuge with one 65w LOA light on for 14hrs/day with a ~300gph flow.

 

[heavydc2]

mine grows like made in my 10 gal fuge with 2 65 watt plant lights

 

[skyedolphan]

great growth here reverse light cycle 14 hours 2x32 w PC over 25 gallon almost 0 flow in there though

 

[redpaulhus]

Mine also grows like mad, although like Syris I get better results if I spread it out thinly and let it thicken - it doesn't spread laterally too quickly on its own.

Mine is in a 10g fuge, with a 5" dsb, and a 65w LoA light right on top of the fuge. I might move the light up slightly in the future (top layer of cheato almost gets 'cooked' and yellows a little). about 200-300 gph thru fuge.

Reverse Daylight photoperiod, about 12 hours/day.

I remove 1/3 to 1/2 every 2-3 weeks.

 

[NanoReefer]

I have a 75w 6700k clip on plant bulb that I will try to find, OTOH I like the NO because it doesn't add much heat but I guess it may not have the grapes to do the job. I may try to spread it open, but when I do that it seems to create a lot of small pieces that clog pumps and such, I will try to be careful this time.

If anyone has more to add feel free, I am sure others have chaeto questions or any macro tidbits that will be usefull to the newbs and semi-newb members. Don't be scared to hijack if it's macro related.


Steve

 

[etszoo]

Go with the 6500k 19w. Picked it up at Home Creepo. Find a way to reduce flow and you will notice that it will spread on it's own. Just did this myself in the last week battling red algae in my display. Made a carbon/phosphate filter and bypassed my fuge
to the return portion of my sump. The chaeto doubled in size.

 

[Matt L.]

Meant to post on this earlier in the day but got busy

Mine grew, and then stopped... cold. I have had the same sized ball in my refugium for almost a year. I noticed that my chaeto stopped growing at the same time I added my two clams. I know clams will siphon (no pun intended) nitrate out of the water, and nitrate is a plant nutrient.

I therefore ask: for those of you who have chaeto that grows like mad, do you or do you not have clams?

I wonder if chaeto growth is linked to nutrients in our water. My chaeto has been under a variety of lighting regimes, including PCs and (now) MHs, as my current refugium is hang-on. My chaeto grew very well under my MHs, and is under the same type of lighting now, but does not grow.

Matt