How much light for chaeto algae and red mangroves and run for 24 hrs?
 

I am wanting to know how much light is needed for chaeto algae. Type of light, watts, and how many hours per day(or does it need to be 24 hrs?). Same question on red mangroves. Right now i have a CFL flood light on them. I think it is equal to 150 watt( it is a 26 watt cfl bulb). Please inform me on all this. I do have other light fixtures such as a 130 watt power compact, a extra 150 watt metal halide pendant. I just don't want to waste more electricity than necessary for the refugium. Thanks in advance for any help......

Anyone have some answers for me??

It would help to know what size fuge you are lighting. I use a reverse lighting cycle with chaeto. No exp with Mangroves.

I use the energy efficient flood light (swirlies) also, and my chaeto grows great. I use the 27 watts=100 watts. I run it 12 hrs and reverse of my dt.

I heard the cheato can survive with little to no light is this true???

I keep cheato under a 60w equivalent CF bulb over my sump on a reverse photoperiod and I prune it back weekly. I keep mangroves in my frag tank under a 250w halide. I've only had them for a few months. When I first got them I had them outdoors hoping that the natural sunlight would help them along since they arrived with no roots or leaves. Nothing happened. I put them in my prop tank and they've grown 3" of roots and are popping out leaves after a couple weeks. They definitely can take the higher light.

Well, my refugium is a 45 gallon tank(made into a sump). So, i assume one or two of these 26 watt cfl spotlights is enough? So, everyone just runs these when the main light is off? some light will get into the refugium when the main lights are on, but not lots and no sunlight gets into the room containing the system.

In regards to the mangroves, i don't have any easy way to install a metal halide setup. At least not my pendant, unless i can mount it sideways or something. Should i attempt this? Or would a another 26watt cfl bulb setup work? Or does mangroves require a lot more light since it is like a tree? What kind of light running time? In the wild i guess they wouldn't get any light at night.....lol.....

All of the 45G is the fuge? You want strong light in the daylight range (6500K or so) for the chaeto. These work pretty well. You can find them @ Home Depot.

http://www.amazon.com/Lights-America.../dp/B001BPYIZ6

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA280_.gif

Well, most of it will be the fuge. I need to put the mangroves in my 100 gallon rubbermaid plastic stock tank that i am using as a sump. I plan to install a plastic storage tote(one like you put under a bed) and hang on the side and maybe put a powerhead that will circulate water from the sump through and then drain back out the other side. I am planning to just float them in the container in styrofoam. So, maybe the 26 watt cfl floodlamp isn't enough?

What about the red mangroves on light(please refer to my previous post on those questions).....

Anyone have any additional ideas and suggestions? I got my red mangroves today.......

anyone??

My red mangroves are growing with my chaeto on a 12 hour cycle reverse of my display tank. I have two CFL bulbs over them each of 5100k color rating.

I do the exact same thing...a small ball has turned into a huge mass of macro algea! The reverse lighting really helps with Ph swings.

Kris

I used to use the spiral bulbs as well but have switched to these.

http://www.lightbulbsdirect.com/page...ctors/1P381951

There are the proper spectrum, they have an internal reflector so you don't need the silver dome, they burn much cooler so they don't heat th ewater or burn your arm, and they are easier to clean since you can just wipe off the front and not each spiral.

Oh and they grow macro's pretty freaking fast. It's incredible.

I use one on my 25g refugium, you might want to for the 46, one close to the water, and one higher up for the mangroves. (IME they do work with mangroves)

If you are using the mangroves just for filtration, and not the fun of keeping them, then you might do better to just use that area to grow more chaeto, or another fast grower like prolifera or taxiflora. If you just wanna have mangroves cuz they are fun, well then go for it. I enjoy mine, but they are a decoration, not a filter.

HTH

Oh forgot, I use those bulbs for 18 hours a day, 7 days a week. HTH

So, red mangroves won't filter out much nitrates and phoshates? I also have a 100 gallon rubbermaid plastic stock tank that is the main sump, that i could actually put chaeto in or mangroves. I just wanted the mangroves since i had read that they absorb a lot of nitrates and phosphates.

more feedback..........please

anyone have any more input??

Pledosophy those are cf bulbs also, they are just incased in the reflector. I use the 24 watt model.

I have read that mangroves grow slowly so they are more for display than nitrate reduction.

really. I guess the lady i got them from lied to me. She said they absorbed a lot of nitrates and phosphates. she grows them in hawaii. I am not going to be happy if i bought these for 70 cents each and they won't do what i am needing them to do........

anymore input?

reefcleaners.org has some information on their care.
I've read that they work good for nitrate control, but only if you have lots of them.

My nitrates seem to have dropped from two weeks ago on this new system. I had used a test strip about a week or two ago and if i recall( i didn't document like i should have) it was really pink on the nitrate strip and light pink on the nitrite......two days ago the nitrite was zero and the nitrates only light pink......all i have is 35 mangroves and a ball of chaeto the size of maybe a miniture basketball(with the chaeto loose and not compressed) and a 6 inch deep sandbed in the 100 gallon rubbermaid plastic stock tank that is my sump. This system has only been running for about a two months.........any input???

Mangroves do absorb nitrate and phosphate, just not as fast as some other things like chaetomorpha, prolivera, mexicana, racesmosa or taxifloria.

How large is your display that you are keeping a 100g refugium? Depending on your stocking it might be possible to seperate some of that and grow something like xenia in there as well, which will also filter some, but can be sold for some cash pretty easily to many LFS's or wholesalers.

Just a thought.

So, xenia coral absorb nitrates?? I didn't know that. What makes this the only coral to do that? I thought nitrates would kill xenia's?

Oh, the 100 gallon is my sump(I could put plants in though) and my refugium(where i planned to keep most plants) is a 45 gallon. The main display is a 180 gallon.