Lighting requirements of chaeto algae?

[dweible]

I've been thinking about getting some chaeto algae. I was wanting to know what the lighting requirements are. I'm thinking of putting it in my sump with a clamp lamp with a 26w 10.0 uvb bulb is this sufficient?

 

[reefer gladness]

A UVB bulb is for reptiles. Chaeto grows fine with a soft or warm white bulb. I used a 4-watt 6500k LED refugium light from JBJ and grew chaeto by the handfuls.

 

[whippetguy]

+1 to the above advice.

 

[ddelozier]

I use a clamp on and a 6500k flood light. My chaeto grows quite well if the nutrients get high(ie my wife feeds the fish).

 

[dweible]

A UVB bulb is for reptiles. Chaeto grows fine with a soft or warm white bulb. I used a 4-watt 6500k LED refugium light from JBJ and grew chaeto by the handfuls.

What exactly do you mean soft white light?

 

[reefer gladness]

That's just a marketing term applied to white lights with a warmer color temp. Warm white and soft white are pretty interchangeable terms. Its the light at the yellow to red end of the spectrum that makes plants grow. Generally green plants reflect green light and dont use much in the blue to violet range.

 

[dweible]

So then am I right by assuming that a Corallife colormax would be sufficient?

 

[reefer gladness]

So then am I right by assuming that a Corallife colormax would be sufficient?

Ya, you should be fine with the colormax.

 

[dweible]

Ya, you should be fine with the colormax.

Ok cool. Looks like im going to be switching some bulbs. Lol

 

[reefer gladness]

Honestly you can probably grow cheato under just about any light albeit at different growth rates so if you have an extra clamp on light laying around go ahead and use it. Most people who have trouble growing chaeto don't have sufficient water flow.

I've also encountered two varieties of chaeto, one that tends to grow in a tighter ball (better IMO) and the other tends to have little pieces that fall off and end up in your filter.