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Just a thought, chaeto reactor?


Matteo

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I have a sumpless tank and do not skim. Simply run some carbon. I know adding chaeto would only be beneficial so what if I have a Two little fishies reactor in the stand filled with chaeto and an LED strip attached to it?

 

Why not?

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Interesting thought - but IME chaeto needs room to grow, and for it to have much of an effect there needs to be a pretty large "starter" clump. Oxygen is another important aspect of algae growth and it would be difficult (I think) to up the oxygen in the reactor. Then there's the issue of harvesting.

 

A similar concept has been used and that is the algae scrubber. Scrubbers use high intensity lighting along with water flow, air, and a rough growing medium to create a mat of hair algae that works almost around the clock. Once the mat grows dense enough the excess algae is scraped off and the growing medium is put back. There's a DIY around here on how to modify a cheap HOB filter into an ATS (algae turf scrubber). Hair algae is extremely effective in utilizing nutrients from a tank - more than chaeto and other macros as far as I am aware.

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Interesting thought - but IME chaeto needs room to grow, and for it to have much of an effect there needs to be a pretty large "starter" clump. Oxygen is another important aspect of algae growth and it would be difficult (I think) to up the oxygen in the reactor. Then there's the issue of harvesting.

 

A similar concept has been used and that is the algae scrubber. Scrubbers use high intensity lighting along with water flow, air, and a rough growing medium to create a mat of hair algae that works almost around the clock. Once the mat grows dense enough the excess algae is scraped off and the growing medium is put back. There's a DIY around here on how to modify a cheap HOB filter into an ATS (algae turf scrubber). Hair algae is extremely effective in utilizing nutrients from a tank - more than chaeto and other macros as far as I am aware.

Cool deal. I will have to google that! I have an AC110 but idk if I want to fuge it...

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I want to build an algae scrubber. I will see if I got a vid on it saved. They use red LED for the algae, and it gets thick.

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Okay so definitely a cool idea! but I do not have a sump....

found this which would solve the oxygen and co2 exchange but I feel like you are asking for micro bubbles

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The Chaeto in a media reactor idea has been done before , Chaeto has grown in it but as to how efficient it is I have no idea. Just Google Chaeto in media reactor and a lot of information will pop up about it. Most people say not to do it because it not that easy to clean.

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The Chaeto in a media reactor idea has been done before , Chaeto has grown in it but as to how efficient it is I have no idea. Just Google Chaeto in media reactor and a lot of information will pop up about it. Most people say not to do it because it not that easy to clean.

Probably a good call. I am just looking for a fun DIY project that would be beneficial for my tank! Suggestions? :happy:

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Probably a good call. I am just looking for a fun DIY project that would be beneficial for my tank! Suggestions? :happy:

I actually do like the idea of Chaeto in a media reactor specially if you have a sump less or a very small system like a pico. You can always try a waterfall style algae scrubber if you don't run a sump.

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yeaaah the water fall would be ugly and I feel like it just wouldn't work. I might try the reactor with a venturi style pump and see if I can control bubbles. We will see! If anything I run a reactor with carbon and use ac110 as fuge.

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I have a sumpless tank and do not skim. Simply run some carbon. I know adding chaeto would only be beneficial so what if I have a Two little fishies reactor in the stand filled with chaeto and an LED strip attached to it?

 

Why not?

i was at a frag farmers market last year and one feature product was a large cylinder reactor for growing macros. it looked like an avast media reactor with strip LEDs down the center for light.

here i found it: https://reefbuilders.com/2015/09/24/arid-chaetomorpha-macroalgae-scrubbers-paxbellum/

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I do not see how it wouldn't work honestly.

biggest issue i see is the limited space for growth, you would have to stay on it.

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Interesting thought - but IME chaeto needs room to grow, and for it to have much of an effect there needs to be a pretty large "starter" clump. Oxygen is another important aspect of algae growth and it would be difficult (I think) to up the oxygen in the reactor. Then there's the issue of harvesting.

 

A similar concept has been used and that is the algae scrubber. Scrubbers use high intensity lighting along with water flow, air, and a rough growing medium to create a mat of hair algae that works almost around the clock. Once the mat grows dense enough the excess algae is scraped off and the growing medium is put back. There's a DIY around here on how to modify a cheap HOB filter into an ATS (algae turf scrubber). Hair algae is extremely effective in utilizing nutrients from a tank - more than chaeto and other macros as far as I am aware.

 

That's not entirely true about chaeto needing room to grow. The PAX Bellum ARID grows some intense chaeto. I am planning on picking one up in the summer.

 

pax-bellum-calcium-reactor-9.jpg

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Marc.The.Shark

interesting read! might be a future DIY using the phospban 150 :)

Yeah, that looked like the best option of the bunch

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  • 2 weeks later...
picoreef78

Anyone have experience with the PAX Vellum ARID?

 

My main goals would be too improve CO2 exchange in increase pH.

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Anyone have experience with the PAX Vellum ARID?

 

My main goals would be too improve CO2 exchange in increase pH.

I had emailed the company and wanted one but the price has increased substantially. I was quoted $500 for a C18 with calcium reactor attachment and now it's over $800 which is just dumb. I am looking at the one from clear tides now.

http://www.cleartide...s/procart13.htm

They don't use as much red leds as I would like but that could be swapped out.

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Anyone have experience with the PAX Vellum ARID?

 

My main goals would be too improve CO2 exchange in increase pH.

 

Friend has one and loves it. He's got money to throw around though.

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picoreef78

I put some cheat in my sump and added a 5600k LED light fixture that came with the tank. My hope is to stabilize pH. My nutrients run low baseline with minimal algae growth except for a bubble algae that made it into the tank a while back.

 

I it works I saved myself $450. if not I might got the Pax Bdellium way as I don't have much sump room.

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I have a sumpless tank and do not skim. Simply run some carbon. I know adding chaeto would only be beneficial so what if I have a Two little fishies reactor in the stand filled with chaeto and an LED strip attached to it?

 

Why not?

 

Aren't you putting display macro in your DT?

 

Why compete with the display stuff using cheato and another thing to clean?

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Aren't you putting display macro in your DT?

 

Why compete with the display stuff using cheato and another thing to clean?

This is old. I have a sumped tank now :)

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