Manganese effects, growing Chaetomorpha  5/1/08
Again, Hello Crew
<Wayne>
I've been reef keeping for about 2 years now. You folks have been a great help every step of the way. I'm asking for help again with something that I was unable to find on your FAQS. I hope you can help.
<Me too>
I have a 210 gal system. I use RODI water.
I've always kept a refugium with Chaetomorpha. No matter what the setup, I've never been able to get the Chaeto to grow. I've tried different lights, different lighting schedules, different types of flow through the refugium, I've dosed Iron, replaced old Chaeto with new Chaeto, tried tumbling it and not tumbling it. I currently have it on a 16 hr light cycle...on at 5pm off at 9am. I don't dose iron currently, and do 15gal water changes weekly. During this time, I shake the detritus off the Chaeto ball. Again, this is done weekly. No matter what I do, the stuff just won't grow.
I've always used Instant Ocean Salt mix. Do you think changing my salt mix could make the difference?
<Might, yes>
Also, it just occurred to me that I have elevated levels of manganese in my tap water (well water). I don't
believe the RODI system will remove Manganese from my water.
<Actually, it should>
The TDS readings rarely go above 2ppm. I've never had any problems keeping livestock. I've kept SPS, LPS, Softies, different inverts and fish without a problem. All except Turbo Snails. They always die off after
about 1-2months. I'm thinking this is due to the snails my LFS supplies are cold water species.
<A possibility, yes>
Anyway.. what do you think about changing salt mixes? And the manganese issue? Would these 2 affect my Chaeto growth?
<Could definitely. I'd switch to a good brand, like Marine Environments, Tropic Marin...>
Thanks again!
Wayne
<Do grant us your further observations. Bob Fenner>

Anthiinae Placement/Chaetomorpha Growth – 02/08/08
Hey crew,
<<Hello>>
This is my first time writing, though I've been visiting your web site for almost a year now.
<<Welcome then… How may I assist?>>
Because of WWM and very a helpful LFS (ALL ABOUT FISH in Concord, CA) my 125g long is a thriving soft/LPSs reef.
<<Ah, very nice to know>>
My current stock:
1- 6" Blonde Naso
1- 5" Emperor Angel
<<Do be aware, this tank is not large enough for the above mentioned fishes for the long-term. As these grow they will need twice this volume to preclude developmental/behavioral/health issues>>
1-2.5" Purple Firefish
1 large Colt Coral
1 med Frogspawn
Misc. mushrooms, hermit crabs, snails, etc...
I have a 40g ‘fuge (Chaetomorpha)
<<Excellent>>
Euro-reef RS100 skimmer
<<I do like this brand of skimmer… I have an (old?) CS12-3 that a couple of the Sedra pumps just died on. I replaced all with a trio of the ER-modded Eheim 1262 pumps and WOW…falling in love with this skimmer all over again! …but enough about me [sheepish-grin]>>
There are no water quality issues; I do 20g weekly water changes, sometimes more.
<<This “is” about the single-best thing hobbyists can do for their systems>>
My Emperor and Naso are my "Pets" and will readily eat out of my hand.
<<Yes, can become quite “personable”>>
After several months of waiting, my LFS received 9 Bartlett’s Anthias (1 male, 8 female).
<<A very aquarium hardy species>>
Would this be too many?
<<Right now, no…but do keep in mind the future requirements of the tang and angel>>
How long to qt?
<<I don’t recommend quarantine for Anthiines…best to place directly in the display>>
I have a 29g FOWLR (6 months old or set up my 55g (would be bare) what would be the best protocol?
<<As stated>>
Also I have read/heard conflicting facts on the growth of Chaetomorpha algae. I have a very slow growth rate. I have 40 watts of PC lighting on a reverse cycle. PO4 is undetectable, NO3 10-15 (API and Red Sea test kits) any thoughts or suggestions?
<<A couple… Try boosting both light intensity (65w+) and spectral quality (5000K-6500K), and flow (add a small powerhead for circulation) to the refugium. Regards, EricR>>

Chaetomorpha Lighting  1/18/08
Hello Crew,
<Tom>
I have a quick question. I am having a problem keeping Chaeto alive in my refugium. I have read all the info I can find on my symptoms and I am trying many of the suggestions. I have adding more flow with a powerhead and adding more lighting with 18 watts instead of 9.
<Too little light. You do not want the light to be the limiting factor in its growth. I personally have two 65W PC bulbs powering my Chaetomorpha. The online resources very often recommend too little light for this purpose. >
The only thing I am worried about is spinning. Does it have to spin?
<Not completely necessary. Spinning allows the whole ball to receive light.>
The Chaeto is not in a ball at this time and is spread out to a mat form.
<It should ball up as it grows.>
Thanks for a great site and for your time.
Tom
<Thank you for writing Tom, good luck, Scott V.>

Chaetomorpha vanishing act... Rate limiting rxns  12/20/07
Thank you for your help in advance. My Chaetomorpha just disintegrated in my refugium and I'm talking a whole 30 gallon of it so thick you couldn't even put your hands through it. It had been growing for about 6 months, and I would give handfuls of this stuff away to people because it grew so fast, now its gone. I reached in the refuge for some to put in my display for a snack for my tangs and nothing.
I have a 120 gallon with a 30 sump and 30 refugium. 3 HQI's over display and opposite PC over refuge. Lighting is obviously fine since it grew like a weed for 6 months. Lots of water flow with 2 dart pumps (closed loop), I run a calc. reactor, carbon and SeaChem PhosBan.
<"This" may have been "it">
nitrates, nitrites, ammonia always at zero,
<Or these lacking...>
calcium 400, alk 4. Temp stays around 81.5 day and 79 night. use only RO water. I do 5 gallon water changes every Sunday and only additive that I use is SeaChem iodide. This is an Acro tank and have changed nothing, I like things consistent and stable.
A couple of days ago, I noticed some red slime starting to form, so I figured it must be time to change my PhosBan. I run continues and change every 30 days. I was about 2 weeks behind. Now a few days later, its gone! What happened?
<Bottle necking... loss of an essential nutrient... HPO4... Like cutting off something critical to your life... oxygen let's say... Bob Fenner>
Thanks
Brian

Re: Chaetomorpha vanishing act 12/20/07
Also, a continuation of the email I just sent, my water is now very cloudy and my skimmer is overflowing and bubbles everywhere. I'm assuming this is all of the chemicals being released by the algae.
<Yes>
I'm afraid to test to see what just got released. What should I do?
<A massive water change with what water you have pre-made, stored... perhaps the addition of in-line chemical filtrant/s... e.g. activated carbon. If necessary, the removal of purposeful life to another stable system. Bob Fenner>

Re: Chaetomorpha vanishing act 12/20/07
Thank you for your quick response. So are you saying I should not run PhosBan while using the algae. Its one or the other? Or is it possible to run it with say less media in the chamber?
<All forms of life (yourself included natch) need phosphate...>
Also, when they say you should cultivate your algae, is feeding it to my fish okay, or is that just putting the nutrients back into the water. Does it have to be completely removed from my system?
<Is fine, a good idea to feed such algae. BobF>

Refugium question. Confounded By Chaetomorpha! (Chaetomorpha Growth Issues)  7/11/07
Hello Crew!
<Hi there! Scott F. in tonight!>
This is the second time I have written, and I would again like to thank all of you for your input and the time that you invest in helping the rest of us maintain healthy and successful systems!
<We're thrilled to bring the site to you every day!>
I am on your site several times a week, and even more frequently if I need to trouble shoot. Writing to you
is a last resort for me; I have read and read and read some more (literally all of the WWM pages on refugiums and macroalgae), and I think that I am finally 'reading myself in circles' with this issue. Every time I think I
have answered my questions I read something else that sends me back the other direction. I think that I could keep reading for the next 6 months and keep pushing myself in circles, so it is time to get some specific answers.
<I'll try not to push you in circles...rectangles or trapezoids, perhaps- but not circles!>
I inherited a 180 gallon salt water system almost 3 years ago, and knew (scary as it is) very little about the hobby. I learned very quickly, in large part to your website. The tank had/has about 400 lbs of live rock and a 2-4" sand bed. All of my coral is growing rapidly, and includes
* Leather Cabbage coral
* Kenyan Tree Corals
* Toadstool Leather
* Hammer Coral
* Green Starburst Coral
* Various Button Polyps
Due to an unforeseen electrical problem shortly after taking possession of the tank, most of the original stocking was lost; current fish stocking
includes
* Eye-Stripe Tang
* 3 P.J. Cardinals
* 2 Engineer Gobies
* Keyhole Angel
* Yellow Tail Damsel
* Pink Skunk Clown
* Black & White Percula
* large variety of snails including Mexican turbo, Nassarius, Margarita, Queen Conch
* variety of crabs
* 1 Serpent Star
* I currently have new Yellow Tang, Sailfin Tang and 2 Engineer Gobies in the QT to replace what was recently lost to Ich.
<Glad to hear that you embrace a quarantine protocol! Do note that the Sailfin Tang can and will get HUGE! A larger tank will be necessary for the future to accommodate this fish.>
Also in the QT is a neon goby.. because I think I need one.
<A sort of natural antiparasitic approach, huh?>
They will be joining the display
tank in 2-3 weeks.
<Good to hear.>
The display tank currently has tons of coralline algae, with almost no green or red algae growth at all. We have had intermittent periods of moderate hair algae growth, as well as red slime algae growth, but nothing recent.
<Sounds like you've addressed any excess nutrient issues.>
I realized early in my salt water days that I had a nitrate issue, but had little luck controlling it. The more I read, the more I realized that I needed to change my wet/dry filter system over to a refugium, as the bioballs were not helping matters at all. About 5 months ago we had a
problem with Ich, and moved all fish into the quarantine tank for 8 weeks. I figured that would be a good time to change things over under the tank and replace the wet/dry with a refugium. The first shot at this was not an
ideal set-up due to lack of properly sized tanks and less than optimal water movement through the fuge. One month ago, I replaced the first fuge setup with a 50 gallon sump/fuge that is working very well with regard to water
flow. I have about 3" of sand, 10# of rubble rock, a few Nassarius snails and a ball of Chaetomorpha that I bought for the original refugium setup. The mass of Chaetomorpha was larger than a softball when purchased several months ago, and is now about the size of a tennis ball. The lighting in the fuge area is a 26W / 6500K spiral CF bulb inside of a metal plant light fixture (I have looked at many other fuges using the same type of lighting setup) that runs for 12
hours overnight when the display lights are off. Flow through the fuge is
about 700-750 gph. I was hoping that the Chaeto would flourish a bit with
the new set up, but it has not grown at all...but it has also not lost notable size either. Testing my water at least every other day indicates that I have moderately high nitrates; phosphate testing is inconsistent (I
think I need a new test kit. will be picking one up this weekend), no nitrites and no ammonia. According to what I have read about nutrient exchange and the properties of Chaetomorpha, I am confused about why mine is not growing. I have given some thought to water movement within the fuge itself the refugium sits between the incoming water/skimmer chamber and the 'clean' water chamber to be pumped back to the tank) and have considered adding a small power head to the fuge simply to increase water movement.
<Good thought. Initially, it sounds to me like you may have too much water flow through the refugium...Usually, we only want modest flow in there. Although you don't need to "tumble" Chaetomorpha like you do with macroalgae such as Gracilaria, water movement does help keep the fronds clear of debris and epiphytic materials that may interfere with the growth of the macroalgae. Perhaps a reduced "flow-through" rate, but a powerhead for movement within the fronds of the algae colony, will do the trick. Worth investigating, IMO!>
I have thought about purchasing an additional ball of Chaeto to see if it will grow any differently than the current batch, but I hate to waste the extra ball of
Chaetomorpha if it is not going to grow either.
<An attitude I understand, but it may be a worthy experiment...Since it's such a readily obtainable macroalgae these days, it may be worth a try. Do inspect your current Chaetomorpha colony to see if it's being smothered by nuisance algae or debris.>
Any thoughts you can offer here would be MUCH appreciated!!!
<Well, I must say that this stuff is pretty tough NOT to grow. If you're keeping it in an aquarium system with sufficient nutrients. lighting and water movement, I'm pretty sure that you'll get good growth. I'd work on the flow issue and see how that goes...Sounds like the nutrient and lighting issues are satisfied with your setup.>
Also, as an aside while I am bothering you, I have one last question. I suspect that the root problem is related to my water quality, but I am looking for some reassurance here. Two years ago I purchased a very healthy, deep rose-colored bubble tip, which split within 1 week of being
added to the display tank.
<Nice!>
The two pieces did well until about 6 months ago, when one of them started to whiten and lose size. Eventually it
stopped coming out and is presumed dead. :-( The second was doing well until about 2 months ago, and has started to display the same characteristics.
<Sorry to hear that.>
The remaining section is in a location that it picked out all by itself and has remained anchored for about 2 years; it is an area of relatively low flow with strong lighting. It has never bubbled on a regular basis (I presumed because of low water flow), other than when it was fed, but now does not inflate at all. It eats dried krill at least 3x a week,
but continues to lose size and has not regained any of its rose coloring.
<Many possible issues...Most common are insufficient water movement, lighting, and nutrition. My dear friend, Anthony Calfo, has written extensively on anemone care. health issues, and propagation in way more detail than I can go into here. Do use one of the larger search engines and look for his writings.>
My pink skunk clown used to host exclusively in this anemone and would not allow the percula to get anywhere near it, but over the last 6 months both of them have been hosting in the toadstool. I have given thought to moving the anemone to a different location, but it is SO deeply rooted that I am
not sure I can get it out with damage...and it moved several times within the first several weeks of splitting and hasn't moved since.
<I would not move it. The potential for damage to what may be an already stressed animal is too great. Do consider the issues of proper lighting, nutrition, and proper water movement.>
Any thoughts here would also be VERY MUCH appreciated.
Sorry to have taken up so much of your time. Thanks for your help!!!
Susan
<No problem, Susan. Sorry that I couldn't go into too much detail on the anemone issue (just not enough room!), but there is soo much stuff out there on this subject that you'll probably find exactly what you need simply by searching on the net for Anthony's writings. Best of luck to you! Regards, Scott F.>
Susan Andrews

Shaving Brush Substrate  2/28/07
<Hi Brandon!  Mich here.>
Just a quick question, I am getting ready to add a hang on refugium to my 65 gal reef aquarium.  
<Excellent!>
I have really been considering using mineral mud (about 4 inches), and livestock being Chaetomorpha algae, live rock, and a shaving brush plant.  This brings me to my question, will the mud substrate suit the brush plant?
<Yes.>
Am I just better to avoid adding this species all together due to the fact I will have the Chaetomorpha?  
<Can try both.>
My main goal is to harvest pods for my Mandarin and add biological filtration.  
<Chaetomorpha is the most important here.>
Your help is greatly appreciated, this site is unbelievable in the amount of knowledge is supplies everyone.  
<Thank you for the kind words.>
Keep up the fantastic work.
<Will try!  -Mich>
Brendan

Turtle Weed   2/11/07
Hello. I'm going to setup my LR in an island-style setup and would like to grow Chlorodesmis on the sand around it. Would this be good for keeping pods in, even in the display tank?
<Yes but they will still be preyed upon....fish, inverts, etc....>
Does Chlorodesmis normally grow in sand?
<Not in my experience...prefers more of a rocky setting....read this excerpt from WWM:
"Chlorodesmis fastigiata, Turtle Weed... common in the wild, common in marine systems with inadequate competition, available nutrients, lack of circulation, filtration... A couple of shots in the wild" (see article for pics **AJ) ": Fiji, the Andaman Sea.">
Well, thanks in advance.
<Well....you're welcome...Adam J.>

Algae Control   10/3/06
Hi Crew,
<Hi Sam>
I have a 10 gallon with fish and mushrooms. It is about 3 years old and I had a hair algae problem which has improved over the past 6 months. Aside from changing a gallon a week I also added a chemical to remove phosphates and it has gone down from being the darkest color on my chart to the second lowest.
I also have a fist sized ball of Chaetomorpha to help reduce nutrients. When it doubles in size I remove the new growth which usually is not as compact as the original ball. This past week the new growth started turning grey and when I removed it was very mushy. Is this a sign of problems or is it just lack of nutrients (which in this case is fine with me)?
<Probably an excess of nutrients.  I'm thinking you have too many fish in your 10 gallon tank, two would be too many.  I would change 2 gallons weekly and use RO water which can be had at health stores and/or large supermarkets for about 50 cents a gallon.  I'd seriously consider a mini protein skimmer.  Foster & Smith has one that works pretty well for small tanks and will help much with your algae problems.  See here.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=14676&Ntt=protein%20skimmers&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&N=2004&Nty=1
James (Salty Dog)> <<RMF would toss his guess toward the "phosphate removing" material... all life on this planet requires phosphate...>>

Refugium Lighting - Chaetomorpha - 09/30/2006
Hi folks,
<Hi, Dave!  I'm sorry this is so late in coming to you....  Our webmail system wouldn't let some of the Crew reply to you.  Though I am able to do so, I have unfortunately been out a bit.>
I need lighting for my Chaetomorpha in my refugium.  The refugium is a little more than a square foot within my 33gallon sump with intentions of nutrient export from my main 90 gallon soon-to-be reef system.  I have an inch of miracle mud in the refugium and the water level is about 14", the light fixture would be approximately 6" - 8" from the water surface.    Given that my refugium is tiny, will either of the lighting systems below suffice?  
<You don't need a whole lot of light for Chaeto....>
Option A:   I'm looking at the CoralLife 9" MiniAquaLight Fixture.  It comes with a 9W 10000K and a 9W Actinic Lamp.  I'd replace the 9W actinic with another 9W bulb. should I be using 6500K for both?  Or can I use the 10000K in conjunction with a 6500K?  
<Oh, sure.  No problems with this at all.>
Two bulbs totaling 18W of lighting over a square foot refugium?   I could incorporate the two 13W bulbs as mentioned below.  Option B:  I found at Home Depot a 'trouble light' that takes two small 6" power compact bulbs.  Each are 13W and I can easily get either 7000K or 6500K bulbs for it.  
<This would probably be perfectly functional.  Please, though, be VERY cautious about the ends/connections where the bulbs meet the fixture, and any other areas that might be undesirable to have exposed to saltwater or evaporation.>
I'll have to be creative with the trouble lamp to get it fixed overtop of my refugium.  From reading through your lighting FAQ's for Refugiums, all I picked up out of the material was that 5,000 - 6,500K bulbs would suffice and approximately 5W per gallon for Chaeto.   Am I concerned with just lighting the Chaeto I'm assuming?  
<Pretty much.>
If so, the area would be less than 4 gallons.. ???  Would it matter much that the 9" light system from Option A does not fully span the width of the refugium as far as the lighting is concerned?  
<That's probably just fine.  Just be sure to concentrate the light above the macroalgae.>
-Dave
<All the best to you,  -Sabrina>

Wanting to grow green algae, macro, SW   4/14/06
Hi there James <Hi Matthew - Tim answering your question today!>!
   My tank is very healthy at the moment and everything is going well except for one thing. I can't get any green algae to grow. <Ah yes - I suppose it is true what they say - the grass really IS always greener on the other side... or perhaps in your case, the algae is always greener in someone else's tank! In all honesty, you are incredibly lucky not to have to deal with green algae problems - others would do anything for coralline algae whilst they fight a never ending battle against green algae!> I'm trying to get some Caulerpa or Halimeda growth but nothing is coming up. <In the case of these macroalgae you will almost certainly have to introduce them intentionally - i.e. purchase them from your LFS or obtain some from a fellow aquarist. With appropriate lighting you will find that even a small branch will quickly grow into a respectable plant.>  I have an abundance of purple encrusting algae. Does this stuff use up all the nutrients that the green algae would otherwise use? <They will compete with each other - but lack of nutrients is not typically a problem in the home aquarium, quiet the contrary.> I do like this purple stuff but I would really like a few greens. Also, the fish in my tank are not algae eaters. Thanks for your help. <Best of luck! Tim>

Re: Growing green macro algae  - 04/14/2006
Thanks for the ultra quick reply Tim! <My pleasure!> I guess you're right about the algae. Most people would prefer the purple stuff. <I know I would! Cursed green hair...> I only have you guys to thank, because before I set up this tank I made sure that I read through all the relevant articles on your site. It's worked a treat! <Thank you very much - your compliments make our efforts worthwhile!>
  I know how hard it is to get rid of green hair algae because it overran my old tank. That tank is now my quarantine tank <Excellent to hear - a QT is undoubtedly one of the best investments to make!> and it does have one branch of Halimeda starting to grow in it. <Which you will in time be able to use to start growth thereof in your main tank!>

Marine macro algae, Mandarin systems    6/11/06
Hi Bob,
<Sadanandan>
I have a 90 litre marine tank with live rock....
My main aim to grow Caulerpa species of macro algae.....(green type) I have two fluorescent tubes....15 watt  SunGlo (Hagen) and 15 watt actinic blue for the tank....
I have placed the algae... at the top most of the tank so the are the closest to the light....
<Most Caulerpa species do better "rooted" to/in the substrate>
I just have a mandarin fish
<Hard to maintain sufficient live foodstuffs in a twenty some gallon system for this...>
in this tank and a single damsel (yellow tail damsel)... and I am not intending to add more fishes to the tank....
Is this light sufficient to help the algae grow?
<Should be able to adapt to this make-up, intensity, yes.... though I'd switch out the actinic for more "white">
The tank has been cycling without fish for a month and the two fishes are there for a month now. I added the Caulerpa yesterday only.
Parameter of my tank:
Ph 8.3
0 nitrite and ammonia
10ppm nitrate.
What other parameters are crucial for lush marine algae growth?
<Do need some other micro-nutrients (e.g. soluble phosphate), sufficient and stable alkalinity, biomineral content...>
Do they require bright light?
<Variable by species... some do, some don't>
One other question I have is the mandarin I have is a female.. is it advisable for me to add a male mandarin fish the same size or slightly bigger to the tank? Will they quarrel?
<... not a good idea>
Thanks for your wonderful support for my previous queries...
Dr. Anup
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mandarins.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Chaetomorpha  7/15/06
Hey Crew.
<Hello Wayne>
Your site is great!  A great service you are all providing!  Keep up the great work.
<Thank you.>
A quick question for you that I couldn't find the answer to on your site.
I've had a 40 gal refugium setup now for 6 months, supporting a 120 FOWLR (with softies).
I bought a softball size of Chaetomorpha  to start and it has not grown at all.  It hasn't died either.  Over the past few months, I've resorted to buying more and adding it to the refug.  None of it has grown.  I have a 40watt pc, 3"sandbed, live rock, and a powerhead to keep circulation.  The Chaeto is not tumbling, and I can't seem to get it to do so.  It's suspended at the surface by the flow from the powerhead, otherwise it sinks.
<I've attached Chaeto to live rock with a rubberband and it grew fine.>
I've always struggled with algae growth in my display.  
Any ideas that would help the Chaeto grow?  My LFS suggested I add iron to the tank.  I did so for 2 weeks, and hair algae is starting to grow in my display, without any noticeable growth in the Chaeto.  The livestock in my tank won't allow for a cleanup crew.
<No cleanup crew adds to the problem you have.  Food should be fed sparingly, that is, feed only what the fish will eat.  You will have to resort to siphoning out any uneaten food and/or waste to minimize nutrients which will become a pizza party for nuisance algae.  Do read here and related links for help on controlling nutrients/algae in your system.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nutrientcontrol.htm>
Water parameters are...
Nitrate - 0
Nitrite - 0
Ammonia - 0
PH - 8.3
Calcium - 400
Phosphate - 0
Thanks for your reply!
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Wayne

Ulva
Hello to all!
I recently purchased some Ulva and Gracilaria verrucosa for my 20g refugium (from Florida-aqua-farms).  
<both are nice macros... but please don't make a habit of mixing too many species together. Competition>
The Gracilaria I just fixed in between some rocks, but the Ulva is just floating around.  Some is at the surface and the rest lying on the substrate.  Is this fine or do I need to fix it within the rocks?  
<it does not attach readily... tying it down may help indeed>
Oh, while I'm here. I currently have 4x96w PCs on my 65g tank (36"x18"x24").  I am thinking of swapping out 2 of the PCs and installing a 175w MH.  I know you need 1 bulb/24" of tank length.  Since my tank is 36" long, would 1 bulb be fine?
<depends on what you are trying to grow. Its impossible for us to say if you have enough light without knowing this <G>. But I can say that one lamp indeed will grow most popular corals in the trade in such a shallow tank>
Surfs Up! Jason
<Mahalo. Anthony>

Lighting Chaetomorpha (1/22/04)
   Hi, and thank you for your good work !! <A pleasure>
   I'm searching for a couple of days on the web what is the amount of light (in lumens) the Chaetomorpha algae do need and how many hours/days at most can we light it?  <Don't know how many lumens. Standard output or PC fluorescent lights should be fine. I light mine with 46W of PC. W would not recommend more than 12 hours per day.> Is it the best choice of algae to put in a refugium with a deep sand bed  and to do nutrient export ?! <A matter of opinion. There are pros/cons to all algae. Read the FAQs on Chaeto & Caulerpa and choose which is best for you.> Thank you ! Steve Timmons  <Hope this helps. Steve Allen>   

Mud sump/Chaeto lighting  12/16/05
Hi All, <Hello Chris>
I am setting up a miracle mud ecosystem sump and have a question regarding lighting the mud sump -
I am thinking of using the sort of power compacts (PLET) that contain the starter gear in the base of the bulb and are designed as a direct replacement for incandescent (GLS) light bulbs.
Example here - http://www.bltdirect.co.uk/cat615_1.htm
What wattage would be suitable for the Mud portion of the 23x10x12" sump - mud area (where the Chaeto will be) is 10"x11.5" as per the ecosystem design, I have seen the 2410 sump for sale with 13w PC lighting - is this about right?  9w, 11w, 15w or 20w seem to be my choices in the UK
<This light would probably work Chris, but you will need some sort of reflector above it to redirect the light into the sump.  I'd go with the 20w bulb.>
Finally, what temperature (colour) range (Kelvin) would be most suitable for the strong performance of the mud/algae filter? I plan to probably use Chaetomorpha initially but I would imagine the needs of this would be inline with other algae. <6500-10000 will be fine.  James (Salty Dog)>
Cheers
Chris

Vague question/response re lighting  11/19/05
Hey guys, I was wondering how many watts might be needed for shaving brush plants in my 90 gallon. I wasn't exactly sure. Thanks.
<... depends on depth... a few watts "per gallon"... See WWM re. Bob Fenner>