Kessil

Chaeto reactor

Hi I have a innovative marine 50 and I’m thinking about getting a external chaeto reactor does anybody have any experience with this?

Innovative marine does have videos where you can add Chaeto to your media basket but you have to cut away the backing of your tank and install a light there I’m kind of clumsy so an external reactor might work better for me

Thx


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"Cutting" the back takes less than five minutes. You're not really cutting anything -- you're peeling the black vinyl off and it's very thin. Just take a sharp blade (razor) and outline the rectangle and then peel.
 
"Cutting" the back takes less than five minutes. You're not really cutting anything -- you're peeling the black vinyl off and it's very thin. Just take a sharp blade (razor) and outline the rectangle and then peel.
Yes I rechecked and I have about 5 inches from the wall . I underestimated but now think I can cut it. Thanks


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The ease of it aside I have removed Chaeto from both of my Innovative Marines. After much time trying and a lot of research I'm convinced that the amount you can grow in a media basket isn't enough to make a dent in nitrate export. If you are going to do it I'd recommend that you use a Kessil H80 in order to spur as much growth as possible. Even then I'm just not sure it's enough to matter.
 
The ease of it aside I have removed Chaeto from both of my Innovative Marines. After much time trying and a lot of research I'm convinced that the amount you can grow in a media basket isn't enough to make a dent in nitrate export. If you are going to do it I'd recommend that you use a Kessil H80 in order to spur as much growth as possible. Even then I'm just not sure it's enough to matter.
Bruce thanks for sharing that. What size IM tanks do you have and how long did you use the chaeto for?

I’m also using gfo and carbon but need nitrate reductions so I figured try chaeto.

Thoughts on an external reactor then? Can fit more chaeto in it


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The ease of it aside I have removed Chaeto from both of my Innovative Marines. After much time trying and a lot of research I'm convinced that the amount you can grow in a media basket isn't enough to make a dent in nitrate export. If you are going to do it I'd recommend that you use a Kessil H80 in order to spur as much growth as possible. Even then I'm just not sure it's enough to matter.
Also IM had a new red spectrum grow light just for chaeto


Seems good.
What light were you using before?



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I have the IM120 and the IM 25 lagoon and the rear chamber in my opinion just doesn't have enough room to grow enough Chaeto to make a difference. I think you're better off using that chamber for something like MarinePure balls. A larger, external reactor would be of more use depending on how large you can go. Also if you can figure out a way to utilize a decent size chaeto reactor that would help as well.

I guess the real question is what size tank do yo have and what issues are you having with it?
 
I tried a number of different refugium lights. Frankly, the light isn't the real issue -- it's the physical space, but a good quality light "might" be a small part of the solution you need. Just not sure it's worth the cost/benefit . Again because of physical size. I think it's BRS that has a great video on how much Macro Algae you need to really help in nutrient export. The Triton method uses a minimum 10% ration of refugium size as the basis of their method. Even if you figure you're going to use multiple methods in order to achieve the needed results you have to figure you'll need at least 5% to get some positive results and the rear chambers on any size IM are much smaller than that.

I suspect you'll find it easier just to carbon dose with something like Nopox or other to achieve desired results.
 
I tried a number of different refugium lights. Frankly, the light isn't the real issue -- it's the physical space, but a good quality light "might" be a small part of the solution you need. Just not sure it's worth the cost/benefit . Again because of physical size. I think it's BRS that has a great video on how much Macro Algae you need to really help in nutrient export. The Triton method uses a minimum 10% ration of refugium size as the basis of their method. Even if you figure you're going to use multiple methods in order to achieve the needed results you have to figure you'll need at least 5% to get some positive results and the rear chambers on any size IM are much smaller than that.

I suspect you'll find it easier just to carbon dose with something like Nopox or other to achieve desired results.
I have an IM 50 and I feed heavily. Nitrates are high like 40 to 60 but I do water changes to keep it lowered weekly

I’m not trying to get to 0 nitrate as that is bad but lower would be good consistently

I will try the new grow light and cut the back today


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I'm am able to lower nitrates and phosphates with about 5% volume of cheato to near zero levels, but I do it with 2 DIY algae reactors. I have a Red Sea Reefer 250 (~55gallons total volume) and a IM 25 that I drilled and added a sump (~25-27 gallons total volume).

Each reactor for reefer 250 is about a gallon and for the IM 25 about 0.45 gallons. I alternate the cycle on each reactor for 12 hours, so I have one reactor on all the time.

I only have carbon running - no carbon dosing or gfo.


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Last edited:
I'm am able to lower nitrates and phosphates with about 5% volume of cheato to near zero levels, but I do it with 2 DIY algae reactors. I have a Red Sea Reefer 250 (~55gallons total volume) and a IM 25 that I drilled and added a sump (~25-27 gallons total volume).

Each reactor for reefer 250 is about a gallon and for the IM 25 about 0.45 gallons. I alternate the cycle on each reactor for 12 hours, so I have one reactor on all the time.

I only have carbon running - no carbon dosing or gfo.


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5% in reactors would definitely work! Good solution.
 
I think you could do it in media baskets, but you'd probably have to use both sides and have more lights than that 6W aquagadget light. Each algae reactor I have is loaded with 35-40W of light.
Sounds like media reactor might be the way to go


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Well I want to Neptune Aquatics and they didn’t have the light so I drove my butt all the way up to Hayward to Aquatic Collection bought the light and some chaeto came back did a partial water change hoping to move my tank a little bit to work on the back but I was unsuccessful so I just took a blade fit my hand in the back and tried to remove a portion only to find out that there’s no rubber on the back it’s a literally painted black! I stopped and put together the light with the little clip it came with to use for a sump. I was able to jimmy rig it above the media basket and now have it on a timer at night. I hope this works here are some pics


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