Light for Refugium (chaeto) - Maxspect Celestial 35a or Kessil H80

[Ingwe]

Hi guys,

I am having a hard time choosing between the Maxspect Celestial 35a or Kessil H80 for my refugium. Please share your experiences with either (or ideally, both) of the lights!

Please feel free to suggest alternatives as well.

Many thanks in advance.

Cheers,

Ingwe

[bsjz]

How about a led floodlight?

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[Ingwe]

Good idea. Do you have a recommendation for one that works with chaeto?

[bsjz]

Im using this for mine. Still running well after around 3 months 20hr/day

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[bsjz]

Im using the 50w one....one thing to consider is that its quite big in size and produces heat....but the good thing is that its cheap and does its job

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[Ingwe]

Yep. It is a tenth of the price of the kessil!

[Ingwe]

May I ask how did you mount it?

[bsjz]

May I ask how did you mount it?

Erm not very well mounted....i just use some nails hammered into the wooden bracing of the tank.
If you get this flood light do not that you will need to get wires and plugs to connect them yourself.

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[bsjz]

Do note**

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[reefbuilder]

Let me share the results of different lights on three of my refugiums. First one uses planted tank light ($30). Middle uses Kessil H80 ($200) and extreme right uses Par38 LED grow ($30) lights. The Par 30 beam is too narrow thus hotspot. The H80 spread out and I set it to grow. You decide.

 

[reefbuilder]

Oops sorry when I send it appears in reverse order.

[limhgs]

Hello bro. I assume you are selling as you quoted prices. As for the PAR 38 LED, does it come with any holder?


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[reefbuilder]

7 hours ago, limhgs said:

Hello bro. I assume you are selling as you quoted prices. As for the PAR 38 LED, does it come with any holder?


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Sorry not selling. Just giving Ingwe an idea of the performance of different refugium lights.

[limhgs]

Thanks


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[limhgs]

Bro, like to hear your input. I'm looking for a light that encourages chaeto to grow. Some have advised it needs red light. While others have said any tight will do.
What is your opinion?
Where did you get the red LED light?

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[reefbuilder]

14 hours ago, limhgs said:

Bro, like to hear your input. I'm looking for a light that encourages chaeto to grow. Some have advised it needs red light. While others have said any tight will do.
What is your opinion?
Where did you get the red LED light?

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Sorry took so long to respond. Not sure whether you were asking me because this post not started by me. Anyway if you look at the photos above I used the Kessil H80 and the PAR38 LED grow lamp for my chaeto in two different refugiums. I am achieving better growth with the H80. The PAR lamp had a norrower beam thus the spread was not good unless I raise the lamp higher. I have no experience using daylight LEDs on chaeto. However I use LED daylight lamps and freshwater plant lamps for 3 other refugiums that I have that has macroalgae in them and they are growing well. Hope this answers your question.

[limhgs]

Thanks

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[Ranz]

hi - short answer: any light for your refugium will do. (6500k white light)

having said that - some light are more effective than other. brstv did an investigation on refugium light some months back and you can check it below.

which light suits you depends on your main purpose of having a refugium (nutrient export, pods population, ph control etc).  

if u want it to control no3/po4, then you need a very big refugium of at least 10% of your display tank. if you run a method that depends on the refugium (example Triton) then its best to invest in a good light. 

light is however only one factor in growing chaeto. the other is flow and supplement (iron). 

i suggest to go for a normal 6500k  white light to start off, then monitor and understand how your chaeto is growing in the refugium before spending on the 200+ kessil h80 light. 

 

 

[Ingwe]

19 hours ago, reefbuilder said:

Sorry took so long to respond. Not sure whether you were asking me because this post not started by me. Anyway if you look at the photos above I used the Kessil H80 and the PAR38 LED grow lamp for my chaeto in two different refugiums. I am achieving better growth with the H80. The PAR lamp had a norrower beam thus the spread was not good unless I raise the lamp higher. I have no experience using daylight LEDs on chaeto. However I use LED daylight lamps and freshwater plant lamps for 3 other refugiums that I have that has macroalgae in them and they are growing well. Hope this answers your question.

Thank you! That answers my question perfectly. I have settled for the PAR38 lamp (before reading your post) and agree that the beam is very narrow.

[Ingwe]

2 hours ago, Ranz said:

hi - short answer: any light for your refugium will do. (6500k white light)

having said that - some light are more effective than other. brstv did an investigation on refugium light some months back and you can check it below.

which light suits you depends on your main purpose of having a refugium (nutrient export, pods population, ph control etc).  

if u want it to control no3/po4, then you need a very big refugium of at least 10% of your display tank. if you run a method that depends on the refugium (example Triton) then its best to invest in a good light. 

light is however only one factor in growing chaeto. the other is flow and supplement (iron). 

i suggest to go for a normal 6500k  white light to start off, then monitor and understand how your chaeto is growing in the refugium before spending on the 200+ kessil h80 light. 

 

 

Thanks, Ranz. I have watched that video too, the Kessil there is quite out of budget for a fuge light. In their next video, the H80 does not seem to perform noticeably better than the 6500k bulb.

I went for a very big refugium, at about 40% of my tank volume. I will check out the Triton method and iron supplements, that is new to me. 

Thanks again!

[shaohao85]

[Ingwe]

Hi  shaohao, do you know the brand of your light bulb?

[Ingwe]

Update: using a PAR38 to grow some hair algae, I am getting pretty good growth