Refugium lighting

[ff.rice]

Hello all..... I just moved my 29 up to a 55 and turned my 29 into a sump..... I divided it into 3 chambers with plans for the center one to be a fuge. Before I used a clip on heat lamp type light for the sump in the smaller tank, but I now have a couple of options...... Should I put my old light with the actinic and day lights on timers for the sump?!?! Or will just a day light or just actinic work?!?! Also..... I have some crushed coral that I was thinking of putting in the fuge to help with ph instead of sand...... Good idea or no?!?! Or sand in the fuge and crushed coral under the return pump?!?!

 

[Sniperhank]

You're right that the clip on will work, but the better quality light you put over your macro algae the more it'll grow. Better the light, better the nitrate/phosphate removal.
Don't put any crushed coral in, you'll end up hating it. Stuff is just a nitrate trap, and your goal is to remove the stuff! There is no need to have any substrate in your fuge in reality. If you want some, you can put it in, but there isn't a need for it if you are following the lbs per gallon rule in your display. Can only get so much benefit out of it.

 

[ff.rice]

Cool...... That's what I needed to know..... I prolly will at least put one bag of live sand in the fuge just because it helped my cheato grab and stay put last time...... And I think I will do a light cycle with the actinic and day lights for the fuge but I've heard that it may be a good idea to alternate the cycle from my DT..... Any ideas on that?

 

[Ingy]

Some leave their sump light on 24/7. Other cycle opposite the DT schedule. Help balance out pH swings when the lights go out (and plants start consuming O2 and expelling CO2 lowering pH). I shut my sump lights off for about 4 hours in the afternoon

 

[ff.rice]

Thanx everybody.... I guess the only other question I have is...... What is best to have in my refugium? On my smaller one I had live sand, some love rock, and cheato....... And I tried putting a small clean up crew in for a short time which I learned was a bad idea (cheato didn't last long at all)..... But what is best in them?!?! What kinds of macro algae work the best?!?!

 

[mr_X]

I believe caulerpa works the best, because it seems to grow the fastest. Chaeto is safer however. Nothing that eats algae or pods goes in the refugium!