Will a florescent light allow algae/live rock to grow?

[alphadog808]

Hi guys,
I bought a hood for my saltwater tank and it came with a florescent bulb...will this kinda light/bulb allow plants to grow? I was under the impression that I needed special UV lights to do this?

[Lance M.]

The short answer is Yes. You can grow algae with just a flourescent bulb. The growth rate and types of algae depends on the amount of light.

UV light is used to kill bacteria and other organisms floating around in the water and is a bad thing for living organisms (that's why you use sunblock when your at the beach or the pool).

There are may different types of lighting you can use: NO, T-5's, VHO, PC, MH, LED...

Also Plants for SW are macroalgaes.

You would want more intense lighting if you wanted to keep corals.

[MACATUA]

It may or may not. How big is your tank? If it does it will be very slow.

[lando]

Depends on what you are trying to "grow". Coraline algae can and will grow just fine under NO Flur. lights. Maintaining the proper CA/ALK level and balance is much more impotant for coraline. Other types of alae will grow as well, but they tend to be the bad algaes such as green hair alage and cyno (not really an algae, but close). These trive on excess nutrients in the water more then on ligting.

[Hara]

Also Plants for SW are macroalgaes.

not all saltwater plants are macroalgae. Seagrasses, I believe, are not classified as macroalgae.