How much light for a refugium

[Pain Devine]

So I almost have everything done... but I've run into an issue. The design of my setup will make it hard to have my refugium lights on a timer. Will it be detrimental to macro algee to have 24 hour lighting? I can get another timer but am wondering if it's really a big deal to have the light on all the time.

How many watts/gallon do I need for plants, sand and live rock? That's all that'll be in the fuge. I've read that in the fresh water tanks, you want around 2 watts per gallon but I can't find anything on saltwater.

[reefrunner69]

Will it be detrimental to macro algee to have 24 hour lighting?

No, most recommend 24 hr lighting for a fuge. It is supposed to keep the macro algae from going sexual.

How many watts/gallon do I need for plants, sand and live rock?

Just like your tank it will depend on what species of macro your going to grow. Some require high intensity lights to do well and some are fine with a couple of NO lights.

[Pain Devine]

Anyone got any links to marine plant info? Currently I got about 2-3 watts per gallon at 6500k I could double the wattage for $20 by making another ballast but I'd rather avoid an algee bloom.

[reefrunner69]

I think 2-3 wpg will be just fine, if you don't notice alot of growth out of the macro you can always add the other later

[ohio reefer]

according to calfo and fenner they reccomend reverse daylight illumination (or RDP reverse daylight period ) which they say will help maintain a stable ph and prevent any major drop in ph which usually occurs while the lights are off. it does not say anything about leaving the lights on all the time. i would kind of be concerned about your macro algeas going through a sexual reproduction cycle.

JMO
mark

[reefrunner69]

http://www.kentmarine.com/html/kumb.html
Says don't

http://www.ecosystemaquarium.com/htm...Tanks_pg5.html

Says the macro responds well to 24 hour lighting

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.u...?article_id=55

Lights 24 hours per day

From www.wetwebmedia.com

green seaweed research questions (and useful, scientific input!)
Hi Bob,
I found your address at the WetWeb site and thought I'd contact you
directly. Hope you don't mind.
<Not at all>
I'm a bio professor/researcher who studies the reproductive behavior
of tropical green algae in their natural environments (Halimeda,
Caulerpa, Penicillus, etc). I notice a fair number of posts to aquarium
sites that have to do with "green clouds", "white" or "dying seaweeds",
etc. and recognize (as you do) that most of this relates to the sexual
reproduction of these seaweeds... a 24 hour conversion from sterile to
fertile condition, followed by explosive gamete release at dawn and
immediate death of the "parent".
<Yes.>
My research explores the consequences of these reproductive events on
coral reefs (mostly Caribbean, though I'm currently on sabbatical in
Guam). I'm particularly interested in what induces a seaweed to become
fertile, since we often find hundred to thousands of algae on a reef (but
never all of them) becoming simultaneously fertile... not only is the
ensuing bout of sex the next morning a spectacular visual phenominon..
the subsequent death of so many "adult" seaweeds has important
ecological implications for the reef community as a whole.
<Agreed>
I notice from various posts within the aquarium trade that lights,
chemistry, temperature, stress, etc, etc, are implicated in the onset or
prevention of reproduction by green seaweeds in aquaria. Do you know of
any formal treatment of this idea...
<No... unfortunately seem to be entirely anecdotal accounts... of "stress", change that bring on these events.>
or is it just a hodgepodge of
observations thrown out over time? I notice you reference "24 h"
lighting as a preventative and I've seen reference to blue lights, or
non-blue lights (can't remember which) having similar effects. If you're
interested, I'd love to pick your brain about this... or you can sic me
on someone else.
<Very glad to be of assistance.>
If interested, you can also learn more about my research on seaweeds by
visiting: http://lclark.edu/~clifton/Algae.html
<Thank you much for this reference. Will post to our sites (WetWebMedia)for hobbyist perusal>
Thanks for your time... I hope to hear back from you.
Ken Clifton
<Sorry for the delay in response. Have been on a liveaboard... in the Bahamas. Be chatting, Bob Fenner>

It is certainly debatable, even for Bob Fenner it seems

[ohio reefer]

thanks for the info i wasn't sure about that at all, thats why i love this site

thanks again

mark