Fuge lighting schedual

[Godfrey]

What are your opinions on when refugium lights should be on. I've read conflicting articles. Should I run the light while the dt lights are on or while they are off and for how long

I'm planning on using live rock rubble, cheato, and a 20" marineland reef capable led light I have laying around. And my display tank lights run from noon to 10( 1hr blue, 8hours blue and white, 1 hour blue) and those are 2 120 w dimmable reef breeders

What are your opinions???

 

[Sniperhank]

I run mine all day long. Just a simple shop light that cost 8 bucks. If you are buying the light, try that route as it is so much cheaper. Can't argue with reusing it you already have it though.

 

[JonathanG]

I run mine on an opposite schedule to the dt to help minimize ph swings.

 

[Mebbid]

I run mine on an opposite schedule to the dt to help minimize ph swings.

This is the normally recommended schedule for running a refugium and at the very least I would stick to this.

I run mine all day long. Just a simple shop light that cost 8 bucks. If you are buying the light, try that route as it is so much cheaper. Can't argue with reusing it you already have it though.

I run my refugium all day long as well. I have 2 of the clip on shop lights with some fairly powerful 6500k CFL bulbs in them as I found one wasn't quite powerful enough to grow my grape caulerpa. The only problems are that plants generally need a rest period of darkness however I haven't found that to be a necessary tactic. I have been consistently pulling 1lb of grape caulerpa out of my refugium every month and now my chaeto is finally growing obscenely fast as well.

 

[mr_X]

I like to give any life in the refugium a night time period so I run mine for about 8 hours. I would be running it opposite the DT but I also have corals in there and need that light to be on during the day. Also, it's in a tank room, and not under a stand, so running it opposite would also light the DT up pretty well.

 

[Godfrey]

Thanks for the input I think I'll start mine at 6pm snd run it till noon that way it's on while my dt is off and ill have a little light when I get home to do my maintenance. Besides cheato what are some other good types to grow without the risk of it going sexual and wiping out my tank

 

[mr_X]

Nothing I would recommend. I prefer different types of caulerpa over chaeto, sexual or not. BTW, I've never seen it do that. I believe, and it's been my experience, that- as long as you prune it on occasion, before it get's so packed in there, there's no room, you'll be fine.

 

[Mebbid]

I had my grape caulerpa go sexual at one point. There was a single t8 light over my fuge and it just wasn't enough light. I added a clip on shop light in addition to the t8 and haven't had a single issue since.

The caulerpa seems to be a faster grower than chaeto and weighs substantially more. Based on that, without having tested them separately on how fast they consume nutrients, I would assume the caulerpa is quite a bit superior for nutrient export.