Refugium lighting questions.

[engineer]

I am currently using a 10w, 10k LED for 13hrs a day to provide light to my caulerpa and it just doesn't seem to be as green as I think it should be. It's brighter than H€(( in there but maybe I'm being to critical.

 

[mandy111]

Is it possible you don't have high enough nitrates to keep it fed rather than a lighting problem ?

 

[1guydude]

+1 i h8 to say but imo a lot of ppl are using lights on the refugium. U can go with a crypitc fuge with no light and a dsb with rock. Ull get sponge and feathers which imo is better than macro.
HTHs
-d

 

[engineer]

Well it is true that my nitrates are low, they are at 0, but macro also feeds on phosphates, which is pretty consistently at 1ppm.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Is it growing at all?

 

[snakeblitz33]

Pictures?

 

[mandy111]

Well it is true that my nitrates are low, they are at 0, but macro also feeds on phosphates, which is pretty consistently at 1ppm.

I've been told but don't know if fact that it consumes 70% more nitrates to. 30% phos to survive. A more knowledgable reefer will chime in I am sure. So 0 nitrates may still be an issue ?

 

[engineer]

Is it growing at all?

Nope, not at all. I took it all out last night when I got home from work. Every day more and more would turn paler and paler. Was sucking out as turned. I left about 3 little pieces that had attached itself. It might just been a bad batch. I've got a replacement batch coming as well as a batch from a different supplier. We will see this go around. I will keep you updated when I get it after a couple days.

 

[snakeblitz33]

I think it's because your system is nutrient deficient though. It's not a bad batch, it's simply because there is no fertilizer.

 

[mandy111]

I have to agree with my first thought i posted above and with @snakeblitz33 Lack of nutrient for it to feed.