24/7--Will it drive him Crazy?

[benihuma]

I just set up my refugium with some nice caulerpas, live rock, live sand, and a spider crab. I plan on leaving my lights on 24/7 to keep the algae from going sexual. So, will this drive my spider crab and any other inverts I add to the refugium straight into the realms of insanity? Or will they be just fine? Here is a pic of my refugium with the crab in the front left corner. He has some cool caulerpas growing on him as well. Thanks for the help.
Ben

 

[barracuda]

hi there,
i don't have a refugium now, i had one before, but i don't think it's a good idea to leave your lights on for 24 hours. There should be a day cycle. What i would do is set automatic timer or relay to turn on fuge lights when tank lights goes off and turn them off when tank lights turns on. In this case you make your main tank's PH stable. Under the lights algae converts CO2 to Oxygen. CO2 is responsible for lowering PH. During the night time (in your display tank) refugium produces Oxygen. This is great 'cause during this time most of the tanks have low PH. Your will have same PH as during the day time.

 

[nacl-h2o]

24/7 refugium lighting won't harm the animals, but you kind of defeat part of the purpose of a refugium when you put a preditor such as a spider crab in there. A refugium should be preditor free > without hermits, other crabs, shrimp, or fish.

 

[benihuma]

i figured the crab would help with some of the solid waste and keep the refugium clean. will he eat the good caulerpas?
ben

 

[nacl-h2o]

I doubt it will eat any caulerpa, but they will compete with the worms and pods for food as well as eat their eggs and young. Most crabs and hermits are not herbavors, but are omnivors and are opportunistic scavengers.