Light refugium 24/7?

[spanky]

Hi gang.
I've just installed a mini-refugium. I've got a 150 gallon tank with a wet-dry filter in the sump. Yesterday I removed the bio-balls and made a mini-refugium out of an old wet-dry filter. I've put 25 pounds of live sand in the bottom and I'm planning to add calurpa (sp?) this afternoon. I've got a Coralife "grow-light" from a 10 gallon tank hood on the refugium.
Can I leave that light on 24/7 to maximize plant/algae growth? What other critters do you guys recommend adding - and when? Where can I get those criters?

 

[essop3]

That would be ok. Certain types of alage like a dark period but not calurpa. I would maybe add a few cerith and nassaurius snails.
Are you adding real live sand or the stuff in the bag? If bagged I'd add some from an established tank.

 

[spanky]

The live sand I added is the stuff from the bag.
Thanks for the other advice. I'm thinking about adding prolifera too - lots of green and snails down in the refuge.
WHere can I stumble on the copepods and other "fuge-critters"?

 

[msd2]

you can leave it on 24/7, I personally have it on the reverse light cycle to keep the ph super stable. I use cheato though, not calp.

 

[irishsalt]

Hey,
I've run Calpura in Many a Refugium....it's a weed - best that I would avoid - all costs. Tis nice thouh for feeding tangs if your gettings it for free from friends that are desperate to remove it from their tanks...lol
TRY Cheato like like m2d2 said. Nothing personal but Calpura is crap in the long run IME!!!
Also, what's your reason/s for wanting a 24 hour light schedule on a Refugium? Run 12/12 and you should be kicking butt!
Peace

 

[spanky]

The guru at the lfs explained that there were several species of calurpa. He only carries this particular species because "it's easy to remove if it finds it's way into your display tank".
I also have a couple clumps of "Prolifera", and they're in my display tank - at least for now.
The reason for the 24/7 it that my refugium is TINY. I figured that I'd be better off if the photosynthesis part of the equation could run full-time. I figured that the Calurpa would be filtering/converting at high-speed as long as the lights were on. That's why I wondered if there was a down-side. :notsure:

 

[sammiefish]

ive got Caulerpa prolifera in my sump... it grows like crazy!!! pulls nitrates out but quick... thats how i initially got into it. I pull a handful out everyweek and feed it to my tang. give some away... etc... I would think that if you get some die off in your tank this stuff will grow quickly enough to help out with any nitrate accumulation. I bet that Cheato is a better feeding algae though (as was said) I just have no personal experience with it and its my guess that it doesnt grow as fast as prolifera... so choose an algae that best fits your purpose... filtration or feeding or both...
I run my fuge lights opposite my display tank lights... 2 reasons... keep pH stable and minimize electric useage...

 

[msd2]

actually it grows as quickly as calp. the difference is cheato cant go sexual, aka turning to mush in large quantities. If you want a serious nitrate remover Xenia. I put some in my display tank and it spread like wildfire. It is so effective at removing nitrates that the cheato in my sump has all but died back to a few golf balls size clumps. LOL I am trying to figure out what to do with that space to promote pod growth again. Anyway there is no reason you couldnt plant xenia in your fuge, the stuff is hearty as can be as long as u have enough light.