Lights in refugium

[lakeman70]

I'm in the process of installing a new refuguim on my 75 gal tank. I've never had a refuguim before, the members of my aquarium club have told me to run my lights on it opposite the main tank lights. Is this correct?? I've seen in some of the message boards here to leave them on 24/7 so the algae dosen't go sexual. What do going sexual mean??

 

[cboyfan2020]

it means the algae release thousands of spores that will cause new plants to grow. People run their fuge lights on a reverse cycle to combat a ph drop in the morning and at night. Keeping them on 24/7 will do the same thing pretty much but I believe calupera and others spawn at night so this would keep them from doing that.

 

[brooklyn johnny]

I run mine 24/7, mainly because one of the major purposes of a refugium is for nutrient export, and obviously the macro will grow more under 24/7 lighting. I drip kalk nightly, so my pH doesn't fluctuate much.

 

[lakeman70]

CBOY, If I understand you right you're saying it is overall better to run them 24/7 VS running them in reverse cycle?? Also does anyone else have some good input on this subject?? As I said earlier this is my first fuge.
Thanks

 

[brooklyn johnny]

The concensus has definately been leaning towards 24/7. This allows for optimum growth of macro (and thus more nutrient uptake) and the lessening or elimination of caulerpa going sexual (whether or not that's true) as opposed to running them reverse cycle...

 

[cboyfan2020]

you dont have to go with calupera for nutrient export if you are worried about running your lights that long. I plan to run spaghetti macro in my fuge because it doesn't bloow up in population like calupera. It also doent go asexual as much or as often if I remember correctly.

 

[lakeman70]

CBOY, know of anywhere online that I can buy the spaghetti macro that you are talking about? I like the sound of it VS what I've heard about the calupera.

 

[brooklyn johnny]

Lakeman the spaghetti macro I have also (of the genus chaetomorpha), and I can send you some if you like. E-mail me... johnjcoppolino@yahoo.com.
I use this along with caulerpa, as the spaghetti is great for pods and all, but the caulerpa grows like a root
Let me know and I can send you a small baggie with both if you like for like $10 total with shipping and all, complete with pods and all the goodies... It's warmer now and as long as it doesn't freeze it should be fine...

 

[lakeman70]

Thanks John I really appreciate it. I'll e-mail you right away.

 

[footbag]

I leave my lights on 24/7. Sometimes my caulerpa still goes asexual, but it does control my PH. I've began using iron to treat this. My main reason is that 24 hours of light is more than 12. The plants grow faster.

 

[footbag]

What part of grape caulerpa should I trim? I would hope that I'm not supposed to trim the grape bunches. But I haven't cut it back since I got it about a month ago. I guess I expected to just remove complete bunches of the macro.
Also, my grape always takes over my chaetomorpha. Would I be able to use a breeder/isolator hung inside my fuge to grow it?

 

[brooklyn johnny]

Footbag to be honest I just yank out bunches when it's harvesting time, and this has shown no ill effects in my nano. I have feather caulerpa that grows over my spaghetti but it still grows fine. You could get any of those breeders to isolate it, but IMO that sort of takes away from the beauty of the spaghetti as it hosts tons of bugs. If you keep an eye on things the spaghetti should be fine in there...