Refugium experts, lighting question

[cap'n pete]

I currently have grape caulerpa in a four gallon Sterilite container lit by a full spectrum 15W fluorescent 24/7. It's starting to not look so good and there is really no algea growth in the refugium. It's been running for about 3 weeks now. Do I need better lighting? Perhaps the $25 6500K 65W shoplight fom Walmart? I'm not going to spend a whole lot of cash on lighting. If all else fails I'll just get rid of the caulerpa and just have a sump. As far as different caulerpa that's all I could find in the area.

 

[tjkohler]

Here's some cheap good Power Compact lighting: http://www.petsupplyliquidator.com/ Goto their Aquarium Specials page. For just a little more than the Walmart thing you have there you can have much better lighting.

 

[jumpfrog]

I just use a 15W NO for my fuge 24/7 and my grape grows very well. Do you have a very slow flow of water through your fuge? I wonder if the caluerpa has time to take in the nutrients.
Anyway, I don't think lighting is your problem as I pull out two huge handfulls of algea every couple of weeks.
Good Luck!

 

[bigeyedfish]

try a 40W plant grow bulb from either Lowe's or HD. I mounted one in a clip on desk lamp under my stand in its making my feather caulerpa grow like crazy!

 

[nm reef]

I run close to 70 gal thru my refugium at about 100 GPH. I've managed to grow both feather and razor type caulperas with no problems. I run two standard shop light fixtures hung from the ceiling...I run 4x40 watts of standard 50/50 lights. Caulperas are growing like crazy.....I remove probably a lb or 2 every 10 days or so. Plan to take several bags back to the LFS I origionally got the stuff from this weekend(normally get in store credit on purchases!)
I've found that a low flow rate with decent lighting (I prefer 24/7)...works well in my refugium.

The top pic is a normal bi-weekly harvest!!

 

[bang guy]

Cap'n - it's entirely possible that your water just doesn't have a lot of nutrition that needs to be removed. Is you stocking density low, do you have a lot of coralline that may out-compete the Caulerpa?
Maybe your water is just too clean for Caulerpa to grow fast.

 

[broomer5]

hey Cap'n
I had two types of grape caulerpa in my refugium.
The larger grape variety didn't fare so well and died off.
The smaller variety is doing good.
Sometimes it just goes that way depending on the lighting, water and as Guy mentioned - the available nutrients.
You may want to try some other varieties of caulerpa, or maybe I send you some with that bulkhead fitting
you still need it ?

 

[cap'n pete]

Broomer,
If you send it I will definately use it. I don't know of anywhere else in town that I can get different caulerpa, it's all the small grape. The sump is pushing 100 GPH (I don't consider that too fast). As far as nutrients, Nitrates<10ppm. Algea in display seems to do just fine, of course it's under 110W of PC. I will probably make a mini refugium above the sump (gravity overflow) and attach a slow powerhead. The caulerpa is kinda getting a beating in the sump, maybe that's the problem. BTW I'm moving next week, you busy?

 

[killyah]

i use one of those grow lights for plant (walmart),20 watts ,its working great for my 10 gal refugium...