refugium lighting

[ddboy]

Can anyone tell me their experience with the lights in the refugium? I have the Chaetomorpha algae on ecosystem mud. Should I have the lights on 24/7 or on only when my display lights are off?

 

[hurt]

You don't have to light chaeto 24/7, that is just for caulerpa's to try and limit the possibility of them going sexual. I use chaeto in my fuge and have it on an RDP for 14 hours.

 

[ddboy]

Thanks, so just use it reverse of the tank light then?

 

[dogstar]

We use macros in a fuge to remove nutrients from and to provide oxygen to the water by photosynthisis. They need the light to do this. If you want the macros to work only at night then thats when you run them.
I prefer my fuge work 24 hour day.

 

[ddboy]

Thanks everyone for helping out. I guess I want my macro to be working all the time. but what is the draw back of this, if there is any? I only have that and a shrimp in the sump. The coral banded shrimp was put there cause I think he is a little bully in my tank.

 

[hurt]

Yes, an RDP(reverse daylight photosynthesis) is lit opposite of DT lighting, that is at night. This helps to maintain a constant pH level in your system, otherwise pH drops at night. There are a few drawbacks to running a fuge light 24/7. First it adds more heat to your system, I already have 720 watts on my 55g, so temp is a concern for me(unless you have a chiller). In nature of course macro's are not exposed to light 24/7, so you are not replicating the true environment and giving macro's a chance to rest. But, the biggest reason is pod production. Pods do much better in fuges that are not lit 24/7.

 

[ddboy]

Thanks again for all your help. I think you have a good argument there. I do have a chiller in my tank. as far as pod goes, that is not my concern, since my tank is almost a fish only tank, I have a few shrimps, 10 fishes, an anenome, and xenia in it. I just want the most natural and best way of filtration. oh, I have a 150g tank by the way. I will try to post a picture here later.