refugium lighting

[aceiswild7]

i want to set one up and finally figured out how i can do so but im not sure what kind of lighting i need for the refugium? and should the lights be on 24/7?
thanx and my refugium is going to be a 29 eclipse tank

 

[seabass]

I keep my lights on 8 hours a day with 2-20 watt bulbs in a 20 gal tank. keep the lights on oppsite times of your tank. during the day keep your tank lights on. during the night when your tank lights go off, turn on your refugium lights on.

 

[thereefman52]

from all the research i have done, and everyone on here i talk to they say leave the lights on 24/7. Because light is needed for the algea to grow, that is the whole point

 

[seabass]

if your refugium is going to be stored in a dark area yes 24/7. all my equipment is set up in my laundry room where there is a big window with lots of light. that is why I said i keep them on opposite of my tank. sorry I assumed yours would be somwhere wheres theres daylight

 

[thereefman52]

well most peoples tanks are not near a window, do to algea with lighting you cannot control, and temp. probs

 

[@knight]

I have heard of people lighting the refugium opposite of their tanks. I believe the reasoning was to help buffer the pH drop that happens in the tank after the lights go out. I dont see how it would be effective, but I have heard of people doing it with good results.

 

[toddius]

Running the lights opposite of your aquarium helps to stabilize the PH drop your aquarium goes through at night and running your lights on a refugium 24/7 will help to keep most types of algae from going assexual and causing a bloom in your refugium and aquarium. I have done both and find that running the lights opposite the tank will keep slime algae from taking over your refugium and covering your macro algae but once your macro algae takes over your refugium then 24/7 works best. Hope this helps.

 

[nm reef]

I've seen where people do both...lots of 24/7 and equal numbers of reverse display...personally I decided to run mine 24/7...my refugium is in a room directly behind my display...I wanted to maximise caulpera growth for filtration purposes so I went with 24/7...from all I've seen either way is good.....

 

[ironreef]

IME once caulerpa is established it will grow fast. I run mine 12hrs just because i save power and the sun isn't up 24-7. But i did 24-7 before I mainly run it to save power=12hrs. I don't worry about ph but I do run it longer at night than my tank is on just = power is cheaper then. IMO it's no big deal The fern type caulerpa go sexual easier I would get rassmosa(sp) or the grape kind and use more than one type JMO