A great refugium lightbulb, IMHO!

I think too much light is a problem for these plants. Ostrow, you said you have two 5100K bulbs around your LOA fixture. This must be a really large refugium.

The red slime you are encountering is cyano bacteria. This occurs when there is slow flow, excessive nutrients, and old bulbs. Chemi-Clean will kill it in 48 hours. http://www.melevsreef.com/chemicals.html
 
its not really slime ill try to capture a pic of it, sorry bout the change of topic

now back to topic....i accidently purchased the 2700k bulb cause there was no label on it....will my caulepra still grow as well as it does with the 5100? and will it grow at a slower rate?
 
Yes, it will still grow, but at a slower rate. And be sure to leave the light on 24/7 to avoid your caulerpa "going sexual" (aka dying in 72 hours or less).
 
reefer1187 said:
avi how long before your started seeing the growth in your macro algae?
Click to expand...

I have the one 2700K light on the sump/refugium and for about 8 weeks the chaeto did nothing but languish with no changes positive or negative. Then, after about the 8 weeks, it suddenly changed for the better. The chaeto took on a darker, healthier, "glassier" color and started to grow. It hasn't grown very much but it definitely has grown.
 
75 gallon fuge. That's fairly large. Added the 2x5100s b/c was getting no growth. Think I have too much light, huh?

Nothing personal, but I'm not putting any more snake oils in my system. Ixne on the chemi-clean.

The stuff I have almost forms a spider-web type structure over my chaeto. Dinos/diatoms/cyano combo? Trying lights off for 24 then maybe 6 on? Haven't decided yet.
 
Okay, let me clarify - Chemi-Clean is not a snake oil and it is one of the only products I'll ever recommend to use in a reef tank to treat a problem. I've used it about twice a year for the past few years and never lost a thing, except cyano.

That being said - if you have a trashcan full of water change water, pull out your macros, and shake them out well in the used water. You want to get all the detritus you can out of there.

Wave your hand over the substrate of your refugium to get all that crap in suspension, and pump that out as well. I do this during each water change.

If your macro is too low down in the refugium (75g are 18" tall, right?), the light won't penetrate deeply enough, so bring the plants up to the surface.

Removal of detritus, cleaning the plants, increasing the intensity and increasing the flow should really help. Also, tug the plant slightly apart as this encourages new growth. If it is tightly little ball, it won't do much.
 
Over the last year I have played with the 5100K bulb melev recommends with great success.
I have found this to be true for me;
4 to 6 inches above the water work best
One light per 12 by 12
The 19 watt light does penetrate much better. I can tell by the depth that coraline grows on the tank walls.
Keep it trimmed and spread out. A packed full tank of chaeto does not grow as fast as tank with room for chaeto to grow.
I was doing reverse light but now 24/7. Works better and acts as a work light for my refug area.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6037050#post6037050 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
...That being said - if you have a trashcan full of water change water, pull out your macros, and shake them out well in the used water. You want to get all the detritus you can out of there.

Wave your hand over the substrate of your refugium to get all that crap in suspension, and pump that out as well. I do this during each water change...
Click to expand...
Marc - wouldn't that get rid of a lot of good stuff like pods? I put a dsb in my fuge - was this a mistake? I just wanted to have lots of pods in there and other stuff. But since I already have a dsb in the main tank - 72" x 24", the dsb in the fuge is probably not critical.
 
I to have had great success over the past 12 months with that bulb, i'm also using the 19 watt version, had to get it via mail order. My HomeDepot doesn't have it.

Mike I went to the 24/7 for the same reason, glad I did even my Mangroves like it.
 
I agree doing that would nuke a lot of the life we want in there. A DSB is wanted in a fuge but still the life in the macro is what we want. I think the HD lights are not enough for the 75 which is why I kept the LoA on.

Maybe rinsing just the macro with the problem growth would work.

BUT: I solved the problems in the display and fuge as follows:

1) lights out for 48hrs
2) lights on for 1 hr.
3) once at 4hrs on, I held there for a week in the display; when I saw more yuck I did another 24hrs off
4) continued adding an hour a day in the fuge until at 8hrs, held there for a week; but had one day of lights out in the middle
5) after a week at 4hrs added an hour until 7hrs on in display; added in fuge until at desired amount (I have 3 different lights in there, MH 175 on for 4hrs, the HD lights on for 14, and the LoA on for about 6, there is overlap and 4hrs of dark
6) running massive carbon changing 50% weekly
7) used filter bags on the drains, cleaning every 72hrs, blowing the crap off the rock in the display daily. Eventually discovered, once the yuck started dying (this solved not only the cyan/dinos but also turf algae) that using my Kent scraper on the rock really got the stuff off!

Tank and fuge are clean now. Is one tiny strand still hanging on in the fuge but the macro is taking off so I worry not!
 
OH yeah, and on chemi-clean, well Marc you have more experience in the hobby and obviously it works for you. But for my part: if they don't tell me what's in it, I don't put it in the tank. Period. Not just on that product but on any.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6256425#post6256425 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rdmpe
Marc - wouldn't that get rid of a lot of good stuff like pods? I put a dsb in my fuge - was this a mistake? I just wanted to have lots of pods in there and other stuff. But since I already have a dsb in the main tank - 72" x 24", the dsb in the fuge is probably not critical.
Click to expand...

Yes, but if you can see your DSB from the side, the sand is usually white while there is the brown layer of detritus sitting on top like ash. That stuff needs to come out if possible.

<b>Ostrow</b> - I hear you and understand. Few products are trustworthy, but that is one I'll use without fear.
 
Here you go: Only $7...

http://buylighting.com/cart/purchas...70D900B7404680D8905068907670D900B75046D0D8705

The Good:
6500K (even better than 5100k)
23Watts

The Not So Good:
Not all -weather (Doesn't matter for me, there is no splashing in my refugium, and I've always used non-weather rated lamps with zero problems).
Frosted glass - cuts back on the light very slightly

I just received these lamps and installed. They are great. Very nice blue color if you are used to a 2300 or 5100k lamp. Bright. Quick, professional shipping.

For two lamps, the shipping was $5.77, for a total of $9.89 per lamp, delivered to your house in a few days. I hope some folks find this useful.
 
At certain Wlamarts you can. If they happen to stock them at your local Walmart and they are in-stock when you are there. This tip was for the thousands that are not in that category.
 
usafa93, I've used 6500K bulbs for in the past, for 1.5 years. It works, but the 5100K bulb did a better job for me. Plus it was easier to clean than the spiral coil 6500K I had running over my refugium.
 
melev,

I hope to try one of the 5100K bulbs and one of the 6500K bulbs that was just posted about to compare... if I can find the time, lol. If you will follow the link, though, it is not a spiral bulb which I agree with you is a pain to clean. This that was just posted about is in the spot-light shape like the 5100K bulb you use. FWIW

Steven
 
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