Caulerpa on 24/7 ? bad idea ?

[proenca]

I have a small refuge with a bunch of caulerpa on it... refuge is a section of my sump, with some aragonite and rock.

lighthing is 2x18w, osram yellow that runs about 24 hours, 7 days a week.

is it ok ? should I run on a 12 or 14 hour cycle ?will I kill or "exahust" the caulerpa by supplying light 24/7 ?

 

[hmott]

Its fine on 24/7, but this has been debated lots if you search you can probably find people on every side of this issue.

 

[kmk2307]

My refugium containing a few species of caulerpa is lit 24/7... no caulerpa crashes in there to date.

Kevin

 

[Fenix]

When you light celpura 24/7 it makes it grow asexually. When you turn your light off, it reproduces sexually, and it will relese nitrates and phosphates at night. Keeping the light on 24/7 is heathier for your tank and wont hurt the celpura at all.

 

[mesocosm]

Greetings All !

24/7 can give you some nice density as well ...

 

[Quiet1]

It's well and good to have great growth for nuitrient export. I would also like to remind people, that the critters that eat and live in caulerpa are primarly nocturnal. These critters go along way towards feeding corals, fish, and other critters. If you take away the night cycle, it will inhibit their natural behavior. Possibly stopping reproduction also.

If maximum nuitrient export is the desired effect. I would think long and hard about getting a bigger refugium and diverisifying the algeas in it. Running it on an opposite lighting cycle will help maintain pH in the system. Also, it will allow the critters to trickle or get washed into the display tank durning the day cycle, thereby providing a regually available food source.

Just some thoughts.

Quiet1