Fuge life?

[Moosetache]

I have had my fuge set up since I set up the sump (its an in sump fuge) and have had Cholerpa in there for about a week now and a light on it for the last 4 days. What should I expect in the way of Cholerpa growth and what am I looking for in the way of life in there? I have never had a fuge before, so just want to make sure I am on the right track here.

thanks

 

[hanas]

you'll get a lot of pods living in there, eventually you'll see them moving around. As far as growth, that all depends on how much nutrients/amuont of light (duration) there is for it.

I have chaeto in my fuge, and I constantly have to pull chunks of it out to keep up with the growth.

 

[on_ice]

How much light is needed for a fuge?

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11681767#post11681767 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by on_ice
How much light is needed for a fuge?

I use a 25 watt energy saver bulb from Home Depot..at first I had the light on 24/7 because I wanted to get a good growth of chaeto . Now it is on for about 16 hours--reverse to the lighting of the tank--this helps reduce the nocturnal swing in the pH

 

[Aquarist007]

Re: Fuge life?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11679582#post11679582 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Moosetache
I have had my fuge set up since I set up the sump (its an in sump fuge) and have had Cholerpa in there for about a week now and a light on it for the last 4 days. What should I expect in the way of Cholerpa growth and what am I looking for in the way of life in there? I have never had a fuge before, so just want to make sure I am on the right track here.

thanks

I would recommend that you switch out the caulerpa for chaeto.
If you happen to run the lights 24/7 it can go sexual---rapidly realeases spores that can very quickly multiply and crash a tank.

 

[Aquarist007]

here is a few pictures of my refugium--it returns to the sump near the return bulkhead so the critters can make it to the main tank.

You will get copopods and bristle worms, fans etc that you can see. But there is alot more produced that you can't see. It is a good idea to have a sandbed and some reef rock rubble as it will give you a greater variety of inverts produced.

 

[Moosetache]

I am using one of those 60W energy saver bulbs....is that too much? I run the light at night in the fuge(which is obviously mostly opposite the main tank), do all think I should still switch to Chaeto? Sorry I spelled caulerpa incorrectly up there, I was just winging it.

 

[Aquarist007]

yes switch to cheato===your running a time bomb with caulerpa

 

[6 man reef]

Agree with capn_hylinur I had a disaster with the caulerpa. I run a photo period opposite of the display to help balance the PH (keeps photosynthesis going thus rise ih PH at night.

 

[Moosetache]

I will do that....I just have to find some here locally....I dont feel like ordering that online...