fuge light with macro algae

[supernareg]

should i leave the fuge light above the cheato on 24/7? or reverse light cycle? i want the most growth asap for nutrient removal.

bulb is a 16 watt compact flourescent thats equiv to 75watt incandescent.

 

[Charles99]

24/7

what is the light spectrum on it?

 

[JeffersonReef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8344681#post8344681 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Charles99
24/7

what is the light spectrum on it?

I think most would disagree with this. Caulerpa and other macros that have the tendancy to go sexual would need to have their life cycle interrupted... so you would keep the lights on 24/7, which wouldnt allow the macro algae a "rest period". Chaeto, on the other hand, presents no risk of going sexual.. and needs a 8-10 hour rest.

Read Anthony Calfo's article on macro algae... helped me a lot!
http://www.reefland.com/rho/0105/main2.php

Here is the excerpt Im quoting from above:
"There are two ways to generally reduce vegetative die-offs of Caulerpa: 1) keep it in stasis, or 2) interrupt its life cycle with strategic pruning. On the former count, "stasis" is "in layman's terms" a state whereby the Caulerpa does not get to complete its life cycle by keeping it under constant illumination (as recommended by some advocates of the mud system refugiums keepers). In practical hobby applications, Caulerpa is one of the only algae species that this can be applied to. The majority of plants and algae must have a period of respiration (day/night photoperiods). Speaking to the latter possibility for staving off die-offs, one can simply interrupt the cycle of maturity by frequent and aggressive thinning or pruning. Thinning is best as Caulerpa fronds are single cells (the largest single-celled organisms on the planet, as I recall), to cut or break a frond itself can lead to sapping of the entire cell (releasing noxious or toxic elements), or even a complete and rapid die-off of the entire colony! A patch of Caulerpa though will naturally grow many, branching fronds which naturally break and separate on their own. Take note of the older growth and thin it out of the bunch. This is best done habitually on a weekly basis with fast growth, but no longer than monthly ideally. The natural life cycle of most species of Caulerpa falls within three to six months. The goal here is to interrupt that cycle to prevent sexual reproduction and massive die-off."

HTH!

-TJ

 

[supernareg]

thanks, time to increase flow in my fuge

 

[JeffersonReef]

Thats what I did too. I was originally told that ur fuge should have low water flow.... but that has proven to be FALSE. I have about 200gph flowing through my 30g fuge... and have chaeto, feather caulerpa, grape caulerpa, and tang heaven growing.

-TJ

 

[Bebo77]

i say 24/ 7... it kept my ph balanced.. now that i have no fuge i bounce from 7.9 to 8.1

 

[golfish]

16 watts isn't a whole lot of light for macros..If your getting any growth at all I'd say 24\7 just cause the light is so weak. If you have macro that can go sexual then I'd listen to antjefferson. I don't know that much about this stuff but I do know if it goes sexual its a big mess. or at least was for me.

does anybody still see those LOA fixtures for 10.00 at costco?

 

[bergzy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8353744#post8353744 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by golfish
does anybody still see those LOA fixtures for 10.00 at costco?

i havent seen those fixtures for some time now.

they went down to $8.50 before they stopped carrying them.

some of my friends mentioned that walmart had them for like $11 but i have been in walmart once only this year and plan to shop there as little as possible.

when they were at costco, i must have purchased 8 or so of them...i have gone through a few of them, given them away and now only have one left.

they do an awesome job at chaeto growing. 65 watts, 6500k, 85 cri (or so) and puts out the same amount of light as 500 watts...all this for $8.50 and that is for the bulb, ballast and weatherproof fixture!!!

since i run zeo...nutrients are non-existant. no macro growth, thus no need for macro!!! i have also since taken my ca reactor offline and have seen nothing but stable tank pH nirvana with it being 8.38 lights off and 8.44 lights on...amazing! with my ca reactor online, pH was constantly below 8.0 dark and maxed out at 8.1 lit.