Refugium lighting

[swenard]

How much light does Chaeto require? I built a refugium/sump recently and put a handful of Chaeto in there and one of the 18" Flourescent Lights over it. I think it is 18W or something. Is that enough? I leave the light on 24/7.

 

[mr pink floyd]

im gogin to do that too, the light i haev is 18 w for a 10 gallon, its a hood, but the light is a pinkish color, i think cheato does best under 6500K, so i might buy a small shoplight thing for 5 bucks at HD when i go to get PVC and superglue gel tomorrow, there are spiral flourescent lights, lie kthe evergy star ones that are rated 6500k, it should be a yellow kind of light if im not mistaken, right now i haev some cheato in my overflow until my sump is set up this week!

 

[swenard]

The light is pretty pink in mine too. It was for a 10G that had feeder fish in it. I was wondering if it was worth using this light, which only half of it fits over my refugium by the way, or get a clip on light and use a flourescent bulb. I just don't know where to find the spiral grow bulbs. Home depot does not carry them by me.

 

[Lpsfanatic338]

You shouldn't have it on 24/7. Correct me if im wrong but i think chaeto needs darkness to grow. A clip on light with a spiral bulb is the best thing to do.

 

[tetra9999]

everyone I know leaves the fuge lights on 24/7 as it helps with the PH not fluctuating as much when the main lights are out.

 

[Lpsfanatic338]

If you have caluepra in your fuge then you are supposed to leave the lights on 24/7 so that is does not go sexual. Chaeto doesn't do that so it doesn't need 24/7 lighting

 

[markywmson]

one of the things that i've heard is if you have a timer, have the fuge light kick on when the actinics go off at night. that should keep the pH balanced throughout the day...

 

[mr pink floyd]

yea i heard that too, but my sump is right next to the tank, liek 2 inches below bottom of overflow, and there is no way to cover it, so mine wont be on at night, plpus im only doing cheato

 

[Cox]

IME, chaeto grows like a weed under 24/7 lighting. I run mine 24/7 and I have to trim it every 2 weeks. I have also read that running the light only at night while the display tank lights are out is good, but I've found that I still get a bit of a pH drop unless I run the light 24/7.

 

[markywmson]

cox- cool, thanks for the info. something for me to try in the future!

 

[KingSpade]

i run a 15 watt flood (which is comparible to a 75w flourescent) it is a 5000k lamp and i run it when the actinics go off at 11pm and until 7 or 8am

 

[rjwilson37]

I use the shop fixture and stick a 20w spiral energy saving bulb that put's out 75w, it works great for my chaeto and I run 24/7. I even have coraline algae galore.

 

[swenard]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7011119#post7011119 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rjwilson37
I use the shop fixture and stick a 20w spiral energy saving bulb that put's out 75w, it works great for my chaeto and I run 24/7. I even have coraline algae galore.

Do you know what spectrum that bulb is?

 

[rjwilson37]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7018063#post7018063 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by swenard
Do you know what spectrum that bulb is?

I think it is a 5k/or 6k bulb. I will look the next time I go to Meijer.