Refugium Lighting

[stormscall]

How important is it to use a reverse light cycle on your Refugium? I understand that by having the display lights on during the day the plant life in the display with produce oxygen and take in nutrients during the day and the Refugium would do the same process at night. Stabilizing the PH somewhat and maintaining a more constant O2 level. But what I’m wondering is exactly how important is it to use the reverse light cycle? I mean does it make that much difference? Currently I’m not doing so. I run the Refugium lights on the same timer as my actinic lights. I just don’t like seeing the light coming out of the bottom of the stand at night, but if it does make enough of a difference I will swap it over to reverse cycle.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

It should make some difference in the pH level.

The accumulation of CO2 exhaled by livestock and bacteria at night depresses pH at night since dissolved CO2 turns into carbonic acid. Your pH level may be much lower early in the morning than the pH in late afternoon (when your macroalgae and corals are consuming CO2 and exhaling oxygen.)

I suggest that you take and compare pH measurements. Take a measurement before the light turns on in the morning and again late in the afternoon at least 4 to 5 hours after the light turns on. If there is a significant difference, I suggest that you do another experiment by reversing the light period on your fuge. You may find a lot less difference in the pH values between morning and night.

Tomoko