What are you using for a refugium light?

[NaClH20NMYVEIN]

I have always had bad luck growing algae's in my refugium. Wondering if it's the lights. I'm currently using 2 CFL flood lights on a 75G tank (50x18x18ish). What are you using on what size tank? How has your growth been?

 

[dream54ing]

IMO, don't think its the light. I've used a single cfl flood light and never had a problem growing. Now I use a single 8k led stunners and it grows pretty well, but not as fast as the flood light. I have a 125gal fug, but currently taken over by corals.
I'm sure you already read, 6800K is the optimum kelvin for growing most macro (from the internet
I also dose iron in my system.

 

[ech0o]

My fuge is pretty small, running some 1w 6500k LED's over it, seems to do the trick

 

[ggsteve]

I'm running a single 13w 6500k cfl in a painters reflector. Chaeto growth is ok but not great. On the other hand, the softies growing on the liverock chunks down there look fantastic!

 

[Junktown]

PAR-fuge bulb on a clamp on homedepot light.

 

[buffalobunch]

t5's

 

[AtomsAz]

t5's

+1 2 36inch 39 watt

 

[Derekbc]

A $6 clamp on fixture with these bulbs from Costco. First picture is about a month before the 2nd.

 

[BobthePhotoGuy]

I have two cfl daylight bulbs on a fuge that is roughly half of a 40g breeder. My cheato grows like a weed!

Try a bit more light. If you are afraid of algae in the other parts of the sump put up some black plastic as a divider to block direct light to the areas you don't want it.

Bob

 

[NaClH20NMYVEIN]

Hmmm I using the same light and cheap HD clip on reflector as a few of you. Wonder why I cant grow chateo and now my month old culpera is not looking so hot. Oh well matches my corals

 

[BobthePhotoGuy]

the algae will feed off of nitrates and stuff. Maybe your parameters are too clean? or your flow is too high in your fuge?
I take a bit of pellet food and toss it in the fuge about once a week to make sure there is stuff for the snails and macro algae..

Bob

 

[SKAREEF]

CFL 75w on one and Ecoxotic Panorama led 36 retro on my new one. So I don't know yet how it will do, but the CFL 75w natural works great.

 

[Raptor72]

Not sure of the name, bit they're the led flood lights from HD everyone has been raving about on the forums. That on a clamp on fixture and my chaeto has never grown as fast.

 

[vincent92]

I use a small HOB compact light that came from my picotob. And my fuge is one of those HOB 1.5g fish breeder/acclimator/separation for fish kit but I use is as a fuge and its perfect!

 

[NaClH20NMYVEIN]

Plenty of nitrate and PO4 in there. Maybe its too much flow but it seems to be a reasonable amount. From all the posts here it does not seem like a light issue.

 

[dream54ing]

try to prop the macro towards the top of the surface of the water...I use to leave it on 24-7 (cfl), but now because I have corals in my 'fug", its only 10-12 hrs a day (led)

*yes, try turning down the flow...

 

[dream54ing]

some people like tumbling their chaeto, but I prefer not to. seem to grow faster

 

[standrd250ridr]

I have done well with 6500k cfl's as well, but just switched to 2700k after someone told me it was closer to the ideal spectrum for growing algae.

 

[standrd250ridr]

Can someone confirm this?

 

[plantastic]

Ryan-

I'm thinking that your lights are mounted alot higher up than most people "clamp" on. Do you have a par meter...I should of checked it when I was there. Due to the heighth of your lights, I'm thinking your losing alot of light. How old are the bulbs? Was there ever a time that you were pruning algae out by the buckets, regularly? If so, was it with the exact same set-up as now?