What is the best lighting for a Macro algae tank

[thomasp123]

Can anyone recommend what lighting you would use for a planted macro algae tank? I want to create a display refugium. Also if any one has any ideas on what inverts that one might add that would eat the micros but not the macro algae.

Thanks

 

[thomasp123]

seems impossible that no one has an opinion on this topic

 

[spieszak]

The question is highly subjective. Some macros will do fine under bulbs from the grocery store... some would prefer halogens or T5's. You'll have to be more specific....

 

[thomasp123]

Well it is hard to be more specific as I dont know what I will put in there yet. I have a 75 gallon reef and I want to add a 46 bow front display refugium with a shared sump. So I can do pretty much anything i want and I am trying to learn about this sort of thing.

 

[spieszak]

take a look at reefcleaners site. they have a decent stock of macro's with the requirements for each. it should give you a start at being able to narrow the question down. (I also recommend them for ordering, because well, they basically just ROCK)

 

[llc]

i recommend gulf coast ecosystems (live-plants.com) as well, they have the same information about their plants, and i have ordered a great amount from them with great success

 

[spieszak]

what does the above icon mean?

 

[Water Tecn]

just get anything from the 3k to 6700k rating, led or pc or flourescent

 

[llc]

i dont remember what that symbol means...at one time i found a guide to all their symbols, and cant seem to find it right now...sorry...if you email him and ask...he is usually quite quick to respond (at least during the work week)

 

[RDHDDRAGON]

what does the above icon mean?

The teardrop is what kind of flow they like.

I have a 4 bulb t-5 fixture on my macro tank. All four bulbs are 6700k.

I have Grape calupera, calupera prolifera, calupera taxfolia, red mammalaris, blue ochtodes, dragon's breath and a couple unidentified macros and they all grow very well.
It depends on what you want them to look like. Under these lights they grow free and loose. I have the same macros in a tank with LEDS and they grow very compact and slower. Colors are different under each as well. The colors seem deeper in t5s and they grow faster too.

Here is what they look like under t5s

And here is two of them under LED

 

[thomasp123]

That seems like a plan I was thinking 6700k t5 fixture for this tank on a 14 hour light cycle.

 

[HaroldT]

I would go with either PC or T5 - 6700K white.