Refugium Lighting Question

[dave88]

Hello, to make a Long story short- I have upgraded my lighting and purchased a sump with room for a refugium. I now have a spare Kessil A80 Tuna Blue. Can I use it for the lighting or is it necessary to purchase the Tuna Flora? I’d much rather save the money and use what I already have if possible. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[HuduVudu]

The Blue should be fine. I think you can change the color on it. If you can skew it toward red for the plants.

 

[dave88]

Thanks for the response! This particular light goes from actinic to 10,000k. How would I go about skewing it toward red?

 

[HuduVudu]

The knobs on the top, or through the app.

You aren't going to get red so you are going to want to push more toward white. This is adding the red in to get the white. Try to go as far exactly opposite of the blue as you can.

 

[mmorriso]

Dedicated refugium lights are desirable as they facilitate the algae in your sump outcompeting the algae in your display, by providing a spectrum that is superior in supporting algae growth and thus nutrient uptake.

If you have weaker / less suitable light (For algae) in your refugium as compared to your display, the refugium is unlikely to achieve its full potential.

As the A80 does not emit red light, and you've indicated your display has an upgraded light, you may wish to consider selling or trading the A80 in order to acquire a light better suited for the refugium. For what it's worth, I use the Tunze Eco Chic submersible refugium light and it is amazing.

 

[HuduVudu]

As the A80 does not emit red light

This is not true.

First to achieve the white color requires some red. Also according to Kessil's admittedly lacking video there is spectrum at the 650 nm range which marks a transition of sorts to the visible red spectrum.



Red is helpful but not necessary to grow macro algae. If it were necessary we would never see the problems that have occurred in deep water from invasive algae species. What is more relative and important is intensity and duration.

IMO the Kessil Tuna is more than adequate to handle the job of grower of macro algae.

 

[mmorriso]

This is not true.

Apologies, you're correct.

However, a dedicated refugium light may do a better job of promoting algae growth in the sump and thus outcompeting algae in the display.

An A80 Tuna Blue will certainly grow algae, just like it would in the display, but the question is whether it would grow algae well enough to minimise the algae in the display, given the OP has indicated they've furnished their display with an upgraded, perhaps stronger, light.