refugium lighting?

surfn · Sep 6, 2006

can everyone share their lighting setups for their refugiums?

ever since i've started this hobby 2 years ago, i've had issues getting my refugium to actually grow macro algaes. possibly due to low bioloads...but not positive on that.

the only success i ever had growing chaeto, was over a year ago in my nano tank. i had a AC110 HOB filter converted to a fuge. and it was lit by one of those coralife PC mini (2x9w bulbs). the chaeto grew, just not at an fast pace.

i upgraded to a 20g-high sump/fuge over the winter. it is divided in half w/ glass baffles. i used the same PC mini for a while over it, but it never seemed strong enough so i got one of those clip on lights from lowes, the type that comes with that aluminum reflector and takes screw in bulbs.

i have yet to find a bulb that does any good in it. whether its a flood light bulb, or PC screw in bulb. now all my chaeto looks like its being out competed by red slime algae in the fuge. any ideas?

everyone, please share how big your fuge is, and the lighting set up you have over it if it has had great success.

thanks :)

Raptor · Sep 6, 2006

Do you use sand and lr ?
My fuges always did will with residual MH lighting, Now thats its under the tank i cant do that. I use a NO 4o watt fixture one 50/50 actinc and one red spectrum fw grow bulb. Its been doing great so far.
Algea hasnt really been growing But its still alive, and looks good 2 mos after i added it.
I have always heard from the old timers that sand is needed for macro growth. Dunno how much of thats true, But my first fuge didnt have sand just rock and didnt do well till i added sand.

Mr. Ugly · Sep 7, 2006

I use one of the Home Depot clip on reflectors with a spiral compact daylight fluorescent bulb that was recommended a while back on one of those old RC threads. The recommended bulb is a different one now, but I just stuck with that Home Depot one.

As far as growing chaeto... well, the point is to take up nutrients, not necessarily to grow chaeto. You may not have much in the way of excess nutrients in your tank.

You have a low bioload if I remember correctly. Similar situation with mine... one fish in a 72g. When I overdosed the carbon a while back, my zoas shrunk, and an entire sump of chaeto practically died down to one handful. Very impressive.

surfn · Sep 7, 2006

Mr. Ugly said:
I use one of the Home Depot clip on reflectors with a spiral compact daylight fluorescent bulb that was recommended a while back on one of those old RC threads. The recommended bulb is a different one now, but I just stuck with that Home Depot one.

As far as growing chaeto... well, the point is to take up nutrients, not necessarily to grow chaeto. You may not have much in the way of excess nutrients in your tank.

You have a low bioload if I remember correctly. Similar situation with mine... one fish in a 72g. When I overdosed the carbon a while back, my zoas shrunk, and an entire sump of chaeto practically died down to one handful. Very impressive.

correct, i do have a low bioload. although, now, i have 2 clownfish, and 2 bangaii cardinals in a 65g tank volume system. and i am feeding about every other day, maybe once every 3 days.

i am using the same clip on light from homedepot as you 2 mentioned.

what bulbs are you using? brand? lumens? kelvin rating? what specs are recommended for fuge bulbs?

i know there was a thread on RC a while back about a bulb you had to order (i think it was some type of flood light bulb). but after blowing out a couple of similar flood light bulbs in about a week or two, i want to make sure i get it working correctly before buying any bulbs online that may be expensive.

Mr. Ugly · Sep 7, 2006

I used the older one on the right, recommended here:

http://www.melevsreef.com/fuge_bulb.html

surfn · Sep 7, 2006

Mr. Ugly said:
I used the older one on the right, recommended here:

http://www.melevsreef.com/fuge_bulb.html

excellent link, i hadnt seen that before, but i had read the thread about that 5,100k bulb.

i actually just bought that exact 2,700k bulb on the left on monday, and didnt know the kelvin rating until i got it out of the package. i cant stand the yellow look either.

maybe thats why all my other bulbs seemed to go bad after a week or two (the flood light type bulbs), b/c they were overheating with the addition of that large aluminum reflector that isnt really needed if the bulb has its own internal reflector.

thanks, some good stuff to keep in mind :)