True or False?

[TbyZ]

Quote from a hobbiest- (not this Forum)

"I would have a refugium area and frag area with red acrylic, to avoid algae growing on it."

Is there any truth to this?

 

[TbyZ]

Quote from a hobbiest- (not this Forum)

"I would have a refugium area and frag area with red acrylic, to avoid algae growing on it."

Is there any truth to this?

Has anyone ever heard of this before??

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Has anyone ever heard of this before??

nope.

Possible. Does not reflect OYGBIV light . Prob not 100% though.

And I cant afford red to find out.

 

[TbyZ]

nope.

Possible. Does not reflect OYGBIV light . Prob not 100% though.

And I cant afford red to find out.

I might have to buy a little piece of red acrylic & test out this theory.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I might have to buy a little piece of red acrylic & test out this theory.

Take some pics. This could be your million dollar idea.

 

[scardall]

IMO the inside side of the red acrylic ( filters the wavelength that matches the color of the Red acrylic used only) would still have algae on it as it is not filtered and any plant that utilizes the other wavelengths to grow, may still have the ability to grow. So why not just use black acrylic and be done.

 

[Merck]

o_O ssoooo we should make hang on filters and canister filters red instead of black.OK then ,I'm going to bed now I've got a lot of new things to make out of red tomorrow.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

So why not just use black acrylic and be done.

Red goes so well with black...;)

 

[Salty1962]

I don't believe that red would filter out all of the spectrum algae needs to grow. It would probably adjust to the new spectrum and continue to grow. Life doesn't give up that easily.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'm not understanding any possible mechanism for this (lighting is one the inside, not from outside usually), unless the red dye is toxic. :D

 

[GoVols]

And all this time... I thought growing Algae species in a refugium was a good thing for nutrient reduction :confused:

Stupid Me :)

SFF, You already saw my $900 stupid move of the year :(
If anybody wants a great deal on the RSM S 400 led upgrade kit... I'll hook you up :D

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

And all this time... I thought growing Algae species in a refugium was a good thing for nutrient reduction :confused:

It is unless nutrients are too low. Mine never got too low. :)

 

[Frop]

I don't get it. You are filtering with red? Wouldn't that make the light more red making algae worse?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I don't get it. You are filtering with red? Wouldn't that make the light more red making algae worse?

I agree it is weird logic to pick red. Why not black? In any case, it makes light coming from outside more red, but reduces all light, including red. It has no effect on light from inside which is where it usually comes from.

 

[Frop]

And all this time... I thought growing Algae species in a refugium was a good thing for nutrient reduction :confused:

Stupid Me :)

SFF, You already saw my $900 stupid move of the year :(
If anybody wants a great deal on the RSM S 400 led upgrade kit... I'll hook you up :D

Someone was just selling a 700 watt grow light they bought for their 15gal refugium. Idk if you can scorch algae out of the water but that would probably be the light.

 

[N4sty T4te]

A lot of newer sump manufacturers use Blue, black, or red acrylic between the Refugium chamber to cut back on useable light for Algae entering other parts of the Sump. If it's not transparent the bounced/reflected light from a red wall of this would benefit the algae in the refugium as algae tends to like red light. (If you look up grow lights for indoor plants you'll see they are very red in coloration.) Try it and let us know.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

A lot of newer sump manufacturers use Blue, black, or red acrylic between the Refugium chamber to cut back on useable light for Algae entering other parts of the Sump. If it's not transparent the bounced/reflected light from a red wall of this would benefit the algae in the refugium as algae tends to like red light. (If you look up grow lights for indoor plants you'll see they are very red in coloration.) Try it and let us know.

I'm not sure exactly what you are saying with respect to the light itself, but let me clarify a few things for other readers.

Red acrylic does not reflect more red light than the exact same acrylic without coloration. It may reflect very slightly less light of all colors, including red, but that effect is VERY small. Reflection is a surface property, and only adsorption in a very, very thin surface layer will impact the reflected light. Reflection is far more related to the relative index of refraction of the acrylic relative to the water.

Red acrylic also does not transmit more red light than transparent acrylic. It reduces the transmission of all colors of light, likely including red, but reduces other colors more than red so to appears to be red in transmitted light.

Any color of acrylic will likely reduce the amount of transmitted light getting to algae on the inside, but whether that is important or not depends on how much light it hitting the inside of the acrylic from the inside of the sump, relative to how much might be transmitted through the walls. :)