Whats everyone using for fuge lighting?

[southerntnreefer]

Got to get something for the 220 to get the fuge powered up. Want to get a light before i get any macros. Whats everyone using?

 

[Crabs McJones]

Been using a Kessil H380, its been nothing but good to me and power grows chaeto

 

[Eagle_Steve]

I use “tomato” (hehe) grow lights on all my tanks. They are set on reverse of my dt lighting. I have dimmable and non-dimmable ones. They work great and grow graciliria like mad. They also grew cheato, but I moved away from it as I couldn’t give it away fast enough and my tangs love the red stuff.

Only down side is sump doors open for testing at night. Whatever room I am in doing the testing, looks like I am growing massive amounts of “tomatoes” for the “farmers market”.

 

[S2G]

I really like the kessil h380 but I'm too cheap to spend the $300. What's worked for me is the 150w cre ufo grow lights off Ebay and Amazon. I tried those flood lights everyone talks about but it didn't do well. Eventually a couple of people told me about the cre and you can't beat it for 50 bucks. I think there's a video showing par readings and it was right there with the h380.

 

[southerntnreefer]

I use “tomato” (hehe) grow lights on all my tanks. They are set on reverse of my dt lighting. I have dimmable and non-dimmable ones. They work great and grow graciliria like mad. They also grew cheato, but I moved away from it as I couldn’t give it away fast enough and my tangs love the red stuff.

Only down side is sump doors open for testing at night. Whatever room I am in doing the testing, looks like I am growing massive amounts of “tomatoes” for the “farmers market”.

Hahaha!! What would you recommend for macros to get started in the 220? I've got an old screw bulb I used on the 90, but I never had much luck. Now I don't know if that was the bulb or just my sump setup and fuge flow etc. I also used to run it 24-7 and this time I was t to rub it reverse dt.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Hahaha!! What would you recommend for macros to get started in the 220? I've got an old screw bulb I used on the 90, but I never had much luck. Now I don't know if that was the bulb or just my sump setup and fuge flow etc. I also used to run it 24-7 and this time I was t to rub it reverse dt.

I had a H380 and they are great lights, but not enough spread without a ton of light spill for the size of my fuges. Would have needed 2 and the wife was not having that for 4 large tanks lol. I use the below ones for the ones I have that are dimmable. The dimmable ones are mounted 4-5" above the water, and are cranked up all the way now. But I have 0 light spill at that height.



For the 2 non-dimmable ones I have, they are on my aggressive tank and on my way overfed 220. Both of those tanks have 75s as sumps and the fuges take up the majority of the sumps. There is only enough room for my skimmer in the skimmer chamber and enough room for both of my return pumps in the return sections. The light below is a pricey one, but with the fuges being so large and me not wanting any light spill, they work well. These 2 tanks would have needed at least 3 H380s if I mounted them as close to the water as this one.



At the end fo the day, the Kessil is an awesome light, just not what I wanted with how I have everything set up. The cheap grow lights are working well and give me 0 light spill past the fuge section at 4-5" off the water. I am growing more gracilliria with the grow lights vs the kessil, but that is due to light spread with the grow lights. If I did not mind light spill, the kessil would have more than likely performed just as well. The kessil was not that great 4" off the water when 32"x18"x18" is dedicated for a fuge.

It does need to be noted: Under a stand I saw 0 water temp increase with the kessil. With the larger versions I saw a .5 degree increase in water temp when they were on. With the smaller ones, it was .25-.3 depending on the tank/stand once they were set at 100%. The grow lights do generate more heat than a kessil, but this just means my heater runs less lol. My wife keeps the house so cold, the heaters will kick on at night in the summer.

Ok enough of that lol. How big do you plan to do the fuge or how much room do you have? That is a big factor. What is your NO3 and PO4 right now? Both of those need to be taken into account, as you can make a fuge too big, although with the puffers, I think Paxtins could support a garage sized sump/fuge lol. And one more thing, since your sump is visible, have you thought of doing a dual section fuge? One area for the fast nutrient uptake macro and another section for the prettier macros? This could also be an area for smaller fish you may want that the puffers would try to eat.

 

[southerntnreefer]

I had a H380 and they are great lights, but not enough spread without a ton of light spill for the size of my fuges. Would have needed 2 and the wife was not having that for 4 large tanks lol. I use the below ones for the ones I have that are dimmable. The dimmable ones are mounted 4-5" above the water, and are cranked up all the way now. But I have 0 light spill at that height.



For the 2 non-dimmable ones I have, they are on my aggressive tank and on my way overfed 220. Both of those tanks have 75s as sumps and the fuges take up the majority of the sumps. There is only enough room for my skimmer in the skimmer chamber and enough room for both of my return pumps in the return sections. The light below is a pricey one, but with the fuges being so large and me not wanting any light spill, they work well. These 2 tanks would have needed at least 3 H380s if I mounted them as close to the water as this one.



At the end fo the day, the Kessil is an awesome light, just not what I wanted with how I have everything set up. The cheap grow lights are working well and give me 0 light spill past the fuge section at 4-5" off the water. I am growing more gracilliria with the grow lights vs the kessil, but that is due to light spread with the grow lights. If I did not mind light spill, the kessil would have more than likely performed just as well. The kessil was not that great 4" off the water when 32"x18"x18" is dedicated for a fuge.

It does need to be noted: Under a stand I saw 0 water temp increase with the kessil. With the larger versions I saw a .5 degree increase in water temp when they were on. With the smaller ones, it was .25-.3 depending on the tank/stand once they were set at 100%. The grow lights do generate more heat than a kessil, but this just means my heater runs less lol. My wife keeps the house so cold, the heaters will kick on at night in the summer.

Ok enough of that lol. How big do you plan to do the fuge or how much room do you have? That is a big factor. What is your NO3 and PO4 right now? Both of those need to be taken into account, as you can make a fuge too big, although with the puffers, I think Paxtins could support a garage sized sump/fuge lol. And one more thing, since your sump is visible, have you thought of doing a dual section fuge? One area for the fast nutrient uptake macro and another section for the prettier macros? This could also be an area for smaller fish you may want that the puffers would try to eat.

so its the same sump that was on the 125. Its a 120 raw, which i have just enough for the return and skimmer, the first chamber is the sump so its lilely around 40 gallons or so,. i can measure it if it helps. Im doing a WC today, because nitrates have creeped up to like 60-80 i believe, and i hate being that high. as bio load increases its time to go ahead and get the fuge going finally. I was gunna do a Sb reef fuge light, but thats $$$ Let me know i if you need a photo of sump, or not, as im home today.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

so its the same sump that was on the 125. Its a 120 raw, which i have just enough for the return and skimmer, the first chamber is the sump so its lilely around 40 gallons or so,. i can measure it if it helps. Im doing a WC today, because nitrates have creeped up to like 60-80 i believe, and i hate being that high. as bio load increases its time to go ahead and get the fuge going finally. I was gunna do a Sb reef fuge light, but thats $$$ Let me know i if you need a photo of sump, or not, as im home today.

If its the same sump as when I about killed my cripple self unloading the new tank lol, you should be able to fill up the entire area and be fine. As for type of macro, what are your phosphates? Cheato has to have some or it will not reduce nitrates very well. If they are very low, you may want to look into gracilliria. (I can give you a huge bunch to start with) It is not as much of a phosphate consumer and has been a blessing for me, as I am seriously phosphate limited. It cut my dosing of phosphates by 40% and it was the only change.

 

[Mrx7899]

I have the150 watt ufo light off ebay for 30 bucks it's hard to beat grows cheato like crazy.

 

[icejam]

$30 300W COB LED light from Amazon. I have a small refugium (~6oz of cheato) that gains 50% by weight weekly. I have my fuge light running at night

 

[southerntnreefer]

If its the same sump as when I about killed my cripple self unloading the new tank lol, you should be able to fill up the entire area and be fine. As for type of macro, what are your phosphates? Cheato has to have some or it will not reduce nitrates very well. If they are very low, you may want to look into gracilliria. (I can give you a huge bunch to start with) It is not as much of a phosphate consumer and has been a blessing for me, as I am seriously phosphate limited. It cut my dosing of phosphates by 40% and it was the only change.

"cripple self" LOLOLOL i havent tested phosphates honestly as its the FOWLR system, so i wasnt chasing that at all. i have one of those LED screw bulbs from the 90 to get me by. Whats your thoughts?

 

[Terry Mattson]

H380. Cheto went from slowly growing to pulling a gallon of cheto out every week.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

"cripple self" LOLOLOL i havent tested phosphates honestly as its the FOWLR system, so i wasnt chasing that at all. i have one of those LED screw bulbs from the 90 to get me by. Whats your thoughts?

I have not had luck with the par 38 grow bulbs. They just dont seem to have enough punch. For the phosphates, it really does not matter to the fish per say, but macros use it when consuming N, so it would be good to know that number. I am sure you have some, but if not much it will go quickly and then N will slow or stop getting consumed.

 

[southerntnreefer]

I'll

I have not had luck with the par 38 grow bulbs. They just dont seem to have enough punch. For the phosphates, it really does not matter to the fish per say, but macros use it when consuming N, so it would be good to know that number. I am sure you have some, but if not much it will go quickly and then N will slow or stop getting consumed.

I'll power up my tested then. Here's what I currently had on hand. I've also got 2 6 foot t5s lolololol

 

[Eagle_Steve]

That may work to start. I was thinking of the home depot variant bulb.

 

[southerntnreefer]

That may work to start. I was thinking of the home depot variant bulb.

no this one came from Amazon, i just dont remember which one it was and wattage. it didnt do much in the 90, but that may of been from having the fuge after skimmer and other reasons.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

no this one came from Amazon, i just dont remember which one it was and wattage. it didnt do much in the 90, but that may of been from having the fuge after skimmer and other reasons.

If you are going to the new shop in Huntsville this weekend, I can bring you a bag of graciliria to throw in there and try. Worst case it starts top bleach and you feed it to the yellow tang lol. All 9 sumps are full, so it is either your sump or the goats lol.

 

[southerntnreefer]

If you are going to the new shop in Huntsville this weekend, I can bring you a bag of graciliria to throw in there and try. Worst case it starts top bleach and you feed it to the yellow tang lol. All 9 sumps are full, so it is either your sump or the goats lol.

crap! i had forgotten about that, ive got plans with the wife i think. my Hannah Phos is counting down now.

 

[southerntnreefer]

If you are going to the new shop in Huntsville this weekend, I can bring you a bag of graciliria to throw in there and try. Worst case it starts top bleach and you feed it to the yellow tang lol. All 9 sumps are full, so it is either your sump or the goats lol.

phos is 0 ppb according to my hanna checker

 

[Eagle_Steve]

phos is 0 ppb according to my hanna checker

If GHA is growing, then it is there but getting consumed. You can start up the fuge, but remove as much GHA by hand as possible to start. Also, using gracilliria, it does not consume as much. Again, worst case it starts to bleach due to not enough P and you feed it to the tang.