Everyone with 24/7 fuge lighting

da1jewfish · #1 10/26/2007, 08:16 PM

I assume that most people have pods in there fuges. I used to do the normal daylight cycle, but I want to see if I can lower my nitrates a little more, so I'm going to try the 24/7 deal.
Does anyone have any issues with their pods living in a 24/7 lit tank?
My nitrates are at about 15ppm.

greenmonkey51 · #2 10/26/2007, 10:56 PM

I wouldn't suggest lighting 24/7. The macro needs some darkness to finish off the photo cycle.

m1enbo1 · #3 10/27/2007, 05:02 AM

i have mines 24/7. keeps the pH up where i can never keep them up before without it. i see lots and lots and LOTS of amphipods. i even see bristleworms crawling on the sandbed. no nitrates either.

da1jewfish · #4 10/27/2007, 06:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by m1enbo1
i have mines 24/7. keeps the pH up where i can never keep them up before without it. i see lots and lots and LOTS of amphipods. i even see bristleworms crawling on the sandbed. no nitrates either.

that sounds good. What kind of macro do you have? Yea I'm a give it a shot. I have chaeto, I don't believe they need a dark period.

Capt_Cully · #5 10/27/2007, 06:56 AM

I use chaeto and have some grape caleurpa. grows a ton, tons of pods. I use a cheapo light from Home Depot and run it 24/7. pH is always 8.15-8.25.

Pmolan · #6 10/27/2007, 07:40 AM

I've been told to cut back on the lighting, my pH is way too hgh normally. 8.5-8.6.

m1enbo1 · #7 11/02/2007, 12:34 AM

my ph is 8.3 and i keep only chaeto. no caulerpa for me. dont want them to nuke my tank

JimKelly12203 · #8 11/02/2007, 12:44 AM

Although many have had success with 24-7, i too would recommend at least a moderate dark period. Give it at least 4 hrs darkness IMO (arbitrary number) and make sure the 4 hrs of darkness correspond to lights on time in the DT.

Maybe i'm wrong, but there's something to be said for the fact that these organisms (even simple macro-algae) evolved on a planet where there is roughly 12 hrs daylight and 12 hrs darkness.

Gdevine · #9 11/02/2007, 01:12 AM

I run an Ecosystem fuge with cheato and 24/7 lights. My fuge literally is teeming with life! My params are perfect. I wouldn't do it any other way.

zacharytrimble · #10 11/02/2007, 09:22 AM

I run 24/7...with grape caleurpa (I've tried chaeto several times...and haven' thad much luck...and I know why...chaeto needs more flow than I have...it really needs to tumble..whereas I understand caleurpa can have slower flow in sump and do great...abeit a little dangerous (because it can pollute the tank by "going sexual" if it gets saturated with no new nitrates to continue pulling out (which is for me...uh, never)...but anyway, my pods...both amphi and cope...are just simply teeming. It keeps my ph up too. I really think the answer to this question depends on several factors....like how your ph does, what type of macroalgae, etc.

wizzbane15 · #11 11/02/2007, 09:35 AM

I run 24/7 with caleurpa because of slower flow rates too. I have never had any problems.

Some things to keep in mind: Light= cellular respiration in green plants. It is a phase where plants are producing cellular "food" by absorbing from their outside environment. Dark= growth of plant by now using stored foods and releasing the byproducts of respiration. Growth also prompts "sexual" reproduction within the plant since it has plenty of stored food from the light cycle.

...something to think about.