Fuge Lighting discussion

[Conesus_Kid]

Let's discuss your opinions and experience on refugium lighting; specifically, a reverse photoperiod vs. 24/7 lighing.

I've been using a reverse photoperiod since my refugium went online about 6 months ago. I've been pleased w/ the results, but I'm not married to this method. My nighttime pH drops to 7.9 using this method.

Are there benefits to running it 24/7, or does the chaeto do better when it has a daily "dark period" (circadian rhythms)?

Your thoughts?

[Gary Majchrzak]

I run my 'fuge lighting 24/7.
I can't remember all the reasons why I switched from a reverse cycle. (I do seem to recall that plants do better with a night time period, but I grow macroalgae for the benefit of my reef aquarium, not the macros!)
I DO remember that Clownfish larvae raised with 24/7 lighting grew no faster than those illuminated with a regular 12 hour photoperiod, but vertebrate growth is a far cry from macroalgae growth...

[cardiffgiant]

I run mine 20 hours a day, and turn them off between 11am and 3pm. This seems to keep my caulerpa in check.

[KurtsReef]

I have a 96w PC bulb lighting the 75g fuge 24/7

[cardiffgiant]

One thing I notice when the light is off is that a lot of the pods get really active foraging for food. Do you think that running the lights 24/7 reduces their feeding activity, or do you think that they adjust to the permanent photo period?

[Newlin]

I am setting up a fuge right now and I'm about to plumb it in so I would like to know this as well. I was going to put it on a 24/7 but after what card said (and that was a good point) I'm thinking about just the 12 hours, maybe 16.

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11341211#post11341211 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cardiffgiant
One thing I notice when the light is off is that a lot of the pods get really active foraging for food. Do you think that running the lights 24/7 reduces their feeding activity, or do you think that they adjust to the permanent photo period?
IME there's no doubt they make some sort of adjustment and don't hesitate to scurry around with the fuge light on. I've got a lot of 'pods. Would I have more if I didn't light my 'fuge 24/7?

I don't think so.... but perhaps.
I think that gammarus type pods get used to having no predators around and they lose some of their cautious nature.

[Conesus_Kid]

I may do some experimenting with this.

It is extremely difficult to conduct any sort of controlled experiment in our reef aquariums. Between the regularly scheduled water changes, two-part additions, carbon and GFO changes, and feeding, I'm not sure if I'll even notice a difference.

One thing that I am curious about is the nighttime pH. I think I recall RC user 'liveforphysics' experimented w/ chaeto and nitrates, and found that the chaeto is good for about 6 continuous hours of nitrate removal. His solution was to run multiple chambers of macros, staggering the lighting schedule so that he was constantly getting the nitrate removal benefit, while saving a bit of electricity (rather than lighting macros for the 18 hours they weren't removing nitrates).

Interesting stuff to ponder...

[Gary Majchrzak]

interesting for sure- but much too much for me to undertake right now.
Feedings can have a huge impact on pod population and macroalgae growth. For macros you might want to check into dosing an Iron supplement.

Lowering nitrates might better be accomplished with a remote deep sandbed.

[Conesus_Kid]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11341422#post11341422 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Gary Majchrzak
interesting for sure- but much too much for me to undertake right now.
Feedings can have a huge impact on pod population and macroalgae growth. For macros you might want to check into dosing an Iron supplement.

Lowering nitrates might better be accomplished with a remote deep sandbed.

I agree. Knock on wood, but nitrates have not been an issue for me. At this point, pod production and minimizing the pH drop overnight are my two biggest reasons for the refugium. My chaeto growth has been good, but has slowed down quite a bit since I put a PO4 reactor online about 6 weeks ago.

[KurtsReef]

Even with my lights on there are hundreds of if not thousands of baby pods on the surface of the sandbed continuously...the big ones do seem to stay in and around the liverock instead of venturing out.

[Capt_Cully]

24/7 here. tons of pods. still have .2-.3 drop in pH nightly. I posted a while back wondering if this was an instability that I could better control. Haven't found a solution yet. I'm afraid to dose kalk at night right now. Just another variable.

Kid, if you think of an experiement and want satelite sample groups let me know.

[tmz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11341211#post11341211 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cardiffgiant
One thing I notice when the light is off is that a lot of the pods get really active foraging for food. Do you think that running the lights 24/7 reduces their feeding activity, or do you think that they adjust to the permanent photo period? I ran mine 21hours a day to provide a period of darkness and to provide more light out of the 65w pc over the 20g refugium. I upgarded to 130w pc and now do 14hours a day on opposite photo and have noticed more pods on the front glass but they go to the light and may have been in the tank all along with no lure to the front as there is from light in the room when the tank light is off. I have also removed all of my caulerpa . I had originally extended the lighting cycle to discourage sporulation .