refugium light on 24/7?

[spdu4ia]

i've gotten many answeres to this question so i figured i would make a thread about it.

Shouyld i leave my fuge light on 24 hours, or only when my tank lights are off?

thanks in advance :rollface:

[caseyz]

Well seeing as I am just testing my setup today and planning on LR and LS in the next week or so, I too would like to know the answer to this. From what I have been told, you should leave them on when the display lights are off to keep the PH even.

But I would like to hear others thoughts.

[spdu4ia]

bump

[The R/C Man]

Yap! I have my refugium light come on 1hr prior to my tanks lights going out and they stay on for 1hr after the tank lights come back on.... It has been working great fo me so far. I also read something about oxygen levels in the tank being maintained as well due to the photosythesis processes by the plants in the refugium opposite the main tanks photosynthetic critters. Don't quote me on that though. :D Hope that helps....

[Entropy]

I leave my refuge light (only 20w) on 24/7. It does not seem to bother the macro algea, two turbo snails, or the 43,000,000,000 pods that are running/crawling/swimming/hopping around...

[The R/C Man]

Entropy,

Will calurpa go asexual if you leave the lights on 24/7?

[dragon_slayer]

'calurpa' is less likely to go sexual with 24/7 lighting.


kc

[JaSteib]

just to give some insight I too have had my refuge tank lights on 24/7 and have been doing so for a good 1 1/2 yrs of my tank setup. I read somewhere when I first started that turnign them off could cause a "yellowing" of teh water as during darkness they release some chemical into the water. ALso asked around and most left them on all the time and I do as well. And everythign seems happy in my refuge. Thought I do havea freind that does not leave his on and my caulpra grows much faster then his lol. In fact I was teh one taht gave him some to start with and more when he needs it lol. My tangs can't eat it fast enough but lucky for me setting up a new tank so I can move some into it to help clear it out. But all in all 24/7 does nto seem to havea down side I have found thus far.

[kmk2307]

Originally posted by The R/C Man
Entropy,

Will calurpa go asexual if you leave the lights on 24/7?

I agree that the caulerpa is less likely to "go sexual" when the 'fuge is lit 24/7. I am confused why algae do so well in 24/7 lit fuges as part of photosynthesis is dark fixation which it was my understanding must take place in the dark.

Kevin

[JaSteib]

actually not 100% that it needs complete darkness to do those. If I remember my botnay well..lol..been a few years so could be way off. I thought that it , the plant, will do it all the tiem but works most effiencently during dark hours. But also think about this lots of people when rasing plants in their house use UV lights on their baby plants 24/7 and it causes them to grow like mad. Kind of like caulpera does. Also I think the constent triming of it also counter attackes what is lost by not having dark periods. Coudl be totally wrong on all this though lol so um don't hold me too it. :p

[efausch]

I believe that caulerpa is less likely to go sexual under 24/7 light because it never runs out of food which is produced by the light.

Read on if you want to be either bored or interested by some biology...

<Biology Mumbo-jumbo>
The light reactions (which take place when light hits the pigments such as chlorophyll) produce ATP and NADPH, which are forms of potential energy.

In normal nature, these products are formed during the day, when the sun is out.

At the same time, "dark reactions" (also known as the calvin cycle) take place, making use of the ATP and NADPH that was formed during the light reactions, forming the sugars and various foods needed for the photosynthetic organism to survive.

At night, the limiting reactants are ATP and NADPH (because the sun is not out to facilitate the light reactions). The dark reactions continue to run, until they use up all of the ATP and NADPH, at which point the photosynthetic organism can no longer produce its own food.

It is at this point that the organism directs more focus towards the production of gametes (this is the caulerpa's sexual stage), as opposed to growth of the organism itself.

Therefore, if you leave the fuge light on all the time (ergo always providing the photosynthetic organism with abundant ATP and NADPH), the organism can always produce enough food for itself to grow, and never has to worry about producing gametes for reproduction. </Biology Mumbo-jumbo>

I think that might sum it up, but any biologists can correct me if I am wrong. You have my fullest permission... :p

-Eric

[wally100]

that is the best explanation i have heard yet efausch


24/7 here also

[The R/C Man]

Enlightening... Thanks! :D