Fuge light cycle

[jhampton_wsu]

I'm curious how others set up their fuge light cycle. I usually turn mine on when I go to bed and off when I get up. I have timers for my other lights but I haven't gotten one for my fuge yet. Is it better to keep it on all the time?

Jason

 

[TJL]

Hey Jason,

IMO 24/7 is best, but others do a reverse cylcle of main lighting to help reduce PH swings. Caulerpa, Chaeto and other macro algaes seem to thrive on 24 hours and seem not to go sexual and die off IME

Todd

 

[jhampton_wsu]

Yeah I do the reverse but sometimes I forget to turn it off in the morning so I guess I do the 24hr thing too. I'm going to put a timer on it soon so I just thought I'd see what worked best. I should add, I have some chaeto, snails and zoos in there. .

 

[NWDiver]

Hmmm, I'm riding along on this. I do reverse lighting, but i wonder if 24/7 is better.
How much light on a 20 gal refuge?

 

[TotalVapor]

Feed the refuge with light 24/7 and things grow better and keeps them in the fuge where they know there will be light.

 

[TJL]

I have a 40g sump/fuge 36x15x16 and run just a standard 15w 18" full spectrum bulb throughout the day cycle and add another 15w light to night cycle (same plug as LED night lighting) all algae and pods doing great. I will eventually replace with LED's or PC's when ballast goes.

Todd

 

[mfinn]

I do the reverse cycle also and I use a cheap light timer.

 

[bigblue141]

I use a 36" cheap florescent that I leave on 24/7. (So I can see under my tank.)

I have 2 under cabinet halogens that I turn on at night.

 

[knyreefguy]

has anyone every seen that reverse helps ph?.. it doesn't in my system nor anyone i know that does it also... i do agree with 24/7.. i have grape caulerpa and it will go sexual if you dont keep light on it...

 

[fishoutofwater]

i run mine on a timer with it off during the day on at night. reverse. I tried to run mine 24/7 but the razor caluerpa did not seem to like it. Now thats its on for only 10 hrs its fine.

 

[user 2204]

I have mine on a timer (ReefKeeper Lite) so that they turn on 1 hour prior to the lights going out on the tank and going off one hour prior to lights coming on in main tank.

I may have to see about the 24/7, but with the light schdeule as is my chaeto grows like crazy.

 

[lvsuckerfish]

I agree with the 24/7 unless you have corals or fish in trouble down there. then 24/7 will not hurt anything.

 

[jhampton_wsu]

Right now I only have chaeto but why would a 24hr light cycle stop Caulerpa from going sexual? Will 24 hour lighting kill any zoos in my fuge?

 

[lvsuckerfish]

I wouldn't run 24/7 with zoas or fish! about the grape culerpa I have no clue

 

[jhampton_wsu]

I wouldn't run 24/7 with zoas or fish! about the grape culerpa I have no clue

I don't have fish and I just put a small rock with some zoas in ther to see how they'd grow under bad lighting. I'm most concerned with nutrient export, PH stability and pods.

 

[lvsuckerfish]

ph will be more stable also along with nutrient export pods I don't think they mind I ran mine 24/7 cheato grew alot. but I had a t5 set up over the fuge for the zoa it will need night sooner or later bad lighting will not be an issue but I think too much will be an issue.

 

[user 2204]

I don't have fish and I just put a small rock with some zoas in ther to see how they'd grow under bad lighting. I'm most concerned with nutrient export, PH stability and pods.

I don't think lighting will be an issue with zoanthids as I have some growning in my fuge with a reverse light cycle and they're just not as colorful but they're growing in there.

And if you don't have any fish... Dude let me tell you about the size of pods you'll get. *lol*

Cheers,
Alex

 

[jhampton_wsu]

I don't think lighting will be an issue with zoanthids as I have some growning in my fuge with a reverse light cycle and they're just not as colorful but they're growing in there.

And if you don't have any fish... Dude let me tell you about the size of pods you'll get. *lol*

Cheers,
Alex

I have fish just not in my fuge.

 

[user 2204]

I have fish just not in my fuge.

Opps, sorry. *lol* Well lets just say that I have a tank that is fishless and the copods and amphipods are so big you can watch them steal the PE mysis shrimp away from the sun/dendro corals. Really fun to watch sometimes. I have yet to see them steal anything away from the anemones though. *lol*

 

[minhmattmai]

My vote would also be for 24/7. I used to forget to turn it off at night but the chaeto seems to like the light so now, I just leave it on.