Watts in your refugium?

[apollothesun]

i have a pc 65watt 6700k over my 20 gallon refugium, and seems to be doing okay for my cheto algae. my display is a 90 gallon. seems to take a long time for the algae to grow inside the refugium. i do reverse daylight to help in co2 problems during the night. was wondering out there how big is your sump/display and the wattage of lights in your refugium and the effects in your refugium. thanks in advance

 

[class clown]

Melev did a comparison on lights for growing chaeto - may want to check it out. he found that the 5100k flood lights did the best.

Here's a link. HOpe it helps: http://www.melevsreef.com/fuge_bulb.html

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Great article, thanks Ben

 

[billaweed]

instead of the flood light that melev talks about in his article, I use the same setup but with a flourescent bulb that puts out the intensity of a 100w bulb. I think he has a picture of it in that article as well.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

This is what is on mine, had it handy and never bothered to change it out. Might try adding the floodlight

http://www.aloha-aquariums.com/servlet/the-215/Coralife-Aqualight-Fixture-12/Detail

 

[DonW]

I'm experimenting with sunlight in WA

Ive set-up what I call a macro reactor outside for my office 20 as an experiment. Its worked so well its full in 6 weeks. All it is is a 8" acrylic tube. I glued the bottom on solid threw in a wad of chaeto and glued the top on. Ran a 1/4 line to my tank and have a peri pump pulling from the top of the reactor back to the tank This keeps it full with no air. The tube is 3 ft tall and just thrown outside in the grass. The chaeto has completely filled the tube in six weeks. I'm going to tear it down tomorrow so I can put a flange on it and double its size in order to harvest the algae. Then its going to my house tank.

Don

 

[apollothesun]

thanks for the input everybody.

is there a watts per gallon in your refugium?

is it necessary to tumble the cheato in order to get the best filtration? my setup i have water cascading onto the cheato.

 

[billaweed]

micro algae will live off of very little light. I only have the one flourescent bulb and my cheato is growing like crazy.

BTW.. Anyone want some cheato? I can give away a small freezer bag

 

[jezzeaepi]

From what I have read, water flow around and through your cheato will influence growth more then having a stronger bulb.

 

[Reeferdude]

I'm experimenting with sunlight in WA

Ive set-up what I call a macro reactor outside for my office 20 as an experiment. Its worked so well its full in 6 weeks. All it is is a 8" acrylic tube. I glued the bottom on solid threw in a wad of chaeto and glued the top on. Ran a 1/4 line to my tank and have a peri pump pulling from the top of the reactor back to the tank This keeps it full with no air. The tube is 3 ft tall and just thrown outside in the grass. The chaeto has completely filled the tube in six weeks. I'm going to tear it down tomorrow so I can put a flange on it and double its size in order to harvest the algae. Then its going to my house tank.

Don

Now that sounds like a fantastic idea! Would you happen to have any pics of this reactor?

 

[burning2nd]

my little 10g sump has 2 of the eh...16"? (maybe) t5 nova things.... the cheto doesnt do so good.. but the grape rocks.... sometimes the cheto will get some time to grow up a little... but since i dont have the spinning cheto ball, i guess it works.

i run 24hr sump lighting,

 

[DonW]

Now that sounds like a fantastic idea! Would you happen to have any pics of this reactor?

Nope but I'm getting a new camera soon so I'll get some of the whole system. You will like my biogear gizmodo..

Don

 

[acrylic_300]

I have cheato growing in my display. My Rock wall sit 4 inches away from the back wall and I shove cheato behind them. When it starts rearing its ugly head from behind the rocks I stuff it back down tighter.

Once in a while I get ambitious and pull several gallons of it out. Mine does not need much flow; however, it does get a little pale where it sits on the sand.

I have grape caulerpa and some bladed stuff in the sump with a couple of regular lamps that stay on 24/7.