Refugium Particulars - Lighting

[idrum]

Gonna convert my sump on my 72 (its an old Amiracle Wet Dry) to a refugium. Chamber #2 will hold the live rock/sand/caulerpa.

I know everyone talks about the LOA light, but does anyone have any experience with a standard NO flourescent fixture (either single or twin tube)?

The chamber measures 12x12x12 - I'm thinking of a 20" fixure over it.

Will it work - will Caulerpa grow under these conditions?

Thanks

[scubadude]

Originally posted by idrum

Will it work - will Caulerpa grow under these conditions?

Thanks

Im sure it will you might want to start the lights on 24/7 and slowly wean to reverse photoperiod. HTH

[PerryinCA]

I think it will grow just fine.

I have long questioned 24 hour photoperiods though. Photosynthetics need a dark period to grow effiiciently, or else they never respirate, which is a regular part of plant/Algal life.

Personally I would run no less that a 4 hour dark period.

-Perry

[scubadude]

Originally posted by PerryinCA
I have long questioned 24 hour photoperiods though. Photosynthetics need a dark period to grow effiiciently, or else they never respirate, which is a regular part of plant/Algal life
-Perry

When I first started my Refugium I had a small outbreak of cyano in the refugium so I cleaned it up and put my lighting on 24/7 for about 1.5 months with NO ill effects (it actually made my macros grow faster) the reasoning for this was to establish my refugium and get the macros rooted and settled in good and strong, and to outcompete the pesky cyano bloom. I do believe there is some validity to what you are saying though Perry, I think that it would have to be very long term though....as I said I did 24/7 lighting with No ill effects for almost 2 mos.

[PerryinCA]

Thats not uncommon (to have no prob), but just as coral and plants need a dark period, I would think algae do as well. Keeping the Light period over 12 hours should prevent the algae from trying to reproduce.

I'll go through my Botany text (all 900 pages ) and see what I find. Its all that krebs cycle stuff....hehe. I am a good student.

[srgtkoons]

Photosynthesis or any other bio process of plants requires darkness. That is one of the reasons they changed the name of the dark reaction to the calvin cycle. To avoid that confusion. 24/7 lighting period will not harm the plants in anyway, it also doesnt mean that they will grow faster. The only positive thing iv heard is that it prevents the caulerpa from going sexual.

[tendar]

Is this true that 24/7 lighting of the sump will stop calurpa from going sexual. If so I may give it a try. Right now it is on reverse lighting but it has only been set up for 1.5 mounths and hasnt gone sexual yet but I have had it go sexual in other tanks setups.

[srgtkoons]

The thing about 24/7 lighting preventing the caulerpa from going sexual is only something i have heard. I do not have much experience with refugiums, the 100 gal that i am currently building will have a refugium as well as a nano tank that i am setting up. If anyone has had caulerpa go sexual on a refuge with 24/7 lighting i would be interested to hear about it.

[mgk65]

Another thing to consider is that caulerpa is NOT a higher order plant with a vascular system and the requirements of one for growth and replenishment. The runners are not roots, but are holdfasts. It is closer to phytoplankton rather than bushes or trees.

Now I have not picked up a botany book in many years, so FWIW, IMO, and ATS.

mgk ;)

[Doug1]

Idrum, I run 40 watts NO Flo on my sumpfuge, hair grows well but I am upgrading to a couple of the LOA 65w 6500K lights for the macro

[FISHme]

I have been running my 24/7 lighting on my refuge /sump for a couple months and the caulerpa has not gone sexual, it just grows and grows .I am experimenting with caulerpa right now in 4 tanks.
I have had it go sexual in tanks that are not lit 24/7 so far but they don't all go sexual , just some of the plants.

This is my latest set up I made from stuff laying around the house.
I have a 330 bio wheel and 2 penguin 660 powerheads running the circulation.
The yellow pool skimmer basket is where the inlets for the pumps are so that no plant material can clog them.
I have local beach sand on the bottom of tank.( I tested it today with the vinigar and it is not silica)
Lighting is 55 watt 67k pc runnning right now for about 12 hrs.
I just set this up on 6-7-01.
I want to be able to keep some caulerpa growing somewhere in my system so that I never run out. In the past I have run out and had to purchase more.
I have about 6 types right now.
Man , I always have to be messin with somethin

http://community.webtv.net/MarkPelsk...LTWATERAQUARIA

[bbrook]

What does it mean for caulerpa to go sexual. Sounds interesting but I'm not sure if I want to watch it or not.

Just kidding. Please tell me what this means.

[srgtkoons]

The term going sexual refers to when caulerpa releases spores or some other form of gamete. I am not even sure if the term going sexual is accurate, depending on the mode of reproduction and the type of gametes that are released a more accurate term might be going asexual.