Fuge

[Riley]

Hi, I was wondering if I should keep my fuge light on 24/7 or shut it off at night with the rest of my lights.
Just wondering cause if I can shut it off, it would save me the grief of thinking about it burning me and my house down in the middle of the night.

 

[Navarre]

Lights on 24/7

This helps stop any algae in the fuge from dumping all their gethered nutrients off and polluting the main tank. It also helps stabilise the main tank PH. At night some systems can have massive PH drops as the algaes within churn out Co2 rather than Oxygen. The PH drops dramtically and can cause alot od damage to the tank. By morning the PH returns and you have no idea its even been a problem!

 

[Riley]

Okay, I will leave it on

-Riley

 

[sonnyg]

Lights on 24/7

This helps stop any algae in the fuge from dumping all their gethered nutrients off and polluting the main tank. It also helps stabilise the main tank PH. At night some systems can have massive PH drops as the algaes within churn out Co2 rather than Oxygen. The PH drops dramtically and can cause alot od damage to the tank. By morning the PH returns and you have no idea its even been a problem!

CAN YOU PLEASE TELL MY WHAT A FUGE LIGHT IS? THANKS !!!!

 

[Navarre]

A Fuge light is a light that fits into a Refugium.

 

[superman]

Lights on 24/7

This helps stop any algae in the fuge from dumping all their gethered nutrients off and polluting the main tank. It also helps stabilise the main tank PH. At night some systems can have massive PH drops as the algaes within churn out Co2 rather than Oxygen. The PH drops dramtically and can cause alot od damage to the tank. By morning the PH returns and you have no idea its even been a problem!

If you are worried about the macroalgae going sexual and "dumping" the gathered nutrients in the tank then go with chaeto as your macroalgae of choice, it has an incredible track record for not going sexual. In order to effectively stabilize tank PH the refugium needs to be lit on an opposite light cycle from the main tank with about an hour overlap as a general rule. If you light the refugium 24/7 you will still see a a flattening of the ph curve, but it will not be as effective as lighting the refugium on an opposite day/night cycle. Macroalgae need a night and day cycle to effectively consume nutrients, the use of CO2 during the day and then the use of O2 during the night is a cycle that is needed, and the over all health and growth of the macroalage will be inhibited if lighitng the refugium on a 24/7 schedule. Long story short, light the refugium opposite the show tank's lighitng schedule.

 

[Tiggs]

i use a fuge with chaeto lit on a reverse period to the main tank. i like this as its more natural for the tank.

i track my PH over night via my pc and it is as stable at night as it is in the day.

 

[superman]

i use a fuge with chaeto lit on a reverse period to the main tank. i like this as its more natural for the tank.

i track my PH over night via my pc and it is as stable at night as it is in the day.

Good to hear, I enjoy the same success!

 

[Riley]

OKay, so I will have the fuge light on at night time. What exactally happens when macroalgae goes sexual?

 

[superman]

OKay, so I will have the fuge light on at night time. What exactally happens when macroalgae goes sexual?

It releases a ton of the contaminants that it has accumulated, can crash a tank in just hours.

 

[Riley]

oh not good. maybe I will look into buying some cheato for it.

-Riley

 

[steelhealr]

To be honest....I don't know why anyone even uses caulerpa at all. If this helps, here is a pic of my chaeto and refugium with light. SH

 

[Riley]

What kind of macroalgae is in that fuge in the picture?

-Riley

 

[superman]

To be honest....I don't know why anyone even uses caulerpa at all. If this helps, here is a pic of my chaeto and refugium with light. SH

Chaetmorphia or as stealhealr and most call it-chaeto.

 

[steelhealr]

That's it...the other tubes you see in there are feather dusters. SH