Photo period for refuge ?

[virginiadiver69]

I will be getting my lighting for my fuge tomorrow. It will be a Power compact w/ 1 daylight and 1 actinic. Please give me some advice on the photo-period. Is it the same as the display? I have heard about doing it opposite but I do not remember why. I guess some people run it 24 hrs? I am open to all advice but please explain your reasoning.
P.S. This will be a display fuge where my eventual seahorses and mandarins will go, if that makes any difference.

[GreyHawk1968]

They say that running it opposite helps keep the PH stable .
I run mine 16 hours a day (5A-9P). I have had good luck with it so far. My algae growth is tremendous in the fuge and I'm trimming it almost weekly now.
Also watch the type of algae you use too. Some of it goes into sexual reproduction when the lights go out.
I use 48 watts of PC light on mine. Both bulbs are dual 10K and actinic.

[virginiadiver69]

Originally posted by GreyHawk1968
Some of it goes into sexual reproduction when the lights go out.

Would that be the reason for 24 hr lighting?

[peteralexander]

The reason for 24hrs is to always having it work. Plants need light to get the energy to take the nitrates and phosphorus that cleans your tank. If you have animals in the refugium then they will eat the copepods and that would defeat your refugiums purpose. I run mine 24/7 with a full spectrum energy saving bulb 150watts. It works great. I just have plants and live rocks. No sand. The sand traps the crap and levels spike. I have a brittle star that also helps keep the crap down.

[virginiadiver69]

bump

[seagirl]

Originally posted by peteralexander
The reason for 24hrs is to always having it work. Plants need light to get the energy to take the nitrates and phosphorus that cleans your tank. If you have animals in the refugium then they will eat the copepods and that would defeat your refugiums purpose. I run mine 24/7 with a full spectrum energy saving bulb 150watts. It works great. I just have plants and live rocks. No sand. The sand traps the crap and levels spike. I have a brittle star that also helps keep the crap down.

i'm confused, you say that critters eat the pods in the fuge but then say you have a brittle star in to help with "crap"? do you mean the brittle is in the display or fuge? I would use sand personally. just get some naurasis snails and hermits to keep it clean, and some live rock and lr rubble witht he macro. jmo

[pjf]

I use a 12-hour photoperiod in my chaetomorpha refugium that is the opposite of the photoperiod in my main aquarium.

With the reverse cycle, my chaetomorpha absorbs CO2 and produces oxygen at night to keep the water chemistry stable. By absorbing CO2, carbonic acid spikes (or pH dips) are avoided. By producing O2, oxygen levels are maintained.

During the day, zooxanthellae in the main aquarium perform a similar function.

[virginiadiver69]

Originally posted by seagirl
i'm confused, you say that critters eat the pods in the fuge but then say you have a brittle star in to help with "crap"? do you mean the brittle is in the display or fuge?

Ditto

Originally posted by seagirl
I would use sand personally. just get some naurasis snails and hermits to keep it clean, and some live rock and lr rubble witht he macro. jmo

Sounds like what I have planned.

Originally posted by pjf
I use a 12-hour photoperiod in my chaetomorpha refugium that is the opposite of the photoperiod in my main aquarium.

With the reverse cycle, my chaetomorpha absorbs CO2 and produces oxygen at night to keep the water chemistry stable. By absorbing CO2, carbonic acid spikes (or pH dips) are avoided. By producing O2, oxygen levels are maintained.

Yeah, That's it. I remembered reading about this but did not recall the specifics.

Originally posted by pjf

During the day, zooxanthellae in the main aquarium perform a similar function.

I'm sorry to be ignorant but what are zooxanthellae?

Thank you everybody for the info. I think I will give the opposite light cycle method a try and go from there.