I ask this bc my nitrates are around 40 (salifert)and my phosphates are .12 (Hanna UL phosphorus). So is running my refugium 24 hours something I can do to get those numbers down? Are there any cons to doing this?
Refugium...is there such thing of running the light schedule to long?
- Thread starter ZapataInc
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Running a refugium 24/7 is possible, but many people say the macroalgae needs a dark period of rest for more efficiency. Consistency is more important than light timing for stability for the plants. Downside might be if running the refugium for pH. Then, you might not get the kick you want during the evenings.
I have noticed that prolonging the refugium time also leads to increase in nuisance algae in the refugium.
8 hr is ok in my scenario, anything longer than that I see hair algae growing
8 hr is ok in my scenario, anything longer than that I see hair algae growing
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My experience is that macroalgae perform better with a dark period of at least 4 to 6 hours.
I switched to 24 hour for a while when I was having problems with a timer, and I did see some of the algae bleach out to white at the top. It returned to green and rapid growth when I switched to a 6 hour on-off cycle (12 hours day in 2 x6 hour periods). Nitrate <1ppm. Plants and algae definitely saturate with too much light, but depending on the light intensity optimal duration may vary. With an underpowered light, 24hr may be optimal for growth.
Oh, another consideration for 24 hour lighting, vs 8-12 hour lighting in the refugium, is the effect on temperature. This may be a small change, but small changes can have significant effects.
The heaters should almost always be controlling temp for a reef tank, assuming you are trying for 78-80F and your house AC is set to 76F or less in summer. The lights may lessen the load on the heaters, but they are not likely to be the main factor controlling temperature, even on hot days with household air conditioning the tank heater will be running a bit.
Haha... I agree they are not a main factor. However, there are many secondary effects of changing the refugium lighting schedule, and and a slightly larger temperature fluctuation is one of them. For example; instead of a 0.5 degree fluctuation, you may see a 0.8 degree fluctuation.
This minor difference is unlikely to kill any corals in a 90-100 gallon system. However, corals are exceptionally sensitive to changes in temperature (and salinity) in comparison with other parameters, and such changes in temperature will add stress to corals. This will likely simply slow their growth in this size tank. So we ought not forget this detail in the effort of recognizing all the factors before making an informed decision.
This minor difference is unlikely to kill any corals in a 90-100 gallon system. However, corals are exceptionally sensitive to changes in temperature (and salinity) in comparison with other parameters, and such changes in temperature will add stress to corals. This will likely simply slow their growth in this size tank. So we ought not forget this detail in the effort of recognizing all the factors before making an informed decision.
