sump light
- Thread starter photokid
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If you are going to keep macro algae in there than the light should be kept on opposite lighting cycle than your main tank... So when the main tank is on, the sump light is off, and when the sump light is on, the main tank is off. This is to maintain a balanced pH.
Too much and / or too little lighting can be harmful. Corals typically need a "dark period". Depending on the type of lighting you have, you might be able to keep your frags under a constant lighting. Read through this article...
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup/lighting/index.htm">http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup/lighting/index.htm</a>
It pretty much comes down to balancing the spectrum, intensity and duration. If you can find the right mix of these 3 then you can keep a constant light on your frags but I personally would not do it.
What type of light do you have on your sump?
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup/lighting/index.htm">http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup/lighting/index.htm</a>
It pretty much comes down to balancing the spectrum, intensity and duration. If you can find the right mix of these 3 then you can keep a constant light on your frags but I personally would not do it.
What type of light do you have on your sump?
I have my fuge lights on 24/7. I kept Candy Cane frags in it quite a lot with no problems at all. However the bulbs were only 2x 26 watt power compact (the ones with regular light sockets like you get in HD or Wal-Mart) over a 15g tank, so the light is not terribly intense. Never had any problems with the frags.
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Tne process of photosynthesis in most chlorophyll does require a dark period (think high school biology- krebs cycle). I have no idea whether the Zooxanthellae clorophyll require this. To be honest, I am amazed that caulerpa doesn't either. But another consideration is that many aquarist overlook the necessity of coral to consume material for survival. They cannot live off light alone. With certain coral, they tend to not extend food collecting polyps during lighted periods = less food consumed = less health. This is a gross generalization, but the principle is considerable.
The normal full photosynthesis process has a light-independent cycle (carbon dioxide uptake) but while it's often called the "dark cycle" there is no requirement for darkness. Some plants do require a dark cycle, but that's because they've adapted to only take up carbon dioxide during light-free times. Cacti and other desert plants usually fall into this category.
The point about corals is quite true, though. Candy Canes will extend whenever they need to, but some corals require a dark cycle for normal function. That should also be a consideration if your fuge is set up near your display because 24/7 lighting or off-cycle lighting (fuge lights on when the display is off) can bleed over into the display and possibly cause problems.
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Awe George, your testing my elemental biology here. AS FAR AS I CAN REMEMBER, The Calvin cycle is the process by which plants generate their energy in chloroplasts. The photosynthetic aspect ("light cycle") is used to derive ATP and NADH. These in themselves are not useful to the plants, until the ATP iss reduced to ADP and creating NADPH. The transformation is what creates carbohydrates, and this process occurs in the "dark phase". I am not sure whether plants require the dark cycle to reduce the ATP, but that is what I recall being necessary. Now Im gonna have to break out my old biology textbooks from college. Darned you!!!
