I just setup a algae refugium to hopefully grow amphipods and copepods

Systemwizardinc · 05/26/2019, 05:48 PM

Should i leave the lights on 24x7 its in my sump so i do not see the light

hegeh · 05/26/2019, 09:19 PM

I would leave few hours of no photo period. But some said you can leave it 24/7

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cannonball · 05/27/2019, 01:12 AM

I wouldn't leave it on 24/7. Algae have both day and night cycles: they produce oxygen at daytime, and produce co2 at night.

Algae needs both to be happy. You can probably leave the lights on for 12 hours, but depending on what type of algae you have it may vary. Just be sure to have good oxygen flow at night, to counter the co2 production the algae gives off, although this isn't really a problem unless you're hosting a ton of algae.

mcgyvr · 05/27/2019, 05:13 AM

What type of algae?
Sometimes 24/7 light is best to keep it from going sexual..

RioReefr · 05/28/2019, 08:42 AM

I did this before. It was just an "offlline" refugium with Chaeto and Pods. It was really thriving until it was mid-summer and I think the water got too warm. Algae started to fall apart and eventually most of the pods died.

I turned the lights on before I went to bed and turned off when I woke up, so like 8 hours with a LED Pink/Violet Grow light.

I also used an airline tubing and turned the Chaeto over once per day. I used a tiny, tiny little bit of Coral Frenzy which the Pods seemed to love.

Its too bad, all my fish loved those pods especially my Dottyback. But, I did not have the ability to cool the water in high heat.

I wouldn't do it again, unless it was "inline" with a sump. But, I have AIO and it was too risky to connect everything via external overflow.

05/26/2019, 05:48 PM	#1
Systemwizardinc Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Norwalk, CA Posts: 87	I just setup a algae refugium to hopefully grow amphipods and copepods Should i leave the lights on 24x7 its in my sump so i do not see the light

05/27/2019, 05:13 AM	#4
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	What type of algae? Sometimes 24/7 light is best to keep it from going sexual.. __________________ Who me?

05/26/2019, 09:19 PM	#2
hegeh Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Posts: 223	I would leave few hours of no photo period. But some said you can leave it 24/7 Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

05/27/2019, 01:12 AM	#3
cannonball Registered Member Join Date: May 2019 Posts: 2	I wouldn't leave it on 24/7. Algae have both day and night cycles: they produce oxygen at daytime, and produce co2 at night. Algae needs both to be happy. You can probably leave the lights on for 12 hours, but depending on what type of algae you have it may vary. Just be sure to have good oxygen flow at night, to counter the co2 production the algae gives off, although this isn't really a problem unless you're hosting a ton of algae.

05/28/2019, 08:42 AM	#5
RioReefr Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Rio de Janeiro Posts: 394	I did this before. It was just an "offlline" refugium with Chaeto and Pods. It was really thriving until it was mid-summer and I think the water got too warm. Algae started to fall apart and eventually most of the pods died. I turned the lights on before I went to bed and turned off when I woke up, so like 8 hours with a LED Pink/Violet Grow light. I also used an airline tubing and turned the Chaeto over once per day. I used a tiny, tiny little bit of Coral Frenzy which the Pods seemed to love. Its too bad, all my fish loved those pods especially my Dottyback. But, I did not have the ability to cool the water in high heat. I wouldn't do it again, unless it was "inline" with a sump. But, I have AIO and it was too risky to connect everything via external overflow.