Steph's 90 Gallon Rescue Tank

[~reefchik~]

I really think you're right, Hunger.  And I'm changing it today. 
I read somewhere that people keep that light on all the time;  guess that's why I have been. 

[rayviv]

Some say to do reverse lighting in sump or 24/7. Do not know the reasoning behind the 24/7.

[HUNGER]

ya i dont know y they would keep that light on that long because u will have more problems that way

[rayviv]

Some say to do reverse lighting in sump or 24/7. Do not know the reasoning behind the 24/7.

How about it; can some of you more knowledgeable reefers enlighten us on this info?

What about the 24/7 on the sump?

[harleyrider]

You run reverse lighting so your sump can grow on an opposite schedule for thing like growning your copepods and etc. most of your fish go dormant during lights out, and it gives the sump more time to catch up and keep producing....

[Riderc82]

Some say to do reverse lighting in sump or 24/7. Do not know the reasoning behind the 24/7.

I'm not an expert but I remember reading somewhere that is you have caulerpa algae in your sump it needs to be lit 24/7 to keep it from going sexual and releasing gametes which can foul up your water.  So maybe the people who suggested running light 24/7 are keeping  caulepra.

[HUNGER]

I'm not an expert but I remember reading somewhere that is you have caulerpa algae in your sump it needs to be lit 24/7 to keep it from going sexual and releasing gametes which can foul up your water.  So maybe the people who suggested running light 24/7 are keeping  caulepra.

thats the first time i have heard about that

[jd]

I'm not an expert but I remember reading somewhere that is you have caulerpa algae in your sump it needs to be lit 24/7 to keep it from going sexual and releasing gametes which can foul up your water.  So maybe the people who suggested running light 24/7 are keeping  caulepra.

This is true. Some people say caulerpa exports more nutriants but I read a study that said it and cheato are about the same.

[~reefchik~]

I'm not an expert but I remember reading somewhere that is you have caulerpa algae in your sump it needs to be lit 24/7 to keep it from going sexual and releasing gametes which can foul up your water.  So maybe the people who suggested running light 24/7 are keeping  caulepra.

I think this is what I heard, too.  At first I had mostly caulerpa.  Now that I harvest it out to feed my voracious rabbitfish, it's almost all gone.

[harleyrider]

Possibly, but ive had Cheato in my sump since ive been in the hobby and i run my light in refuge about 8 hours a day on reverse of the tank never had any problem in the least with it...its probly like everything else in this hobby what works for one wont work for another..

[~reefchik~]

I love it when this happens... We're all right    - well, to a degree.

http://www.aquaristsonline.com/blog/aquarium-equipment/how-long-should-you-leave-refugium-lights-on-for/

Different types of algae all have their advantages and drawbacks. The most severe cases are to be found among the various species of Caulerpa. Most of the time these algae do good work helping to maintain water quality, but should they switch into the sexual stage of their life cycle, known as sporulation, at which point they can cause major problems, the most obvious symptom being cloudy water. This generally can be held in check by lighting the algae 24/7 and aggressively pruning them to prevent them from reaching the sexual stage of their life cycle. 

Calupera is the only, I repeat only, algae that should be illuminated 24 hours a day, as this will have detrimental effects on other algae. Instead light them on a reverse photo period or reverse daylight period, frequently abbreviated RDP. In other words, when the lights are on in the display tank, switch the lights off over the refugium, and vice versa. This will balance the pH changes caused by photosynthesis between the two tanks, avoiding dramatic changes that might stress your livestock. Take some time to look into the benefits of the various macroalgae to learn more about the benefits and possible liabilities of each species. If you are curious, I myself use Chaetomorpha. It's cheap, grows like crazy and makes a good home for copepods.

from Conscientious Aquarist Magazine

[~reefchik~]

I also found out that the red fuzzy stuff has a name:  red cotton candy algae.   

[HUNGER]

o wow nice find i would have never thunkit