Reverse Light Cycle for Refugium?

[heuerfan]

I only run my fuge light during the day along with the tank lights. I only have cheato in my refugium. I've read that running the reverse light cycle on your fuge will keep PH up. I haven't noticed any problems with my tank but just wondering what your lighting schedules are.

Thanks,
Steven

 

[House of Laughter]

Stephen,

Reverse light cycles help other things as well - heat for one thing - you turn your tank lights off and then you have another on in the evening when the temp drops a few -

Yes PH is helped and so is ORP -

I have never done my fuge light cycle any other way than reverse to day running lights - I swear by it

Jim

 

[bklynreef]

daytime main tank lights, nightime fuge lights.

 

[alrha]

yup, reverse is better, helps keep things more stable.

 

[inline6]

Ditto on the reverse cycle.

 

[vanceny]

reverse cycle for me too.

 

[techreef]

Maybe this is the same as ORP per Jim's response above, but during non-light hours, plants reverse their daytime respiration cycle and release CO2 into the water column. So by running your fuge light opposite your main tank lights, you never leave your entire system dark, thereby reducing the potential for unhealthy CO2 build up in your water.

 

[heuerfan]

Well reverse it is then, thanks guys!

 

[jhale]

reverse for me also, what they all said ^^^^

 

[R32Brightliner]

Yup. Reverse light cycle is what I use as well.

 

[marrone]

I run my refug lights 24 hours.

 

[samster]

yea i do 24 hours toos is it better in opinion to run the fuge only at night?
and what are the best lighting for qwick cheato growth? i currently switched it to a florecent light over the fuge hoping it will grow qwicker
becuase the florecent grows alot of aglea in my fresh tank lol? hmmmz

 

[marrone]

You can run a regular plant light and you should be fine. I run 1 - 10k PC bulb as that's what I had laying around. Before that I was run a clip-on light as my cheato grow pretty fast.

I run my refug 24 hrs as I have a good amount of micro in it, this helps to keep my Ph up better than running it just the opposite my main tank.

 

[samster]

my micro stopped growing for some reason and started to recesed when i use the clip on lamp mabe it was the light bulb?

 

[marrone]

Possibly, specially if the bulb is small. You could run a small PC light or one of those round plant light bulbs that they sell. At one time I was using the Lights of America Bulbs, which is very bright, and had crazy plant growth from it.