Lights on Fuge...

[btacker]

Ok... so if I had to restate that:

Your PH still drops because there are fewer things doing photosynthesis.

I can understand that.

[wkopplin]

I run the reverse light cycle on my tanks. In addition to keeping the pH stable, it also helps to keep the heat down. I run a computer program on my system that tracks the ph throughout the day and also tracks temp and orp. It graphs it all out so I can see when any variations occur. Ever since I switched to keeping the fuge lights on at night, my pH barely moves.

[Tim Marvin]

I have done both ways, and now I just run the lunar cycle because I still get good growth and less electricity. 24/7 will grow tons of macro!

[captexas]

Btacker - light is needed for photosynthesis. With the lights out in the main tank, there is an increase in CO2 causing the PH to drop. If you have lights on in the fuge, photosynthesis will occur there and will help use up some of that CO2 being produced by the organisms in the main tank. Running the lights in a reverse cycle is a way to help keep levels somewhat balanced in the system. As others have mentioned, this is just an option, you will find people that use both methods as they both have their advantages. Hope that helps.

[theedprado]

anyone experiment with using generic (home depot) 4000k mh bulbs over fuge?

[alexwolf]

i am using 150w GE reveal on $6 clip lights, and actually seeing growth!!!!!

[GaryP]

Let me ask this again because I couldn't get a clear understanding and I'm sure I wasn't alone.

Other than using a little more electricity, what is the down-side to running the fuge lights 24/7? I got the impression someone was trying to say that there was not a pH stabilizing effect if you ran 24/7.

Gary

[captexas]

Gary - I would suppose it would depend on how the bioload in your fuge compares to that of in your tank. Atleast as far as the level of photosynthetic organisims.

I'm not an expert by any means, but logic would tell me that if you leave the lights on all the time over the fuge, then that level would stay the same and when the lights over the tank turned off, you would still have a noticeable drop in your PH there. In that situation there is nothing to pick up the balance that was being used up by the main tank. When you have your lights running in a reverse cycle, your fuge will pick up where your main tank left off. This assumes you have a decent amout of life in your fuge. Again, this is just me using my logic and of course Spock was wrong at times, lol

[GaryP]

Well, someone said that running lights 24/7 would not have the same pH stabilizing effect that running them on reverse cycle would. My understanding is that the puepose of a refugium, at least in terms of pH is to act as a CO2 scrubber at night. I don't see how it would be less effective if the lights were on 24/7 than they would if they were on a reverse cycle only.

Gary

[astrong]

There is no advantage to running 18/6 other than saving electricity/lamp life.
BUT the disadvantages are less NO3/PO4 consumption. Plants only photosynthesize when the light are on (lets ignore the Krebs cycle) so leaving them on 24/7 is best for nutrient uptake. Remember that photosynthesis involves the removal of CO2 (an acid) and the addition of O2(a base.) So whenever lights are on above any part of your tank you are leveling/raising pH.

Day cycle is for vegetative growth, Night cycle is for reproductive responce(circadian clock.)

Home Depot bulbs are fine for a fuge. They are low Kelvin/high intensity/cheap which are all good for macros.