Hi Ben.This is just my opinion.Their are more experienced reefers on this
list than I am.I am running a refugium for the first time myself and have
read alot on this subject.I also started with a 65w plant light but recently
upgraded to a 65w jbj powercompact with a combo light actinic and daylight
for $100 .I would personally add some liverock so the critters have some
place to hide or house themselfs besides the substrate.If you ever looked
into your aquarium after the lights went out at night and used a flashlight
to look at the liverock there are a totally different set of living
organisms that come out at night (nocternal ones).I personally run my
refugium lights on a reverse daylight schedule.I turn the refugium lights on
one hour before the main tank lights go out and turn them off one hour after
the lights go on in the morning.This way your nocternal critters will find
there way back to your refugium??This also keeps a more stabalized ph.I
would take a quess and say that is why the copepods etc. are not growing in
your refugium because of the 24/7 lighting?The critters also go in
cycles.Sometimes you won't see any of one kind for awhile and boom they are
all over again.reproduction cycles I quess.You might get into a situation
where running your lights for 24/7 with an abundance of calerpa growth could
be pulling excess nutrients out of the water so rapidly??What kind of
substrate are you using.You would need the small sugar sized subtrate for a
refugium for the critters to burrow in.For the 55 gallon tank
question.Everyone has different views on how much fish to keep in a
reeftank.I personally think that idea would be fine.Your adding 55 gallons
to your system.You might even be able to add two lionfish or just one and
some other fish that is compatible with the lion which is as big also.Now
your giving me ideas.LOL.I'm not sure if the lionfish will pick or eat
corals though.I'll have to check my burgess atlas on fish later.Just my 2
cents.Ken.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ben Holt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Theil's reefkeeping" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, September 28, 2001 7:36 PM
Subject: refugium lighting
> Hi everyone. I wanted to know how everyone who uses a refugium lights it.
> Do you run light on a 24 hour schedule or do you have a period of dark? I
> have run my 24/7 since I started this spring. I only use a 65w plant bulb
> over a 20 long tank. It seems to be plenty of light considering I pull
out
> enough calurpa to almost fill a gallon pitcher once every week or two.
The
> problem seems that when I first set this up I saw all kinds of little
> critters but now there doesn't seem to be as many. The only other
creatures
> I have in this are 3 or 4 hermits and a lot of snails (I have some snails
> that reproduce like crazy, I think they are strombus snails.) Would
turning
> off the lights for a period during the day be better than keeping them on
> all the time?
>
> Also one more question. I have a 55 gal tank that I have consindering
> hooking into my system in order to grow out some more calurpa and some of
my
> crazy growing xenia and yellow polpys. I would like to keep a lionfish in
> this tank. Would a fish like this create to much bioload for a reef tank?
> The current system is roughly 220 gallons total volume (tank, sump, and
> refugium) with maybe 150-175 lbs of rock and a 6 foot homemade protein
> skimmer that pulls some serious gunk.
>
> Thanks
> Ben
>
> ________________________________________
>
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