help me with the right refugium light

[klavmaister]

today I have a red sea reefer 250 g2 with lps and some sps, and seven fish. I have a Fleacroller from Red Sea and two RL90 lamps. I have moved away from skimmers and want the refugium to be the primary filter for nitrate and phosphate. My 9w Tunze eco grow does a good job, but I think it's a bit too weak. I see algae in DT on the sandy bottom (brown) I think I need a stronger light. what do you recommend? another Tunze 9w or do I have to go up to kessil H160?

 

[Cthulukelele]

today I have a red sea reefer 250 g2 with lps and some sps, and seven fish. I have a Fleacroller from Red Sea and two RL90 lamps. I have moved away from skimmers and want the refugium to be the primary filter for nitrate and phosphate. My 9w Tunze eco grow does a good job, but I think it's a bit too weak. I see algae in DT on the sandy bottom (brown) I think I need a stronger light. what do you recommend? another Tunze 9w or do I have to go up to kessil H160?

You chan choose any number of fuge lights, but raw brightness is king in a fuge imo. I have a very bright par38 led bulb that vastly outperforms my h160 in chaeto growth--like 4 or 5 to 1. Consider a cheap grow light designed for indoor plants bonus for if it's waterproof

 

[klavmaister]

so a cheap chinese lamp at a tenth of the price might work well? (ip 65 lamp)

 

[JNalley]

If you're not using the fuge to grow pods or macro for feeding, and simply using it for nutrient export, then going with an ATS over a fuge is more beneficial. I'm running a tunze light AND a Hydra 26HD in my fuge... But it's for pods and growing my own food mostly, nutrient export is not it's primary function.

 

[Cthulukelele]

so a cheap chinese lamp at a tenth of the price might work well? (ip 65 lamp)

Yes. Personally having used an h80, an h160, and various cheap high par plant grow bulbs I personally prefer cheap high par plant grow bulbs/lights. They're a bit more awkward to set up, but they're my preference for raw growth without spending hundreds lighting up a fuge.

 

[exnisstech]

I've always used a cheap clip on work lights with grow light bulbs. Less than $20 and they grow chaeto very well.
On a side note fuges are better at being refugiums than they are for nutrient export. I run chaeto fuges in 3 systems and see no real benefit other than it being a great place for pods and such to grow which is why I run them.

 

[Marquarium]

Based on other comments I feel like a sucker for buying the Kessil refugium light LOL

 

[JNalley]

Based on other comments I feel like a sucker for buying the Kessil refugium light LOL

Yeh, my Hydra 26HD is only there because I had it lying around and decided it would be better serves under the tank than collecting dust. The only way I'm spending more than $100 on Fuge lighting is if it's a display fuge out in the open for everyone to see, lol...

 

[klavmaister]

okay! the reason is really simple, BRSTV claims that the refugium can be a primary filter if you have strong enough light. i had a fairly new dc deltec skimmer, but the aquarium is almost 100% silent, except for the skimmer. so I replaced it with refugium + that it is a good place for pods, and good for PH

 

[klavmaister]

9w and the cheato is growing like crazy. Started as a golfball 14 days ago

 

[Cthulukelele]

okay! the reason is really simple, BRSTV claims that the refugium can be a primary filter if you have strong enough light. i had a fairly new dc deltec skimmer, but the aquarium is almost 100% silent, except for the skimmer. so I replaced it with refugium + that it is a good place for pods, and good for PH

A fuge is a great nutrient export system especially if given enough light. You could also look into an algae turf scrubber which was mentioned earlier in this thread. Very efficient at nutrient export. It's essentially a mesh light sandwich that grows high nutrient density turf algae in the middle.

 

[Naekuh]

Whatever u do, do not get the Popbloom.
This unit is NOT compatible with a outlet timer, which means our expensive apex ebb832, and every smart outlet will not work well with it.



I got one thinking it would work like a Lommie, or a NCrew.

Nope.... they make OK red sea knockoff lights, but this algae light is a total fail since you can not put it on a smart timer outlet.

 

[JNalley]

A fuge is a great nutrient export system especially if given enough light. You could also look into an algae turf scrubber which was mentioned earlier in this thread. Very efficient at nutrient export. It's essentially a mesh light sandwich that grows high nutrient density turf algae in the middle.

I mostly agree with this, the one thing I can say after seeing the size of the Op's fuge, though, is that it's too small to replace all mechanical filtration completely, even if you bottled up the sun and put it under the sump. This is the problem with most pre-fab sumps, the fuge isn't large enough to be the sole nutrient export system, some form of mechanical filtration will be necessary. Even using the Triton Method, which employs 10% of the Display Volume as fuge volume (So 100 gallon display = 10 gallon Fuge) still utilizes a skimmer for mechanical filtration. Unless I was really good with feeding (which admittedly I am not) I would still employ socks and a skimmer with the size fuge the OP has... Or a large ATS with just socks or at least a cup with filter floss. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Cthulukelele]

I mostly agree with this, the one thing I can say after seeing the size of the Op's fuge, though, is that it's too small to replace all mechanical filtration completely, even if you bottled up the sun and put it under the sump. This is the problem with most pre-fab sumps, the fuge isn't large enough to be the sole nutrient export system, some form of mechanical filtration will be necessary. Even using the Triton Method, which employs 10% of the Display Volume as fuge volume (So 100 gallon display = 10 gallon Fuge) still utilizes a skimmer for mechanical filtration. Unless I was really good with feeding (which admittedly I am not) I would still employ socks and a skimmer with the size fuge the OP has... Or a large ATS with just socks or at least a cup with filter floss. Just my 2 cents.

I agree with this as well. Hadn't seen OPs fuge size until after i posted. I have a 30 gallon tank that just grows chaeto, hair, and turf algae in it to get a significant effect on my overall nitrates and phosphates on a 120 gallon system. Fuge size makes a MASSIVE difference, and 10% is a good goal.

 

[klavmaister]

I mostly agree with this, the one thing I can say after seeing the size of the Op's fuge, though, is that it's too small to replace all mechanical filtration completely, even if you bottled up the sun and put it under the sump. This is the problem with most pre-fab sumps, the fuge isn't large enough to be the sole nutrient export system, some form of mechanical filtration will be necessary. Even using the Triton Method, which employs 10% of the Display Volume as fuge volume (So 100 gallon display = 10 gallon Fuge) still utilizes a skimmer for mechanical filtration. Unless I was really good with feeding (which admittedly I am not) I would still employ socks and a skimmer with the size fuge the OP has... Or a large ATS with just socks or at least a cup with filter floss. Just my 2 cents.

Thx! I got a red sea 500 fleaceroller as mechanical filter. But maybee i have to crawl back to a skimmer.....

 

[klavmaister]

 

[JNalley]

Thx! I got a red sea 500 fleaceroller as mechanical filter. But maybee i have to crawl back to a skimmer.....

Get a large (or make a large) Algae Turf Scrubber. You'll get the best nutrient export possible out of that, and you'll be able to leave the skimmer behind. Unless you have a mandarin, the pod population that your display can sustain/support will be enough for them to be a part of the biome. Or just toss a bunch of rock rubble in the bottom of the sump and let that be their haven. If the goal is to run skimmer less, definitely go the ATS route, they're quieter than a skimmer, and do far more for nutrient export than a fuge alone. There are several plans online for different types of ATS. Upflow designs, rainfall designs, floating designs. You could build a great one for less than $100, or buy a pre-made one for $400-500.

 

[exnisstech]

.

 

[Cthulukelele]

Thx! I got a red sea 500 fleaceroller as mechanical filter. But maybee i have to crawl back to a skimmer.....

If I was trying to keep a very low nutrient tank with that sump I'd stick to a skimmer or put in an ATS.

An option you have that is actually how I have my fuge plumbed in is to run a sicce pump to carry water go another tank beside your tank that gravity feeds back into the sump. I drilled a 30 gallon and then used pvc as a little makeshift skim overflow. This is how a lot of people set up display refugiums

 

[twentyleagues]

I love Kessils they are great lights and they have a long history of growing plants. With that said the pink hue of typical fuge lights is not any where as good as full spectrum at growing most macros. I would think Kessil would know that. Apparently they dont. In the past have used the h160 and the bigger one ( h360/380 maybe) neither compared to a lamp with full spectrum on my macros. I ran t5ho over my display fuge. Currently I run a fluval 3.0 over my fuge and have had to pull feather and grape caulerpa out because its so dense, tank has only been running since end of January.