yes, im using a 96 watt retro fit, lots of purple and pink growing
Do you use a refugium and if so what are you using for light?
in Forum > Coral Talk
Lets give alittle info on Refugiums, The good and the bad!!!
75 gallon fuge with 2 3' VHO daylites. I have to harvest the chaeto and caulerpa every 8-10 days.
Having coraline algae growth in your refugium is fine but not needed. Therefore, the use actinic lighting is not necessary. The algae helps to filter the water and the refugium is a good home for copepods, amphipods, rotifers, and mysis shrimp to reproduce.
All needed is clamp lights and the energy saving bulbs. It saves you money in power and does a great job for growing the algae. I would use this light clamp http://www.homedepot.com/Lighting-Fans-Worklights/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xg2Zaqn9/R-100354511/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053.
Use different Kelvin temperture bulbs. I use 150W bulbs, and use one of the Soft White and one of the Daylight bulbs.
Anymore questions just ask. :)
I have a 96 watt 50/50 PC on a 100 gals sump. Good purple on Rock.
Having coraline algae growth in your refugium is fine but not needed. Therefore, the use actinic lighting is not necessary. The algae helps to filter the water and the refugium is a good home for copepods, amphipods, rotifers, and mysis shrimp to reproduce.
All needed is clamp lights and the energy saving bulbs. It saves you money in power and does a great job for growing the algae. I would use this light clamp [url].
Use different Kelvin temperture bulbs. I use 150W bulbs, and use one of the Soft White and one of the Daylight bulbs.
Anymore questions just ask. :)-maxima
TOTALLY agree...I did A LOT...I mean DAYS that turned into WEEKS of research to find the very best option for lighting on my fuge when i first set up my new tank. It turned out that the BEST situation was actually the most cost effective way to go as well! that RARELY happens in this hobby, as we all know, so i took the information and ran with it, and i have no regrets, almost a year later! I've got two of the 75 watt clamp lamps(just like the one maxima should from home depot, but the smaller size) over mine...started with just the one 75, but recently bought a second...have two of the energy saving daylight bulbs(i think they are 5500k since that is as high as those bulbs go, as far as i have seen) and my fuge has runneth over with cheato, coralline, pods, brittle star babys, feather dusters, tube worms, etc...this, in turn, feeds my main tank VERY well with little critters to keep my fishies and corals happy and healthy...when it comes to my fuge, i have noticed that you can spend VERY little money, use VERY little electricity, and get MUCH better results this way...Those energy savers last a long time and don't add much extra heat at all, if any.
follow Maxima's advice if you are looking for an easy, efficient, and cheap way to have a thriving fuge!
Totally!! Whats ur name? Its nice to met you. Anyways -
P.S. to my post - Forgot to mention that you should alternate your fuge lights with your other lights. This way it helps keep the PH level constant and not jump around. :)
hey, my name is Ash. What's yours? Nice to meet you too! and good add on the alternating the fuge lights with main tank lights...forgot to mention that myself...REALLY important too...oopsies hehe! 
My names Josiah! :)
So how long do you have your fuge lights on per 24/hr period? I know absolutely nothing regarding the fuge setup but have been thinking of setting one up.
ummm, 12-13 hrs.
Let us know if u have more questions then
rule of thumb is usually the fuge lights go on opposite your main tank lights...but it also depends on what macro algae you are going to keep. i personally recommend cheato...it's the strongest, the fastest growing, the best filterer(imo), it's cheap, you can use a cheap energy saver bulb(6500K) with a cheap clamp lamp from home depot(like jos and i said before...it's the BEST and CHEAPEST set up) and it will grow like mad...plus, it doesn't EVER go "sexual" like caulerpa can, which means it won't ever mess up your water and make it all nasty. and i will once again in THIS post STRONGLY recommend Fiji Mud as substrate. i REALLY love it! keeps things VERY lively, doesn't build up nasty gases so disturbing it doesn't risk BAD BAD joo joo like with a deep sand bed or "Miracle Mud". and you don't have to remove 30% and replace it every 6 months. all you have to do is add more every 6 months cause it naturally breaks down over time. also, if i ever have trouble with my zoas looking funny, i put them down in my fuge for a few days, and they bounce back. when they get back into my main tank, their colors are INSANE! i found that out by accident when i got ticked off with some of my zoa frags looking crappy, so i threw them down in the fuge and forgot about them...figured they would die and it would give the pods and stuff down there stuff to eat...week or so later my gf is like "we have new zoas growing in the fuge!! they look REALLY cool!". i was like "no way...i put a bunch of dying ones down there last week and forgot about them!". not sure if it's the mud, or the extra nutrients or what...but any new zoas that look funny go down in the fuge first. has been working well. i am going to put a thin layer of the Fiji Mud in my frag tank, i think. i love the stuff...anyway, i digress...AGAIN...anymore questions, hollerrrrr! heh! -AshSo how long do you have your fuge lights on per 24/hr period? I know absolutely nothing regarding the fuge setup but have been thinking of setting one up.
-retang
how deep do you put the fiji mud? I was reading about it and it seems to be a great product like you say.
I would be interested in seeing someone refugium set up, a pic that is, if someone would like to share.
I also have feather and grape caulerpa in my fuge and it really loves it. Just make sure you add iron to the tank, and u will never have any problems with it going Asexual on you. Ill post some pics of mine in a few. Also, the tangs love the caulerpa so i dont have to buy much algae. They cant really eat the cheato though.
Pics! Its a 25 gal
seems simple enough I dont know why I havent went this direction before thanks for the photos.
