Refuge lighting period with chaeto

[Coleus]

Originally Posted by globaldesigns

I personally light my refuge in a reverse cycle to my DT

Is 24/7 lighting beneficial with chaeto? I know this method is necessary with some macro algae to keep it from going asexual, but is there a benefit with chaeto. Do you get more nutrient export?

Just wondering

Base on my experience, i never though chaeto can go asexual. I never see any difference when i go 24/7 vs 18/7 on my chaeto in term of nitrate reduction. But i notice some of chaeto brown out after a while if i go 24/7

[megs_clark]

I have mine on the reverse cycle as well. My Chaeto grows like crazy.

[Delphinus]

FWIW, when I had a caulerpa farm, running the lighting 24/7 never stopped it from sporulating (aka "going sexual").

In answer to your question though I sort of doubt there would be a noticeable difference in nutrient export going 24/7 vs not. I think what would make a telling difference is the size of the chaeto growing area so that there's more of it, but otherwise probably it's only a few percentage points different. That's my completely uneducated guess anyhow.