lighting for sump

[martym]

I just installed a sump I'm thinking of adding live rock to help out with filtration. What should i use for lighting? I was thinking because I'm not growing corals just algea, I would set up a lamp with a normal bulb and run it 24/7 . Any comments?

[BCOrchidGuy]

Marty you can just use a fluorescent tube or two, if your run them at alternate light cycles to your main tank it can help keep your pH more stable. I'm not sure how a 15 gallon will affect your tank but that's what I'd try.

Doug

[martym]

I find that my tank's Ph doesn't change that much. Mind you I don't have a monitor on it at all times. But picking up a shop light and running a NO sound good. thanks Doug

[BCOrchidGuy]

Marty if you've got room for a 4 foot fixture I've got a number of them and you're welcome to one.

Doug

[ldzielak]

I had 2 24' NO on my sump for a lnog time, never work very good. I then put my 2x55w PC on the tank and it grows caulerpa like crazy. I had 1 bulb die on me for a month or 2 and I still had good growth.

I guess, I would say more light the better. I have a been thinking for a long time to put my old 175 down there, but then I would just add more heat to the system

Lee

[martym]

Doug, thanks for the offer,but 4' is too long doesn't quite fit.
Lee, I don't want to spend the money for PC's. Maybe if my wife ever lets me upgrade to MH, I can put my PC's down there.

[ldzielak]

Marty,

I'm not saying you need PC's, they can be a pain in the ass, when they get older (from what Icecap told my friend, they can draw up to 2 time the rated power when they get older)

But maybe you could overdrive some NO bulbs to get good growth. I would get your self a Workhorse 7, you never know it could come in handy later too.

Lee

[BCOrchidGuy]

Yeah that WH7 isn't expensive, electronic ballast for $55... heck of a deal

Doug

[chwkreefer]

Originally Posted by martym

I just installed a sump I'm thinking of adding live rock to help out with filtration. What should i use for lighting? I was thinking because I'm not growing corals just algea, I would set up a lamp with a normal bulb and run it 24/7 . Any comments?

When I was growing macroalgae in my refugium what I found worked well was just a high wattage incandescent bulb(ie. . 100 - 150 watt and it wasn't a grow light). I did have a 24" grow light fluorescent as well, but as I increased the wattage of the incandescent so did the growth rate of the macroalgae. Fluorescents run cooler so if a little extra heat is an issue I would just try a couple of fluorescents.

[martym]

Now I'm confused. I should get a work horse ballast to run my main tank PC's? You say when they draw more power when they get old, how old do you mean, and is that a sales pitch to sell you a WH.? I would think with algae being such a low form of life and can survive in anything, you wouldn't need all kinds of lighting to grow it. Man, I thought lighting for the main tank was confusing A LFS is running 3-4 PC's that fit into a normal socket lighting his corals. To me that seems low for corals,but should work for LR and algae. As usual, it seems different things work for different people. I'm just getting tiered of doing the wrong thing first everytime Murphy's law. Any other people light their sump, and with what?
Thanks again