30 gallon planted tank

[Clinton]

Hey all, I'm going to plumb my 30g tank into my main tank and use it for a planted fuge. I'm thinking like 2 or 3 mangroves and some other macro algaes.
Anyone know of an affordable adequate light source? Should I make sure to put substrate in there? Best affordable substrate?

 

[Big G]

Bump

 

[LesPoissons]

There are a lot of red refugium lights available on amazon and I know Kessil now makes one as well thats top rated but $$$. Mine was like 25$ and works fine. Go with red, works best. size out what you need.
You dont really need a substrate for chaeto and a lot of the other macros, most just like to float around and mangroves will root without any substrate. Any of the rooting macros also do fine in sand. Miracle mud is a good substrate as well. If you want mangroves for filtration, you usually need a lot more than a few unless they are very large- otherwise they are just there for looks. Also they need to be slowly acclimated and they need sprayed with fresh water on their leaves daily.

 

[Clinton]

I may avoid mangroves then! I'd hate to add more maintenance to the system. Thank you! No blues necessary?

 

[LesPoissons]

No blues necessary reds with some white do much better. I love the idea of mangroves too, but for actual filtration in saltwater, chaeto is really the best and much easier to keep and maintain. I also grow some red macros and some sea lettuce just to throw in for my tangs occasionally- all grow well spinning gently under a red fuge light. I'd also get a small power head to put in the tank so you can keep the macros moving to keep any one side from getting too much light.

 

[User]

I know this is an older thread, but it might be worth looking at daylight spectrum lighting. That way, you get to see the natural colors the way Gaia intended

Also- red mangroves are a salt excluder species, and as such, don’t accumulate salt on their leaves. No daily freshwater rinse needed. You do however need daily washing for white and black mangroves, which are salt secretor species