Lighting for Refugium

Sacohen · Jul 17, 2015

I have an approximately 12x12" section of my sump that will be set aside for a fuge.
I plan on just having cheato in there.
I have read that people are using a CFL 6500k bulb in a reflector clamp light from HD or Lowes.

Is there really a difference between that and the specialized Refugium LED's that you see out there like the REEF RADIANCE DM-5e 5 Watt REFUGIUM PAR 30 LED LIGHT?

Webslinger · Jul 17, 2015

Wattage, Spectrum.....both will grow cheato fine

ReeferBean · Jul 17, 2015

I use a JBJ Nano Glo LED and a 3 x 3w red / blue led lamp I got from ebay for super cheap.

alan.lee3 · Jul 17, 2015

In my biocube, I used the JBJ Nano glo. Now in my sump, I had two fluval day/plant light LED. Using both and the macro is really loving it. Growing like weed.

d2mini · Jul 17, 2015

For max chaeto growth, high wattage and low spectrum does best.
Treat it like you are growing weed!
I use a 150w HPS grow light over a 22" cube fuge. Spectrum isn't any more than 3,000k.
I've heard those led units with lots of red work well too, but I haven't tried it.

143MPCo · Jul 17, 2015

Like noted above, it's a plant and should be treated as such...

Sacohen · Jul 17, 2015

Thanks everyone.
Does the same apply if I wanted Mangroves? They are a plant as well.

143MPCo · Jul 17, 2015

Sacohen said:
Does the same apply if I wanted Mangroves? They are a plant as well.

Yes

kstone2274 · Jul 19, 2015

Sacohen said:
I have an approximately 12x12" section of my sump that will be set aside for a fuge.
I plan on just having cheato in there.
I have read that people are using a CFL 6500k bulb in a reflector clamp light from HD or Lowes.

Is there really a difference between that and the specialized Refugium LED's that you see out there like the REEF RADIANCE DM-5e 5 Watt REFUGIUM PAR 30 LED LIGHT?

I bought two of these and they didn't do well. I ended up using Kessil 150's on all 3 tanks

Sacohen · Jul 19, 2015

kstone2274 said:
I bought two of these and they didn't do well. I ended up using Kessil 150's on all 3 tanks

Two if which?
The CFL 6500k or the Reef Radiance DM-5e?

kstone2274 · Jul 19, 2015

Reef Radiance. They don't grow nothing

ghbrewer · Jul 20, 2015

Just picked up a Kessil H150 and H350 grow lights to play around with on my QT and DT remote fuges.

Had good results using lower kelvin (6500k) LEDs in the past. Interested to see how well these will work.