Refugium Lighting

[Rubymoon286]

I've just started shopping around for a dedicated refugium light so I can take my AI Prime back for a new coral qt set up, and I wanted to see what folks are using.

I'm looking at the Tunze waterproof fixture, the ai blade, prime fuge, and the kessil fuge. Are there advantages to the fuge designed lights over just getting a nano full spectrum? I saw a few controlable full spectrums that looked interesting too.

One of the things I really liked about the Tunze waterproof fixture was how low I could get it in my sump without as much worry about it getting wet, and it would give better control over spillover light - the blade is also appealing for the slim profile since my plumbing has to go across my sump length wise due to the shape of the cabinet.

 

[exnisstech]

Cheap led grow light is all I ever used. Grew chaeto just fine.

 

[C_AWOL]

You don't "need" any fancy lighting to grow chaeto. A simple 20-30 dollar par38 bulb from the hardware store will work well.
If you want "fancy" then theres the freshwater noopsyches for under 100 with a mounting arm that works well

 

[MoshJosh]

LED grow light from Amazon, freshwater aquarium/planted light, specific refugium light. . . They all work.

I FEEL like planted lights work best but got a soft spot for the purple glow!

 

[mlivvy]

$15. Grows cheato like crazy. And anything else in there.

 

[Solo McReefer]

Before light companies started making expensive dedicated fuge light

Reefers would use either grow light or even a regular bulb in a brooder fixture

 

[GARRIGA]

Here’s an option. IM ChaetoMax. Depending on size of area being lit.

 

[sfmacguy]

I have been able to grow cheato with almost any led light, but... I have a Kessil H380, and I have never grown cheato as fast as I have with this light. Its crazy the difference.

 

[Rubymoon286]

I've used amazon lights in the past with some mixed success - mostly I CAN grow chaeto with just about anything, it's just not always fast enough to keep up with the nutrients.

I also like the idea of a waterproof light or one I can mount on a shorter arm that I can mount below my plumbing. Here's an older photo of the plumbing, the manifold has bleached from the AI Prime which is where the want to mount it below the plumbing comes from.

 

[Minifoot77]

I use a 600w grow light off Amazon for 49.99