Refugium questions

[Thefishguy]

Hey all, so I did some searching on the search engine, but I couldn't really find a whole lot to my particular question. Right now I am just using a clip shop light to hold a Cree LED 15w 100w equivalent 5000k bulb with 1700 lumens. The bulb is from home depot and was the highest spectrum I could find being 5000k and the highest lumen rating at 5000k so I decided to give it a try. At first my chaeto was turning brown around it, so I turned my skimmer off and now it is all green again so I am assuming it was not getting enough nutrients at all. Now that is has been green for over 2 weeks again it hasnt grown at all, is there a better bulb I could be using to get the growth going? I also plan on adding some more fish shortly to help with more nutrients. The sump is the trigger emerald 39, not exactly sure how many gallons the actual fuge is though. 180g display. Should I also just keep the skimmer off until I can get more nutrients going on a daily basis?

I wanted to stick with a bulb from home depot/lowes so I can replace the same day and stay on a budget, but if there is an LED that works and is around the same price as hardware store bulbs I would be open to suggestions for those. I had the aquatic life Reno 6w Clamp on before and that killed the chaeto off even faster.

 

[Shaddow_wolf169]

They have a 4pk of 6500k Philips twist bulbs I run those

 

[Thefishguy]

How many of those do you run? Just 1? I am assuming that would be better than the bulb I am running since I am only keeping it alive but not growing it. Does that sound like a lack of nutrients or lights? And should I just keep my skimmer off until I can get my nutrients up or something, I am trying to get a pod farm growing in the fuge to be able to home a dragonet again.

 

[vlangel]

How many of those do you run? Just 1? I am assuming that would be better than the bulb I am running since I am only keeping it alive but not growing it. Does that sound like a lack of nutrients or lights? And should I just keep my skimmer off until I can get my nutrients up or something, I am trying to get a pod farm growing in the fuge to be able to home a dragonet again.

It could be a nutrient problem. Have you tested nitrates and phosphates lately? Also magnesium needs to be adequate.

 

[divetoday]

I tried doing what you are doing based on advice from a friend. I just wasn't getting the growth I wanted and expected. I finally bit the bullet and bought this bulb: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HPIPM70/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. I haven't looked back and am pulling out wads of chaeto every month.

 

[Thefishguy]

I was going to change my water today, but after testing the levels I decided I am just going to wait it out. My levels are, Ca: 480, Ph: 7.8-8.0 couldnt tell a difference, Kh: 9, Nitrate and Phosphate both 0.

Divetoday, I was looking at that bulb also after seeing others recommend it, but with me thinking it has everything to do with nutrients I waited on replacing bulb after bulb. I may just order it anyway and use it while getting more nutrients though so when I balance it all out I can get really good growth and breed pods like crazy, unless pods dont care how quick the chaeto is growing?

So since I think it is a nutrient problem, how do I add more nutrients? I just added a foxface and blue throat trigger today so I am hoping that helps a bit as the tank was very understocked still.

Also some of my polyps aren't extending like I would like them to, is there something I can do to fix that? I dont have a magnesium test kit to test for that, but I really need to get one and it is on my shopping list along with some stronger powerheads.

 

[Shaddow_wolf169]

Feed more to increase nutrients and I run 2 bulbs.

 

[Orm Embar]

I use this with good growth and no problems ($15) - https://www.amazon.com/MarsHydro-Light-Organic-Style-plants/dp/B01ARI3HIG

Some other people in my local reefing group use this ($30) - https://www.amazon.com/TaoTronics-Lights-Hydroponics-Organic-Applicable/dp/B01HPIPM70

I get some growth, but not a ton. I suspect that this is due to low nutrient levels, as I have a relatively small bioload and my nitrate/phosphate is borderline undetectable using ELOS nitrate/phosphate kits that my LFS runs. No nuisance algae or cyano, and since my nitrates/phosphates were significantly higher pre-refugium, I'm pretty content. If I ever need more bang for my buck, I will probably try the TaoTronics bulb above.

 

[Thefishguy]

Lots of you are recommending different lighting, so weather I go with the ones from amazon, or the other home depot ones im not sure yet but it seems I should get a different one at the least. I am feeding twice a day and over feeding at that, should I increase this?

Also I am not sure if I should make a new post elsewhere about this or not, but with the two new fish I got 2 days ago, the fox face and blue throat trigger, both seem to still be adjusting. The fox face is completely fine until you walk into the room, once you do it hides and starts to get blotchy like it does when its stressed. Is this normal and it will get use to people walk in and out of the room and continue to swim when people are looking at the tank? Since he is being like this, I have not seen him eat, I know he is eating the algae building on the rocks/from the vegie clips. As far as the blue throat, I have not seen him since the night placing him into the tank. I know they like to hide especially during the day, but I can not find him anywhere in any of the caves. Is it possible he dug himself into a cave and is just hanging out in there? I am worried since he isn't coming out that he won't be eating and I may never even find him if something was to happen. Any ideas on those would be great too.