Why Pay $$$ For A Refugerim

[mch1984]

I have experimented with lights similar to everything linked or shown in images so far, and have never gotten a PAR reading above ~40 or so. Its easy to find cheap LEDs in appropriate colors. So far I have never found anything short of a black box (~$100) that actually puts out reasonable PAR (100-300).

If anyone has PAR readings for some of these affordable refugium lights I would love to see them.

$46 from Amazon, black box of sorts, puts out between 575 and 600.

Edit link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07312WKX2/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Kris B]

People love spending money on what the big reef web retailers tell them the next big thing is. Never understood why someone doesn’t just use an led flood light at 6500k from the hardware store. My outdoor led flood lights illuminate the entire back yard, and have lasted 9 years. In the rain. And in the Texas heat. $20

Ive got 4 120w LED Cree flood lights on my sump/algae scrubber running 12hrs a day. Grows so fast i have to clean it every 10 days. It will grow a 16" x 30" x 2" inch thick pad of algae. My 400g tank still has no need for a protein skimmer with it.

 

[Bpb]

Guess I didn't explain clearly enough for you...

I had bubble algae IN THE DISPLAY TANK. It was out-competing the Chaetomorpha and C. Mexicana I had in the refugeum.

Changed the light in the ref to a better quality unit.

Chaeto and Calurpa are now out-competing the bubble algae in the tank. Bubble algae gone.

rich indeed.

Your original post was unclear. You provided much better detail in the reply. You’re welcome.

 

[Rolrod39]

You don't have to pay $$$$ for a refugium. Just some miracle mud, live rock, macro algae, and a full spectrum light. Oh a few hermits. That's it

 

[badfinger]

Sorry I didnt read everyone's replies...

I just replaced my led grow light (heavy in the red spectrum of amazon), with a Kessil H380. The Kessil is one of the best investments I have made to my tank. I used to pull out a gallon of cheato every 2-3months, now I pull put 2 gallons every week or two. Nothing else has changed in my tank.

 

[kkiel02]

To answer your question in the title, it’s just to make your fuge more efficient. BRS has a good comparison on different lights over a fuge. Right now I’m running a cree led grow bulb from Home Depot but my macro growth is terrible. It doesn’t have anything to compete with so I’m not worried. My fuge is getting the h380 as soon as it’s up and running. But other than the light I don’t put a lot of money into it. I’ll just sprinkle some sand in there just to coat the bottom and some rock rubble for pods.

I have yet to run a black box so I can’t speak for them.

 

[DesertReefT4r]

I ran a spiral compact in a shop lamp over my fuges for years with great results, tons of chaeto growth and no3 control to the point of undetectable no3. On my new tank I tried an ebay 18w LED freshwater/plant light and it worked great for about 3 months until it fried from over heating. Im back to the cheap and just plan works spiral compact bulb in a shop lamp. Still grows chaeto, still keeping no3 undetectable and still under $20.