Suitable lighting for a 'fuge

[Longinus]

I am thinking about turning one of my old tanks into a refugium, and was wondering what a suitable lighting temperature was for the refugium. I found a site that sells some 6500k screw in flouresents, and they are damned cheap, so it seemed like an ideal option, since the cost would be very low.

Would that be suitable? Granted, I have no clue what I would want to keep in the refugium, but I have heard that some of the algae that people like to keep in theirs likes this temp, and I figured I would just toss all my nasty Hitchikers in there with a couple pounds of live rock(my reef is gonna be 5g or10g, the 'fuge 2.5g)

 

[WeeNe858]

6500k gives you alot of red and blue spectrums which plants (macro) can utilize best but if you want to i reccomend getting a PC mini fixture and running the 6500k as opposed to flourecents.

 

[Germanman]

6500k gives you alot of red and blue spectrums which plants (macro) can utilize best but if you want to i reccomend getting a PC mini fixture and running the 6500k as opposed to flourecents.

i agree completely.

 

[Longinus]

Do you guys really think that I would see that much of a difference between the PC and the fluorescent? I only ask because the flourescent will cost me next to nothing while (to my noob mind at least) providing the same color temp for macro algae as a PC. I know its not high quality or anything, but since my budget dosnt really allow for much more (at least for now) Im hoping to get by on just the flourescent bulb since I intend to have a solid corallife fixture running over my actual tank.

And thanks for the input guys , If I hadn't been able to ask ya questions I would probably be trying to grow coral under stock tank lighting(ok, so not really, but I would be in seriously bad shape )

Oh, and is there such a thing as too much moonlighting?(I am probably going to make my moonlights now for when I attempt corals months down the road)

 

[Germanman]

pcs are much better and thats reason they cost more..lol
i use floresent over one fuge and pc over another just to see and the floresent didn't cut it well the macro grew but really slow. under the pcs they grew nice and fast and worked well for harvesting and nutrient export.

 

[Longinus]

pcs are much better and thats reason they cost more..lol
i use floresent over one fuge and pc over another just to see and the floresent didn't cut it well the macro grew but really slow. under the pcs they grew nice and fast and worked well for harvesting and nutrient export.

gotcha. I think I am going to go ahead and use a fluorescent, and then when I have a bigger budget go back and switch it to PC.

 

[Germanman]

works. let us know how it goes

 

[WeeNe858]

i highly recommend just saving up the money.. flourecents 5 bucks..? CF 15?.... you can save 5 bucks... or at least put it twords the CF and not have to stare at a useless flourecent... but just my 2 cents


http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=8154&N=2004+113345



they also run cooler and last long/stay brighter

 

[Longinus]

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=8154&N=2004+113345

Wow, I had not seen any that cheap, thought I was gonna have to drop another 35 bucks or so.

Granted, I am going to be doing most of my shopping at LFS's, but I am gonna have to put some more thought into getting a few things from Dr. Foster and Smith

 

[5xevy]

I have PCs over mine but my buddy has miniature metal halides, lol, and his refugium is one of the best I've ever seen. I just don't think they're necessary though for a refugium but I would get the best light you can afford, and you can always upgrade down the road if you want.