2 Questions today ????

1 Should I run my fuge lights 24/7 or only at night
2 What is the best way to clean my bio balls (There 10 years old)

 

Depends upon the light..

grower's lights could be left on for 24 hours a day, and are very efficient at growing plant colonies inside...

You could remove small amounts of bioballs at a time and let them soak in a saltwater mix, ( in a 5 gallon bucket perhaps?) then add those ones in and repeat..

 

I wouldn't run my sump lights 24/7. especially if you're growing plants... plants need a 24 hour cycle in which they get at least 6 hours of darkness.. never understood the whole 24 hour lights in the sump thing... as for the bioballs... i'd suggest replacing with LR but if thats not an option the above idea sounds solid to me...
Evan.

 

I do have 150lbs of lr about 30 or 40 in the sump & currently the bio balls are all out

 

fuge lights should only be ran on a reverse photo period from the DT

IE if the tank is on from 7am till 7pm then the fuge should be on from 7pm till 7am

if ran 24/7 they'll go sexual and then you have issues

 

X2 on the opposite cycle of main lights. This is also a pluse as you can add you fuge light to the cycle of your timer that the lunars are on if you have them.

For the BB, I would clean half, then the other half in a month. You take them out and rinse them and return.



Cheers

 

Run lights opposite like said above.

 

right on thank you all I got the lig ht part but still wondering about the balls I think I will just leave them out

 

I have two fuges (loaded with chaeto) hooked to the main tank. They are lighted on alternate time cycle with a few hours of overlap. IMO, 24hrs non stop lighting is not beneficial nor efficient.

EDIT: I'd advise replacing bio balls (slowly as little at time) with porous coral rubble.

 

I run my fuge lights opposite of the main tank's daylight cycle, with a half hour overlap on each end.