refugium light - 24/7 or RDP?

sold. 24/7 it is. thank you!

 

Agreed! I tell everyone this but noone listens. Chaeto, like almost all plants require a dark period to efficiently go through photosynthesis/nutrient uptake process. 24/7 will be fast for the first week, but then the rate of growth will quickly fall off when it can't go through the carbon sequestering stage efficiently.
Go to wikipedia and type in CAM photosynthesis.

 

RDP. Turn on the fuge lights 1/2 an hour before the main tank's lights go out and turn the fuge lights off 1/2 hour after the main tank's lights come on. This will allow each tank (main and fuge) to ramp up their photosynthesis before the other's stops. This prevents PH swings.

 

It's well known that long exposure to light does cut down photosynthesis rate, but to have it make a difference it must go down below 50% which I don't think will happen, Green houses when sprouting seedlings will often do either a very long light cycle (upwards of 18 hours) or 24/7 to put some size on the plants and so they become more hardy(larger plants are more hardy).
I question whether macros use CAM at all as not all plants do. It seems common in plants that need to conserve water.

It worth mentioning Plants are much more complicated then algae even macros.
But I am really interested in this line of thought do you have any more info on CAM in macros?

 

well technically I dont know for sure if chaeto uses C3, C4, or CAM... from this second article i think its CAM? Section 11.5 in this book shortly touches on CAM in aquatic macros tho.
Plant physiological ecology - Google Books

Also this is an article i dug up... one of the species tested is V. spiralis, Not sure if it is a type of chaeto or not but if im not mistaken chaeto is C. spiralis?
Article: CAM photosynthesis in submerged aquatic plants. (crassulacean acid... | AccessMyLibrary - Promoting library advocacy

 

common kind we see (like curly hair) isn't Chaetomorpha spirilas I think.

Chaetomorpha Kützing, 1845: 203 :: Algaebase

if you feel like checking though the 50 or so member of the chaeto family.


it was val btw in the link

a plant.

 

Two most common in aquaria are the light green, fast growing C. spiralis and the dark green really matty, thick, and slower growing Chaetomorpha crassa

 

Kudos+

 

okay. so i'm gonna run refugium light opposite to the DT light, the light in the refugium starts an hour before DT lights go off and goes off an hour after DT lights go on.