Starting my refugium. Mangroves and what else?

Oh lol. Nevermind about the mangroves then. I don't have the flow for them.

So chaeto then? What kind of light should I use? Most of the lights on see on custom aquatic and stuff are at least $80. There has to be a cheaper way to get light down there lol.

 

This is what I have, but with dual daylights instead of 50/50.................
Luna

 

I read somewhere once where someone used a floodlight, so the other day I bought one from Lowes that is really nice, and way cheaper than stuff made for the fuge.

It's similar to this but 90watt, 6500k daylight, and made for outdoors
Bright Effects at Lowe's: Daylight 65-Watt Replacement R30 CFL Indoor Flood Bulb

 

I have a plant light I can use. I wonder if that is sufficient for chaeto?

Even the light that Luna uses seems over priced. $65 seems like a lot of money for 1 cubic foot tank thats only growing algae.

 

Everything in this hobby is expensive. Unless you DIY. Im very picky and I dont like ghetto set ups(no offense to any one) on my systems. If I can build it and it looks nice, then so be it. You can use those bulbs from HD/Lowes that are 6500k and a round socket and it will do the same job. Luna

 

I've have luck with mangroves - have 10 in my fuge and they really started to take off once I started to soak them every other day with a spraybottle of fresh water. I had read somewhere that when the salt creeps to the top of the stem and the leaves, they will not grow and will eventually die. I started spraying and they really took off with some real large leaves. I don't have any extra lighting or a fast moving fuge either. I could just be lucky!

I also have chaeto in the fuge which grows out of control as well.

 

Some states outlaw mangroves, I read that my state it is illegal to own. I'm going to stick with chaeto in my fuge for that reason.

 

I have mangroves, ulva, chaeto, green gracilaria, and some flame algae in my fuge

ulva and gracilaria get fed to tangs, once I get the chaeto i have grown out more it will get trimmed and fed to them also

I'm using a 8" clip-on light from HD with a 6700k plant bulb so far it's all working out pretty well

 

in some states alot of macro's are illegal most shippers will tell you what it legal and not in your state, Caulerpa is illegal in cali in all forms as well