Sump lighting?????

[momrocks999]

So I thought I would ask the experts. I am trying to grow macro algae in my sump to feed my 5 tangs. Yes I love tangs and they all play well. I currently have a clamp on light with a bulb which says its for growing plants. It's growing very slowly. What bulb do I really need?

[Dugaru]

Do you have more info about your tank and pics? Don't forget it's not just light necessary to grow, but nutrients as well. If your bio load is small there won't be anything to feed the plants, for example. Also, how long is the fuge light on? What bulb (specifically) is it (with K rating)? What kind of macro?

[momrocks999]

I have a 200 gallon reef with a heavy bio load I guess. All my nutrients are great! It's not a K rating bulb. I am having trouble knowing where to get one. I have water lettuce, some kind of red macro and green macro as well as chaeto. I will try to upload pics. I know my tangs love to eat it as soon as I add to the tank.

[momrocks999]

My tank has been established for almost 6 years.

[Reef_tech]

Ive been using a bulb I got from home depot, has been working great for me. But like Dugaru said it also depends on your nutrients

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Cree-65W-...U100/204366183

[Dugaru]

Bio load will be defined by how many living things you have (fish, corals, etc). Fish more-so than corals. Fish + food = lots of poop! haha

The K rating is just what color it is. You'll want something that is 'warmer' or more in the red spectrum for the green algaes, however the red algae does not use red spectrum at all (hence why it appears red to us).

Beyond color and time the bulb is on, there is also the strength, if it's a lower wattage CFL that is sitting next to it with no reflector, there won't actually be much light hitting the algae as they are designed to spread light in a room.

[momrocks999]

Hey thanks for the advice. I got a "warmer" bulb today. What nutrients should I be testing besides calcium, alkalinity, iodine and the normal stuff like ph and phos. ect...?

[Dugaru]

Awesome! Hopefully it helps!

Basic reef nutrients to test are MAC - Magnesium, Alkalinity and Calcium. Iodine should, in most reefs, be maintained by water changes (this is not always true..), same thing with phosphates/nitrates (although things such as skimmers, fuges, bio pellets, ChemiPure, etc help without the WC). PH is important, but generally if your alk and calc are in good ranges, your PH will also be good.

[momrocks999]

I have all those covered and always test good. Woohoo!!! Maybe just the new bulb is all I needed. Thanks for the help.