Sump help

[Paligues]

Hello again fellow reefers! I just had a couple questions about a sump/ref. I was told to grow macro in there but I wanted a couple other opinions on what should be in there. I have heard copepods, amiphipods and mysid shrimp along with an assortment of other little critters. I only have a single 18" power-glo bulb so what should I be growing, doing with it and should I have the sump light on at night and off during the day? Or 24 hr a day? So many opinions and nothing consistant... HELP ME GUYS :frustrat:

 

[little_fish]

Copepods will happily live and multiply in the macro you grow in your sump, and i think amiphipods will also do so. Mysid shrimp are harder because of their life cycle and their tendency to eat one another. They would need a more sophisticated system. However your live stock will be very happy with pods.

Many people run their lights on the sump opposite of what they have their tank on the help stabilize the pH, but i dont know anything about the light you have and if its strong enough to grow macro.

 

[BL1]

Basically, a refugium is a sump only with a section with a sand bed and live rock. If you decide to use a refugium, then you would want to grow a macro algae called chaeto. The chaeto would use up whatever nitrates are in your system to grow. Then, the live rock in your refug would give a place for the copepods and amiphipods to live and they'd feed of of the chaeto too. From there they would be sent up into your DT for your fish, corals, and inverts. As far as your lights, I can't really say if it's enough to grow macro. Most people use CFL bulbs in clip-on work lamps. As far as the lighting period, people do both reverse cycle and 24 hours, that is up to your preference.

 

[Bifferwine]

I think that light would be enough to grow macroalgae. It really doesn't need a lot of light.