Macro Algae Photo Period

[naperenterprise]

Just jumping aboard

I'll read more when I get home from work...

[elliottb]

Originally Posted by Triggerjay

So what happened to frankies experiment? Hey prow, I have a Q for you... Most run a reverse lighting schedule on the fuge, to help prevent large PH swings,.... BUT when the macro grows (while lit) it produces oxygen. Wouldn't you want this to produce the oxygen during the day when the main tanks metabolism is at it's highest, to provide as much oxygen as possible for fish, corals, etc? I run about the same lighting schedule on the fuge as I do the display. I have little in the way of a PH swing. maybe .1 at the most. I used to always run my fuge reverse cycle, but changed my thinking on this theory. what are your thoughts on this?

Jason

If you have a skimmer, you should be fine. I have my lighting times overlap for a bout 2-3 hours at night and in the morn.

[elliottb]

Originally Posted by BengBear

Does having sufficient magnesium in the water promote growth of grape caulerpa remosa?

mafnesium is what helps plants cope with the saltwater. mangroves for example need magnesium to help remove the salt from the water they take up and then they move the salt to their leaves.

[prow]

Originally Posted by Triggerjay

So what happened to frankies experiment?

hey, yeah, what happened frankie?

Hey prow, I have a Q for you... Most run a reverse lighting schedule on the fuge, to help prevent large PH swings,.... BUT when the macro grows (while lit) it produces oxygen. Wouldn't you want this to produce the oxygen during the day when the main tanks metabolism is at it's highest, to provide as much oxygen as possible for fish, corals, etc? I run about the same lighting schedule on the fuge as I do the display. I have little in the way of a PH swing. maybe .1 at the most. I used to always run my fuge reverse cycle, but changed my thinking on this theory. what are your thoughts on this?

reverse lighting is really not needed and not really intended for low O2 issues. its more for dealing with high CO2 issues. since most tanks dont have CO2 issues no need for interventioins. normally photosynthesis and cellular respirations will be equal


keep in mind CO2 is used in photosynthesis and is a byproduct of respirations/ as O2 is used in cellular respirations and is a byproduct of photosynthesis, so no need to run reverse lighting under normal conditions.

it should be noted however, that low CO2 and/or high O2 levels will inhibit carbon fixation via calvin cycle. you dont want as much O2 as possible, just enough so carbon fixation is not inhibited. just noted this so you can see that high CO2 promotes photosynthesis. where as high O2 levels favors celluar repirations. normally these reactions balance with eachother.

but if your running a Ca+reactor or have high indoor CO2 issues reverse ilghting can help prevent, or better said, reduce ph swings via reducing accumulations.

however, if your wanting increased nutrient exporting, reverse lighting can help. higher CO2 levels are wanted here and provided while the DT lighting is off. in a tank with normal levels it will have a minimal impact though. cellular repirations will follow suit as increased photosynthesis adds/increases O2, to a point. not sure if i said this clear or not. photosynthesis can get complicated with all the various processes that get involved. on my new tank setup i plan on using macros only to deal with the excess CO2 coming from my Ca+ reactor. as a bonus i get increased exporting of nutrients due to the available CO2. for others they may be wanting macros to mainly export nutrients, so running the same photoperiod allows the macros in the fug to directly compete with algaes in the DT. on the other hand for exproting, running reverse lighting may aid in the growth of the macros in the fuge as more CO2 is available within the system. but in a tank that runs with normal CO2/O2 (ph) levels i dout there would be much difference. for some with high indoor CO2 or if the tank is unable to blow off the continuous CO2 additions from a Ca+ reactor or other, reverse lighting will help big time. here you need to take into account the tanks respirations, some tanks do not have enough gas exchange to blow off excess CO2 so reverse lightings helps with saturations levels. other tanks may have plenty of gas exchange to deal with any excess CO2 and actually need additional CO2 to promote growth for exporting. remember a 100gal tank that is 3 feet tall does not have the capability a 100gal tank 1 foot tall has, talking about surface exhange here.

this post could be confussing because i am talking about two different things. macros used for CO2/ph (gas exchange) issues and macros for exporting nutrients. both effect the other. so for ph issues(high CO2 levels) reverse lighting is a good intervention to help stabilize the ph. for exporting if CO2/O2 are at normal levels reverse lighting will not do much. reverse lighting, IMO, only needs to be used if excessive CO2 is present and your ph is being depressed at night because of it.

i think i can say this better if its hard to follow.

[vdituri]

For a tank with an overflow and a skimmer and surface agitation would you consider the reverse lighting helpful? Or is it something that should be tested for using a night time PH measurement?

Just trying to see if I've absorbed enough. lol

[prow]

Originally Posted by vdituri

For a tank with an overflow and a skimmer and surface agitation would you consider the reverse lighting helpful? Or is it something that should be tested for using a night time PH measurement?

Just trying to see if I've absorbed enough. lol

no it will not be very helpful. IMO, its only helpful if you are having ph issues related to excess CO2.
it may increase exporting some, but taken as a whole it would be an insignificant increase and would not have any noticeable effect, that is if there would even be a increase.


MMM anyone see frankie

[Basile]

Does anybody know if i should add nutrients to an all agae biotope too promote growth from my algae, there not doing anything.

[BigAl07]

Basil did you read my suggestion on your thread

Originally Posted by BigAl07

For an algae tank I'd do away with the actinics and anything except just 6500K bulbs.

Macroalgae (and any other photosynthetic animal/plant) can experience "Photo-inhabition" where it's got so MUCH light it actually slows it's growth.

[Luukosian]

Basile,

Three main macro nutrients for plants, (I imagine macro algae is the same) are NPK, Nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. In my freshwater planted tanks I have to add phosphorous and potassium(and trace element mixture) to get the quickest growth, most nitrogen is supplied by fish waste in my systems, I rarely dose it.

If you have just an algae biotope, and have sufficient density of plants these nutrients will get used up pretty quick...I've always wondered how you could get away with a packed full tank of fast growing marine algae without dosing co2, you would think this would be a limiting factor.

Depending on if you have fish in this system I would do a little experimenting with dosing, but like I said my experience on this note is with freshwater.

I use K2SO4 for potassium, KNO3 for nitrates, and KH2PO4 for potassium, and CSM+b for traces if that helps, not sure how these would react in saltwater.

[Basile]

Originally Posted by BigAl07

Basil did you read my suggestion on your thread


Macroalgae (and any other photosynthetic animal/plant) can experience "Photo-inhabition" where it's got so MUCH light it actually slows it's growth.

Yes i did thank Allen , i'm removing the mud today, i've change my one tube flurescent for a two tube one.If i get Photo-inhibition i can always remove one , but at least its there if i need to. I'll transfer the lot in a 20 G , so i can put a bigger power head to add more current to help controle the cyano.However i'm a bit scared that all that moving around may start a small cycle , what do you think? Anyway i guess i have no choice, to correct the mud problem.My thinking behind the mud was for root of magrove shoots and the elements for algae growth, i mean my macro algae . I guess the experiment whent the other way, bummer.I guess now that the mud be removed i'll have dose some nutrients. Ok thanks for your help, its being done today, whis me luck.