Lighting for refugium?

[zip_case]

In a couple of weeks I'll be settled in my new place and plan on adding a 10 gal. refugium to my current setup (29 gal). My question is there a specific requirement for lighting in a refugium?

-z

 

[IcantTHINKofONE]

I use two 48" NO flourescents (Lights of America fixture from Home Depot $8). It seems to work OK. Macros are growing so I'm sticking to it.

 

[ChrisRD]

Some people here (myself included) are using the Lights of America fixtures as a cheap alternative for refugium lighting. They don't appear to be very good quality, but they are cheap ($25-$30) and seem to work (so far). The 65 watt version seems to be popular for fuge lighting and can be found at WalMart or Home Depot.

Something to think about if you go this route. The fixture you will find in Home Depot is a floodlight made for outdoor use. You will have to wire a plug to it - one is not included. It has a photosensor built-in to switch the light on and off in an outdoor application. Although the fixture comes with an opaque plug to disable the sensor, I still had problems with the light turning off during the day. This happened to me with two of these fixtures and then I gave up on them. I haven't heard of anyone else on the board having this problem, so it must have been something I was doing.

The product you'll find in WalMart is a worklight - no photosensor. The plug is already wired on this one. Same light basically, except the reflector on it is white, whereas the Home Depot floodlight version comes with a polished aluminum reflector (better IMO).

So far the WalMart/worklight version is working for me, but the jury is out on how long it will continue to work. My friend got the same light (WalMart version) and it's already on the fritz after a few weeks. HTH.

 

[reefsRcool]

i'll agree with the recomendation for a lights of america fixture. i use the home depot variety (model #6299) and have no idea what the previose poster was refering to about photo sensors. mine has no such thing. so far the only snag i have come across is that replacement bulbs seem to be non existent at least in my home depot. anyone ever seen them? also be super sure to take off the cover or it will cook from all the heat. definatly the best $34.99 you can spend though.

 

[reefland]

Here is a link to the wallmart version I use:

http://www.rl180reef.com/pages/lighting/sumplight.htm

The replacement bulbs are very hard to locate. Here's some info that might help:

"LOA Florex 65 Watt Replacement Bulb"
Home Depot Part No. C 347-728
Model#: 9166B
BarCode: 7 55277 91661 4

My local Home Deport (just went today) , checked the computer and showed 8 bulbs in stock. After 35 minutes of looking they were unable to find them. They feel the "8" was incorrect and to check back next week after it has been reordered. My gut says they won't be in next week.

 

[ChrisRD]

i use the home depot variety (model #6299) and have no idea what the previose poster was refering to about photo sensors. mine has no such thing.

Maybe other Home Depots stock another kind of LOA 65 Watt floodlight. Both of the ones I tried definitely had photosensors in them - it was actually advertised on the box. This was the only 65 Watt version my Home Depot had.

so far the only snag i have come across is that replacement bulbs seem to be non existent at least in my home depot. anyone ever seen them?

.

The Home Depot in Kingston, NY had about 10 of them in stock last time I checked (which was a week or two ago to get Rich the part# you see above).

also be super sure to take off the cover or it will cook from all the heat.

I agree. I've run all of the ones I've tried without the cover for this reason. They actually seem to run fairly warm even with no cover.

 

[SPC]

Posted by reefsRcool:

also be super sure to take off the cover or it will cook from all the heat.

-Anybody ever wonder why it dosen't cook under the over hang of your house? I don't know about where you live, but it gets alot hotter outside here than it does inside my house. We also have alot of hot nights with not a breath of wind.
Steve

 

[ChrisRD]

-Anybody ever wonder why it dosen't cook under the over hang of your house? I don't know about where you live, but it gets alot hotter outside here than it does inside my house. We also have alot of hot nights with not a breath of wind.
Steve

I thought about this as well the first time I saw one of these things. I can't figure out how these fixtures (especially the bulbs) would last operating the way they come assembled. It doesn't seem like there's ANY ventilation at all for the bulb. I just took the cover off thinking that it would run cooler and thus help with bulb life, but this is pure speculation on my part.

 

[zip_case]

I'm looking into the Lights of America option but isn't 65w a tad bit excessive for just a 10 gal refugium? Would the 27w or 42w better okay?

-z

 

[reefland]

I'd say no, get the 65w unit. I tried a 27w over a 10 gallon tank before, just about nothing grew very well. 42w might be fine, never tried one.

 

[beerbaron]

i agree, go with 65 watt, cant hurt.

reefland, if you need bulbs badly, the home depot by me has a ton of em, all of the wattages. if you are interested, pm me or post in the for trade forum under southdown/loa.
BB

 

[reefland]

reefland, if you need bulbs badly, the home depot by me has a ton of em, all of the wattages. if you are interested, pm me or post in the for trade forum under southdown/loa.
BB

Thanks for the offer. I'll see what my local store can do, get them to a instore transfer or something.