CFL or LED for macro algae in refuge

I am setting up an all led 30g nano reef. can i go with cool white and warm white led for growing macro (cheato) 50:50 ratio? or only cool white led? or should i just go for cfl? im also planning on adding some mangroves in future. if anyone is growing cheato or other macro under led with success, please post the pics too of ur setup.

 

save the money, a single 150w equivelant cfl bulb in a $5 clip on reflector will grow all the chateo and mangroves you need. just read the package closely to confirm the spectrum is in the 5200 - 6700k range

 

I agree, the price is impossible to beat!!


But, if you really want to use LEDs get all red in 660nm running 18 hours on and 6 off.

 

they have some led flood lights that i have seen used over sumps. and fuges.

 

I have an aqua top 36 L.E.D clip on that I bought from ebay for $20 on my h.o.b refugium/skimmer for my 29 gallon and it is doing a great job growing chaeto. I run it reverse 6PM-6AM. It looks really cool as well! Although, I think the CFL would work better for caulerpa or mangrov's. The pics are a little older and the chaeto has really taken off since then.

 

well i am planning on GU10 bulbs. well you get blue, cool white and warm white bulbs. they are just 4$ each. i know people growing sps under these. and cfl bulbs are for 7-8$ im anyways ordering many bulbs so was just asking that are they good at growing cheato? if yes, then should i mix warm and cool white? my main reason for LED refuge is that i never remember when 6 months are over and i forget to change my bulbs. and led las for like 2-3yrs.

 

I use both on my LED and CFL on my refugium. The LEDs work fine, but cost a ton more. Only problem is that my mangroves are burning under the LEDs as they grow. Don't have room to raise the light yet.

 

so i guess CFL would be a safer bet, or if u got a good distance between the surface and the light like around 12", led is good?

 

I dont have any experiance with the LED's yet but just an FYI on the CFL lifespan, they are typically rated for 50,000+ hours or 6 years whichever comes first

 

well i know but the spectrum decreases gradually in CFL and iv read that you need to chenge them every 6 months.