chato question

izzie · 06/08/2007, 07:49 AM

Why wont my chato grow in my fuge. I have sine macro algae starting to grow in my main display and i also have a diatome problem so its not like i dont have phosphates to help it grow. I want it to starve everything of phosphate but it just wont grow. Im using NO florescents on my fuge. It has stayed the size of a baseball since i got it almost a year ago. Why will it not grow but the macro i dont want to grow is and same with the diatom? Thanks for any opinions.
Izzie

reidcrandall · 06/08/2007, 09:42 AM

You need to pull it apart some every few weeks to encourage growth.

corals b 4 bills · 06/08/2007, 09:46 AM

What do you mean you are using 'No flouresents" on your fuge? go to home depot and buy a 100 watt clamp light and in one week it will double in size.

scarter · 06/08/2007, 11:19 AM

I agree, throw some more light on there and get the week wacker out of the shed. I had a fuge with a 250MH and you couldent keep the stuff cut down fast enough

theop · 06/08/2007, 11:24 AM

I think he means "normal output" fluorescents. I agree that you should try giving it more light with a color temp in the 5000-7000K (yellow-white aka "plant grow") range.

izzie · 06/08/2007, 02:23 PM

im using 2 24" normal out put plant grow lights. I tink that totals 40 watts i cant remember off hand. May also be 40 watts each. But no groth at all. Ill try and pull it apart if that doesnt work ill go out and get a small undercounter T5 lamp from home depot with a low k light.
Izzie

corals b 4 bills · 06/08/2007, 02:26 PM

Ithink melve has diy ideas on his site for fuge lighting.

hermitage · 06/08/2007, 05:31 PM

izzie...you're not alone just a short list of the things I've tried

Used 100 watt bulb with reflector
Used 65 watt PC
Reversed light cycles
24 hr lighting
dosed Iron
Bought new Chaeto
Increased water flow
Tumbled, and not tumbled

1.5 years and still no growth. Despite this, my water parametes are great. I'm starting to think I may have so much "other" algae, that 1, 2 or 3 baseball sized clumps of Chaeto are being out competed by all the nuisance algae I have. Maybe I need to add a whole lot more.

I do 30 gal water changes weekly in my 210. Turning a rock over every once in a while seems to keep the nuisance algae from going gangbusters.

garyw68 · 06/08/2007, 06:48 PM

Check this out http://www.melevsreef.com/fuge_bulb.html

I purchased the 75w 5100k bulb and my cheato took off.

vickreyreef · 07/08/2007, 12:40 PM

we have a very small space under our tank that currently has submerged bio balls and 2 sponges in it that we are slowly removing,,,,I would like to put some chaeto in there instead....would that bulb be too strong for such a small area? 4"x 10" is about the size of the space...if its too much what size should we use?

06/08/2007, 07:49 AM	#1
izzie Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Regina Sk Canada Posts: 209	chato question Why wont my chato grow in my fuge. I have sine macro algae starting to grow in my main display and i also have a diatome problem so its not like i dont have phosphates to help it grow. I want it to starve everything of phosphate but it just wont grow. Im using NO florescents on my fuge. It has stayed the size of a baseball since i got it almost a year ago. Why will it not grow but the macro i dont want to grow is and same with the diatom? Thanks for any opinions. Izzie

06/08/2007, 09:46 AM	#3
corals b 4 bills Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Francisco Bay Area (Belmont). Posts: 2,381	What do you mean you are using 'No flouresents" on your fuge? go to home depot and buy a 100 watt clamp light and in one week it will double in size. __________________ Reefkeeper - (ref-ke-per) n: Individual obsessed with placing disturbing amounts of electricity and seawater in close proximity for the purpose of maintaining live coral reef organisms. Current Tank Info: 29 gallon Bio Cube, HQI 150 watt Nanotuner~Vortech MP10W ES~Arctica Chiller~AC II~Tunze Osmolator ATO~ Tunze 9002 skimmer W/In Tank Cup~ Korallin Reactor W/PH Monitor~ Korallin Denitrator~APC Back-up~Phosban/Carbon Reactor.

06/08/2007, 11:19 AM	#4
scarter Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Baltimore Posts: 605	I agree, throw some more light on there and get the week wacker out of the shed. I had a fuge with a 250MH and you couldent keep the stuff cut down fast enough __________________ My name is Shane and I am a reefaholic, I have a disease and they don't know what to call it. Current Tank Info: what tank?

06/08/2007, 02:26 PM	#7
corals b 4 bills Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Francisco Bay Area (Belmont). Posts: 2,381	Ithink melve has diy ideas on his site for fuge lighting. __________________ Reefkeeper - (ref-ke-per) n: Individual obsessed with placing disturbing amounts of electricity and seawater in close proximity for the purpose of maintaining live coral reef organisms. Current Tank Info: 29 gallon Bio Cube, HQI 150 watt Nanotuner~Vortech MP10W ES~Arctica Chiller~AC II~Tunze Osmolator ATO~ Tunze 9002 skimmer W/In Tank Cup~ Korallin Reactor W/PH Monitor~ Korallin Denitrator~APC Back-up~Phosban/Carbon Reactor.

06/08/2007, 06:48 PM	#9
garyw68 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 648	Check this out http://www.melevsreef.com/fuge_bulb.html I purchased the 75w 5100k bulb and my cheato took off. __________________ My grandmother is over eighty and still doesn’t need glasses. Drinks right out of the bottle. Current Tank Info: 180 gal AGA reef - 55 gal sump/refuge - 235 lbs of LR - 3x250 14k MH w/ 4x96 blue actinic PC's - SRO 5000ext skimmer - 2 Vortech MP40w/es

06/08/2007, 09:42 AM	#2
reidcrandall Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Fishers, IN Posts: 976	You need to pull it apart some every few weeks to encourage growth.

06/08/2007, 11:24 AM	#5
theop Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Durham, NC Posts: 1,493	I think he means "normal output" fluorescents. I agree that you should try giving it more light with a color temp in the 5000-7000K (yellow-white aka "plant grow") range.

06/08/2007, 02:23 PM	#6
izzie Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Regina Sk Canada Posts: 209	im using 2 24" normal out put plant grow lights. I tink that totals 40 watts i cant remember off hand. May also be 40 watts each. But no groth at all. Ill try and pull it apart if that doesnt work ill go out and get a small undercounter T5 lamp from home depot with a low k light. Izzie

06/08/2007, 05:31 PM	#8
hermitage Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: CT Posts: 307	izzie...you're not alone just a short list of the things I've tried Used 100 watt bulb with reflector Used 65 watt PC Reversed light cycles 24 hr lighting dosed Iron Bought new Chaeto Increased water flow Tumbled, and not tumbled 1.5 years and still no growth. Despite this, my water parametes are great. I'm starting to think I may have so much "other" algae, that 1, 2 or 3 baseball sized clumps of Chaeto are being out competed by all the nuisance algae I have. Maybe I need to add a whole lot more. I do 30 gal water changes weekly in my 210. Turning a rock over every once in a while seems to keep the nuisance algae from going gangbusters.

07/08/2007, 12:40 PM	#10
vickreyreef Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Nova Posts: 331	we have a very small space under our tank that currently has submerged bio balls and 2 sponges in it that we are slowly removing,,,,I would like to put some chaeto in there instead....would that bulb be too strong for such a small area? 4"x 10" is about the size of the space...if its too much what size should we use?