Chaeto problems, need some advice...

GunnerO · 03/08/2010, 08:49 PM

I'VE HAD A GOOD AMOUNT OF CHAETO IN MY FUGE, ITS HALF THE SIZE IT WAS LAST WEEK. SEEMS ITS BREAKING APART IN 1/4" TO 3/4" PIECES AND CLOGGING MY FILTER. I CHANGED MY LIGHT THIS MORNING, WENT WITH A 50 WATT SPOT GROW LAMP( FOR INDOOR PLANTS). aNY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE APPRECIATED. mY WATER PARAMETERS ARE:

PH =8.4 , AMMONIA= 0.25, NITRITE= 0, NITRATE= 5 PPM, CA= 400 PPM,

PHOSPHATE= 0.1, IODINE= 0.06, SALINITY= 1.024

spamreefnew · 03/08/2010, 09:16 PM

try a cfl screw in flood light about in the 27000k range,,that cheap bulb has worked great for me for years,,it grows to fast!

Aquarist007 · 03/08/2010, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GunnerO

I'VE HAD A GOOD AMOUNT OF CHAETO IN MY FUGE, ITS HALF THE SIZE IT WAS LAST WEEK. SEEMS ITS BREAKING APART IN 1/4" TO 3/4" PIECES AND CLOGGING MY FILTER. I CHANGED MY LIGHT THIS MORNING, WENT WITH A 50 WATT SPOT GROW LAMP( FOR INDOOR PLANTS). aNY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE APPRECIATED. mY WATER PARAMETERS ARE:

PH =8.4 , AMMONIA= 0.25, NITRITE= 0, NITRATE= 5 PPM, CA= 400 PPM,

PHOSPHATE= 0.1, IODINE= 0.06, SALINITY= 1.024

Is this a newly cycling tank? You should not have an ammonia reading or there is no sense running the fuge just yet.
How much flow do you have going through the refugium?

Percula9 · 03/08/2010, 11:08 PM

Phosphate is high and ammonia is present. The ammonia is probably killing the chaeto.

TorisFishes · 03/08/2010, 11:18 PM

I would run carbon and get a good skim goin, I know ammonia is bad, should be 0, nothing ive seen can really live in ammonia

hartnell · 03/08/2010, 11:55 PM

juswt thought I'd ask , I've had about a softball size piece in my sump about a year doesn't seem to grow much , a little bigger a little smaller .
most people I see on here constantly having to cut theres back
whats up with mine?

mjtncsu · 03/09/2010, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hartnell

juswt thought I'd ask , I've had about a softball size piece in my sump about a year doesn't seem to grow much , a little bigger a little smaller .
most people I see on here constantly having to cut theres back
whats up with mine?

It depends on your bioload. If you don't have a significant amount of nutrients to export (ie. if you have a low bioload), then the cheato won't grow as fast. Tanks with lots of nutrients from a higher bioload will have respectively faster growth.

radicaltimes · 03/09/2010, 04:32 PM

If you don't have a light in the sump get a CFL 6,500k. This would give the most growth. I went with a 23 watt and it has the output of a 100 watt lightbulb.

fatdaddy · 03/09/2010, 05:48 PM

Assuming that all else is good, then add iron. I stopped washing my GFO when I refill my phosphate reactors (just being lazy) and the Chaeto always goes crazy for the next week.

Aquarist007 · 03/09/2010, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hartnell

juswt thought I'd ask , I've had about a softball size piece in my sump about a year doesn't seem to grow much , a little bigger a little smaller .
most people I see on here constantly having to cut theres back
whats up with mine?

Here are some things you can do to encourage growth

harvest the chaeto once a week
when you harvest it rip it apart and spread the remainder over the surface---an injured plant will grow quicker to repair the damage
dose with iron
crank up the flow and allow more nutrients to pass through the refugium
don't run the lights 24/7--16 hours is ideal

hartnell · 03/09/2010, 09:15 PM

is the light from dt enough to grow it ?My tank is built into wall, the sump sits behind it not under it in room behind wal.l

Aquarist007 · 03/09/2010, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hartnell

is the light from dt enough to grow it ?My tank is built into wall, the sump sits behind it not under it in room behind wal.l

I would not think that the light over the dt would be able to reach it

hartnell · 03/09/2010, 10:48 PM

the sump actually sits behind tank my 400's are about a foot over tank there is a clump of chaeto in it it just doesn't seem to do anything ,just stays the same size

Aquarist007 · 03/09/2010, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hartnell

the sump actually sits behind tank my 400's are about a foot over tank there is a clump of chaeto in it it just doesn't seem to do anything ,just stays the same size

is it dark green in colour still?

hartnell · 03/09/2010, 10:58 PM

a real dark green

Aquarist007 · 03/10/2010, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hartnell

a real dark green

then it is picking up light from the halides. I would try the other things I suggested above and see what happens.

03/08/2010, 08:49 PM	#1
GunnerO Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: McAlester, OK Posts: 110	Chaeto problems, need some advice... I'VE HAD A GOOD AMOUNT OF CHAETO IN MY FUGE, ITS HALF THE SIZE IT WAS LAST WEEK. SEEMS ITS BREAKING APART IN 1/4" TO 3/4" PIECES AND CLOGGING MY FILTER. I CHANGED MY LIGHT THIS MORNING, WENT WITH A 50 WATT SPOT GROW LAMP( FOR INDOOR PLANTS). aNY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE APPRECIATED. mY WATER PARAMETERS ARE: PH =8.4 , AMMONIA= 0.25, NITRITE= 0, NITRATE= 5 PPM, CA= 400 PPM, PHOSPHATE= 0.1, IODINE= 0.06, SALINITY= 1.024

03/09/2010, 05:48 PM	#9
fatdaddy Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Northeast Florida Posts: 1,191	Assuming that all else is good, then add iron. I stopped washing my GFO when I refill my phosphate reactors (just being lazy) and the Chaeto always goes crazy for the next week. __________________ "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -- Aristotle

03/08/2010, 09:16 PM	#2
spamreefnew Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: rhodeisland Posts: 1,491	try a cfl screw in flood light about in the 27000k range,,that cheap bulb has worked great for me for years,,it grows to fast!

03/08/2010, 11:08 PM	#4
Percula9 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Orange County CA Posts: 3,819	Phosphate is high and ammonia is present. The ammonia is probably killing the chaeto.

03/08/2010, 11:18 PM	#5
TorisFishes Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Woodward Posts: 63	I would run carbon and get a good skim goin, I know ammonia is bad, should be 0, nothing ive seen can really live in ammonia

03/08/2010, 11:55 PM	#6
hartnell Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: arkdale, WI Posts: 58	juswt thought I'd ask , I've had about a softball size piece in my sump about a year doesn't seem to grow much , a little bigger a little smaller . most people I see on here constantly having to cut theres back whats up with mine?

03/09/2010, 04:32 PM	#8
radicaltimes Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Columbus, Oh Posts: 274	If you don't have a light in the sump get a CFL 6,500k. This would give the most growth. I went with a 23 watt and it has the output of a 100 watt lightbulb.

03/09/2010, 09:15 PM	#11
hartnell Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: arkdale, WI Posts: 58	is the light from dt enough to grow it ?My tank is built into wall, the sump sits behind it not under it in room behind wal.l

03/09/2010, 10:48 PM	#13
hartnell Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: arkdale, WI Posts: 58	the sump actually sits behind tank my 400's are about a foot over tank there is a clump of chaeto in it it just doesn't seem to do anything ,just stays the same size

03/09/2010, 10:58 PM	#15
hartnell Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: arkdale, WI Posts: 58	a real dark green