Skimmer off line for a week, Cheato is disintegrating.

Mr. Brooks · 04/23/2009, 09:41 PM

What gives?

Anyone else have his happen?

bubbly · 04/23/2009, 10:02 PM

that's really odd -- I have never heard of that happening -- in my experience, chaeto is really hardy stuff.

What are your parameters?

Sisterlimonpot · 04/23/2009, 10:17 PM

the chaeto should thrive in a skimmerless environment. was the output of the skimmer feeding the fuge where the chaeto is? If that's the case maybe your starving it.. but that's my best guess

Mr. Brooks · 04/23/2009, 10:31 PM

The fuge is in the sump. Last chamber before the return pump. Cheato's getting the same amount of flow. Just unskimmed. I've been freeding slightly less in the last week. But not by much. I'll have to check my params in the am. Should be fine though. Fish and SPS corals look great.

Sisterlimonpot · 04/23/2009, 10:55 PM

maybe if you have 0 phosphates and 0 nitrates its starving them then.

Tswifty · 04/24/2009, 04:01 AM

That doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Have you recently started running GFO or anything like that?

THE ROOK · 04/24/2009, 05:44 AM

I had similar problems with the cheato just falling apart & found that it was my bulb choice. Switched from 5000k spiral to a 6500k CF that's housed in a flood lamp. The cheato is much tougher now.

Hop · 04/24/2009, 05:55 AM

I think you have an issue outside the fact the skimmer is off line

Mr. Brooks · 04/24/2009, 11:34 AM

I haven't started GFO and I'm already running 6500k flood lights. Nice to see I'm not the only one who's completely stumped. I went in to trim it down last night thinking it would've been growing like crazy without the skimmer. Instead I find mush. Wierd.

Superstretch18 · 04/24/2009, 11:41 AM

If you have a lot of macro in a sump, it can deplete the CO2 in the system fairly rapidly. The skimmer is usually thought as a means of getting O2 into a system, but in your case, it may have been keeping total gas concentrations (including CO2) at normal levels. My guess is that the Chaeto is suffocating...

fufu · 04/24/2009, 12:07 PM

I get the opposite of what you have. My Chaeto disentegrate without a skimmer and grew back with a skimmer ???

Mr. Brooks · 04/24/2009, 12:08 PM

Interesting.. hopefully it survives long enough for my replacement collection cup to arrive. My Deltec AP 851 collection cup cracked causing a leak.

Superstretch18 · 04/24/2009, 12:11 PM

If you have an extra air pump lying around, throw an air stone in the fuge and see if that helps...

jp634 · 04/24/2009, 01:19 PM

I had the same thing going on my tank for the last 6 to 8 months. I tried everything possible. new light fixture, new bulb, different flow through refugium. then a light came on in the old head. PUT IN MORE NEW MIRCALE MUDD. MAN what a change. the mud was the issue not enough nurtients to keep the cheatos growing. the nurtients from the mud has made my cheatos double in 2 weeks.

Mr. Brooks · 04/24/2009, 01:46 PM

Isn't the point of keeping Cheato to remove nutrients? If it's not growing because there aren't any nutrients that means I'm doing something right. Right?

Sisterlimonpot · 04/24/2009, 03:17 PM

have you tested Nitrates and Phosphates lately? If so what are they?

04/23/2009, 09:41 PM	#1
Mr. Brooks MASVC Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Simi Valley, CA Posts: 3,477	Skimmer off line for a week, Cheato is disintegrating. What gives? Anyone else have his happen?

04/23/2009, 10:17 PM	#3
Sisterlimonpot R.C. Fraternity President Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Litchfeild Park AZ Posts: 11,490 Blog Entries: 2	the chaeto should thrive in a skimmerless environment. was the output of the skimmer feeding the fuge where the chaeto is? If that's the case maybe your starving it.. but that's my best guess __________________ Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress

04/23/2009, 10:55 PM	#5
Sisterlimonpot R.C. Fraternity President Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Litchfeild Park AZ Posts: 11,490 Blog Entries: 2	maybe if you have 0 phosphates and 0 nitrates its starving them then. __________________ Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress

04/24/2009, 04:01 AM	#6
Tswifty Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: PA Posts: 14,022	That doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Have you recently started running GFO or anything like that? __________________ "Enough light? Heck I could go barebottom and grow SPS in the stand!" - DiscoReefRover

04/24/2009, 05:55 AM	#8
Hop Carpe Noctem!!! Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Western Colorado Posts: 8,548	I think you have an issue outside the fact the skimmer is off line __________________ Hop Current Tank Info: 300-gallon in-wall system (mixed reef)

04/23/2009, 10:02 PM	#2
bubbly Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 331	that's really odd -- I have never heard of that happening -- in my experience, chaeto is really hardy stuff. What are your parameters?

04/23/2009, 10:31 PM	#4
Mr. Brooks MASVC Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Simi Valley, CA Posts: 3,477	The fuge is in the sump. Last chamber before the return pump. Cheato's getting the same amount of flow. Just unskimmed. I've been freeding slightly less in the last week. But not by much. I'll have to check my params in the am. Should be fine though. Fish and SPS corals look great.

04/24/2009, 05:44 AM	#7
THE ROOK Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Springfield, MA Posts: 2,100	I had similar problems with the cheato just falling apart & found that it was my bulb choice. Switched from 5000k spiral to a 6500k CF that's housed in a flood lamp. The cheato is much tougher now.

04/24/2009, 11:34 AM	#9
Mr. Brooks MASVC Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Simi Valley, CA Posts: 3,477	I haven't started GFO and I'm already running 6500k flood lights. Nice to see I'm not the only one who's completely stumped. I went in to trim it down last night thinking it would've been growing like crazy without the skimmer. Instead I find mush. Wierd.

04/24/2009, 11:41 AM	#10
Superstretch18 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Gainesville, FL Posts: 571	If you have a lot of macro in a sump, it can deplete the CO2 in the system fairly rapidly. The skimmer is usually thought as a means of getting O2 into a system, but in your case, it may have been keeping total gas concentrations (including CO2) at normal levels. My guess is that the Chaeto is suffocating... __________________ -Shaun- ...like making a pen that works in space. Yes, you spent $1 billion NASA and got it to work, good job. But totally impractical when the Russians spent a few cents and simply used pencils... Current Tank Info: TBD

04/24/2009, 12:07 PM	#11
fufu Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston Posts: 432	I get the opposite of what you have. My Chaeto disentegrate without a skimmer and grew back with a skimmer ???

04/24/2009, 12:08 PM	#12
Mr. Brooks MASVC Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Simi Valley, CA Posts: 3,477	Interesting.. hopefully it survives long enough for my replacement collection cup to arrive. My Deltec AP 851 collection cup cracked causing a leak.

04/24/2009, 12:11 PM	#13
Superstretch18 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Gainesville, FL Posts: 571	If you have an extra air pump lying around, throw an air stone in the fuge and see if that helps... __________________ -Shaun- ...like making a pen that works in space. Yes, you spent $1 billion NASA and got it to work, good job. But totally impractical when the Russians spent a few cents and simply used pencils... Current Tank Info: TBD

04/24/2009, 01:19 PM	#14
jp634 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: wyoming Posts: 234	cheatos disintegrating I had the same thing going on my tank for the last 6 to 8 months. I tried everything possible. new light fixture, new bulb, different flow through refugium. then a light came on in the old head. PUT IN MORE NEW MIRCALE MUDD. MAN what a change. the mud was the issue not enough nurtients to keep the cheatos growing. the nurtients from the mud has made my cheatos double in 2 weeks.

04/24/2009, 01:46 PM	#15
Mr. Brooks MASVC Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Simi Valley, CA Posts: 3,477	Isn't the point of keeping Cheato to remove nutrients? If it's not growing because there aren't any nutrients that means I'm doing something right. Right?

04/24/2009, 03:17 PM	#16
Sisterlimonpot R.C. Fraternity President Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Litchfeild Park AZ Posts: 11,490 Blog Entries: 2	have you tested Nitrates and Phosphates lately? If so what are they? __________________ Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress