Chaeto dying...

[JammyBirch]

Was in South Korea for a week, when I got back today, I noticed my tank is pretty dirty and the chaeto in the sump is withered away to nothing almost. Had a huge nassarius snail in there dead. I'm thinking the snail is the cause of the filth, could it cause the chaeto to die?

[pyithar]

it might be other causes for the death of chaeto imo.

[JammyBirch]

Originally Posted by pyithar

it might be other causes for the death of chaeto imo.

What are ya thinking? It has some CYANO on it but nothing serious. It's really thin and weak, when I left it was huge and thick.

Going to check water parameters tomorrow, I should have done it tonight but couldn't resist playing with my daughter.

I've shut the sump light of and will leave it off this week, although with no light the chaeto is probably going to fully die.

[pyithar]

chaeto is pretty hardy for most people. but some people can't grow chaeto at all. it's probably as a result of running phospahte absrobing media or lighting that cheato doesn't like. i can't grow chaeto either. my cheato didn't wither away, they stayed green but the amount of chaeto never increased. no growth= no nutrient export so i took them out. caulerpa grows better than chaeto but not very fast. i'm also running an algae scrubber. that's probably part the reason why they don't grow fast. i've read that iron dosing help macro algae grow so well.

[Sk8r]

Check your lights: get a 6500 k CFL flood in a shoplight on it 24/7 and it should grow for you.

[Kearnel]

When my chaeto wouldn't grow after repeated attempts I finally added small amounts of an iron supplement. Worked like a charm. I don't use cheato anymore as the benefits for me just weren't in it.

[DamonG]

I found, after running a scrubber and doing hydroponics in the past, that the old hydro line of "more light equals more and faster growth" is equally applicable to macro algae.

I have run horticultural cfl(between 125 and 300 watts in both daylight and red spectrum), the larger cfl from say home depot or Lowe's, led(simple sump led and full blown 110v fixtures), and the all apply and work well. I was, at one point getting 5 gallon buckets every 10 days of new growth, and the tank looked great!

Throw more light at it! You will be amazed at your underwater garden..

I am thinking strongly, because my fuge is small, to do a macro garden lit by a 150 watt sodium fixture. I love mangroves, but don't have the height needed. So thinking shaved brush, cheat, and if I can find a piece our two of sea grass..

But overpower is the key when it comes to plants! They will search and find the nutrient, as long as they have the energy to do so..

[Fishmommy]

Iron worked for me

[JammyBirch]

I have an led light right now it was cheap but got good reviews. I had a cfl but it was too hot...may go back to it just to see what happens.

[Arc Drafter]

My chaeto has been with me for 3 years. After several trimmings it has grown to basketball sized pieces and i trim it back again. About a year ago I added 5 mangroves to it. Recently my chaeto is withering away to a very small amount. Do you think that the Mangroves are stealing too much nutrients from the chaeto?

[Dan_P]

Not sure what you are referring to as fllth. Algae growth?

Chaeto and snail demise likely two separate causes.

[JammyBirch]

Well I lost another ball of cheato, there was another plant in there with it though that was vine like and had flat leaves on it, that stuff seemed to do ok. I'm kinda done with it, the whole idea was to help manage ph by allowing photosynthesis to continue after the lights are out.

Anyway I'm running GFO, constantly and maybe that is why the chaeto is toast. I don't know though, my fuge has low flow, a deep sand bed and is fed from the DT, so nutrients should be there...I don't get it either.

I'm tempted to put a circ pump in there to increase flow. What do you guys think?

[fredro]

What's the lighting schedule on your fuge and type of fuge light?

[JammyBirch]

Originally Posted by fredro

What's the lighting schedule on your fuge and type of fuge light?

24/7 and the light is a 65000k cfl, I think. I bought some a while ago and remember it was a pain to find the right temperature light.

[fredro]

24/7 is no good. It needs a dark period for correct reproduction. Try having it go opposite of your tank lights.

[JammyBirch]

One other thing worth mentioning, I had a leak in my sump on the fuge so it was drained and repaired, i have water on it now to make sure the repair is good but the fuge water is not interacting with the DT...my DT looks way better and the fuge has been out of the picture for only 2 days... I may just say the heck with the fuge.

Can't figure out why this is happening, the fuge is totally clean and always has been, is it just a coincident that the DT is clean?

[DamonG]

I included these in the other thread and just including on this one since i participated. But these are the shots from this weekends growth. I have trimmed the cheato and algea 3 times so far from the addition of my new light. This is, mind you, from the same ball that had begun to die under the old led fixture i was using. No additional elements or nutrients(via bottle or food) added to the system.. My phosphorus level has also dropped - was at . 05 and now is at . 02. All from just increasing the light only...

The display is looking good also, and corraline looks like it's starting to produce again..

[ATTACH]302040uploadfromtaptalk1419939502067.jpg

[Dan_P]

Originally Posted by DamonG

I included these in the other thread and just including on this one since i participated. But these are the shots from this weekends growth. I have trimmed the cheato and algea 3 times so far from the addition of my new light. This is, mind you, from the same ball that had begun to die under the old led fixture i was using. No additional elements or nutrients(via bottle or food) added to the system.. My phosphorus level has also dropped - was at . 05 and now is at . 02. All from just increasing the light only...

The display is looking good also, and corraline looks like it's starting to produce again..

[ATTACH]302040Attachment 302040

I recently lowered my refugium light and the macro algae started producing bubbles (O2) and the started to grow much quicker. I added a second light to improve growth further and now my cyano bacteria in the display tank is retreating.

Lots of light is a good thing for growing macro algae.

[DamonG]

Originally Posted by Dan_P

I recently lowered my refugium light and the macro algae started producing bubbles (O2) and the started to grow much quicker. I added a second light to improve growth further and now my cyano bacteria in the display tank is retreating.

Lots of light is a good thing for growing macro algae.

Cool! Glad to hear it! And it truly is a great thing! As much as you can throw at it without heating things up in my opinion..

[mandarin_goby]

Originally Posted by Arc Drafter

My chaeto has been with me for 3 years. After several trimmings it has grown to basketball sized pieces and i trim it back again. About a year ago I added 5 mangroves to it. Recently my chaeto is withering away to a very small amount. Do you think that the Mangroves are stealing too much nutrients from the chaeto?

Same for me, I have flourishing mangroves but can't grow chaeto for anything...I bet the mangroves outcompete chaeto. Oh well, I like the mangroves better anyways.

[Arc Drafter]

Originally Posted by mandarin_goby

Same for me, I have flourishing mangroves but can't grow chaeto for anything...I bet the mangroves outcompete chaeto. Oh well, I like the mangroves better anyways.

Me too I'm cool with any nutrient export

[DamonG]

Lol, throw more light at them guys! I bet they will grow both..

Just curious how fast your mangroves are growing since i grew them before also.. I love them too, just not enough room in my current system.. 😯😯😯

[mandarin_goby]

I started growing about 10 shoots in the summer (got them for a great deal on ebay) and a few have grown a couple inches, the others are slower growing but have been putting out new leaves. I'll have to lower the basket they're in when they get to touching the underside of the 40b. I'm considering another go with chaeto in a separate basket - I had success with it in my 12 long in an Aquaclear 'fuge but no go with the 40b :/