perfect water parameters but my refugium never stays alive. it always decays!? what..

brad7373 · 03/18/2009, 11:53 AM

why is it decaying ? i have t5 lighting on it and im going to add a shop light too but what is the reason for this? i dose everything, do my water changes, test the water but everytime i restart my fuge it decays.

kraze3 · 03/18/2009, 11:59 AM

what do you mean by decaying? what is decaying?

brad7373 · 03/18/2009, 12:01 PM

as in ill throw in lets say a football size amount of caulerpa and cheato and within a week i have a baseball size amount. whats going on?

cnaegler · 03/18/2009, 12:08 PM

No nutrients for it to pick up maybe? Unusual, but i guess it's possible

brad7373 · 03/18/2009, 12:54 PM

i use tropic marin pro reef and dose magnesium iodine calcium and trace elements daily

cnaegler · 03/18/2009, 01:04 PM

If you do regular water changes, then you shouldn't have to dose any magnesium, iodine, or trace elements, especially using a good quality salt. Are you testing for those supplements?

turretdr · 03/18/2009, 01:34 PM

Very possible that the water is "clean" enough that the macro-algae has no food source. AFAIK, cheato and caulerpa do not use magnesium, iodine, or calcium (BTW, don't dose anything if you don't test for it). Macros normally feed on nitrates. I know some people that have to trim there's every 2 weeks. I think it has been 3 months for me.
You could overfeed the tank, but this may lead to other issues.

medic 125 · 03/18/2009, 09:02 PM

What kind of flow do you have going to the chaeto. They generally like high flow areas. What is your basic water change regimen?

qfrisco · 03/19/2009, 06:41 AM

What's your nitrate level? You say your parameters are perfect, so is your nitrate level zero? If so, there's the reason you aren't able to sustain macroalgae. As has already been mentioned, they feed off nitrates and phosphates. If you have none, then they won't survive.

As for lighting, your T5 lights should be more than enough. You shouldn't need to add a shop light to it.

slider162 · 03/19/2009, 06:49 AM

I had the same problem. My issue was lighting. I picked up the P38 5100k light that Melevs Reef recomended and it killed everything that I threw under it. I went to the local hardware store and picked up a cheap floodlight and I have to trim it back once a month.

Uncle Salty 05 · 03/19/2009, 08:08 AM

What kind of substrate do you have in the refugium?
I would recommend Kent Bio-sediment and a fine aragonite in a 50/50 mixture.
This will give you plenty of nutrients and a nice white reflective look.

brad7373 · 03/19/2009, 04:56 PM

im using regular argonite sand and t5 lighting as stated i just cant figure it out. should i remove my phosban with de-nitrate?

cdbias2 · 03/19/2009, 05:49 PM

Cheato, and all plants, like a yellow 6k bulb better than a blue 20k bulb.

SilverOne · 03/21/2009, 12:30 AM

Try to pull apart the chaeto like once a week. Keep stretching it out so flow gets through it. I could never keep it alive until I did this regularly.

Might help.

03/18/2009, 11:53 AM	#1
brad7373 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: new york, new york Posts: 374	perfect water parameters but my refugium never stays alive. it always decays!? what.. why is it decaying ? i have t5 lighting on it and im going to add a shop light too but what is the reason for this? i dose everything, do my water changes, test the water but everytime i restart my fuge it decays.

03/18/2009, 12:08 PM	#4
cnaegler Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Sylva, NC-Western North Carolina Posts: 960	No nutrients for it to pick up maybe? Unusual, but i guess it's possible __________________ Craig _________________________ ATL "Superman" acro, Vivid's Rainbow Delight acro wanted You can want in one hand and crap in the other and see which one fills up first!! Save the reefs! Buy captive bred fish and aquacultured corals! Current Tank Info: Downsizing to a 120 BB SPS tank, 6205 &6305 Tunze on 7095 controller, Current USA extreme 8 x 54 fixture

03/18/2009, 01:04 PM	#6
cnaegler Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Sylva, NC-Western North Carolina Posts: 960	If you do regular water changes, then you shouldn't have to dose any magnesium, iodine, or trace elements, especially using a good quality salt. Are you testing for those supplements? __________________ Craig _________________________ ATL "Superman" acro, Vivid's Rainbow Delight acro wanted You can want in one hand and crap in the other and see which one fills up first!! Save the reefs! Buy captive bred fish and aquacultured corals! Current Tank Info: Downsizing to a 120 BB SPS tank, 6205 &6305 Tunze on 7095 controller, Current USA extreme 8 x 54 fixture

03/18/2009, 01:34 PM	#7
turretdr I want to play a game Join Date: May 2006 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 296	Very possible that the water is "clean" enough that the macro-algae has no food source. AFAIK, cheato and caulerpa do not use magnesium, iodine, or calcium (BTW, don't dose anything if you don't test for it). Macros normally feed on nitrates. I know some people that have to trim there's every 2 weeks. I think it has been 3 months for me. You could overfeed the tank, but this may lead to other issues. __________________ NO REGRETS.Every decision we make is based on current knowledge. NO REGRETS.

03/19/2009, 08:08 AM	#11
Uncle Salty 05 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: South Florida Posts: 3,799	What kind of substrate do you have in the refugium? I would recommend Kent Bio-sediment and a fine aragonite in a 50/50 mixture. This will give you plenty of nutrients and a nice white reflective look. __________________ In all that I endure, of one thing I am sure. Knowledge and reason, change like the season. A jester's promenade. - Kerry Livgren Current Tank Info: 180 gal reef tank with dual attached refugiums 20 long and 10 gallon. Plus 55 gallon True Percula breeding tank.

03/18/2009, 11:59 AM	#2
kraze3 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: RI Posts: 2,373	what do you mean by decaying? what is decaying?

03/18/2009, 12:01 PM	#3
brad7373 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: new york, new york Posts: 374	as in ill throw in lets say a football size amount of caulerpa and cheato and within a week i have a baseball size amount. whats going on?

03/18/2009, 12:54 PM	#5
brad7373 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: new york, new york Posts: 374	i use tropic marin pro reef and dose magnesium iodine calcium and trace elements daily

03/18/2009, 09:02 PM	#8
medic 125 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Saint Cloud Posts: 66	What kind of flow do you have going to the chaeto. They generally like high flow areas. What is your basic water change regimen?

03/19/2009, 06:41 AM	#9
qfrisco Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Dallas, TX Area Posts: 1,389	What's your nitrate level? You say your parameters are perfect, so is your nitrate level zero? If so, there's the reason you aren't able to sustain macroalgae. As has already been mentioned, they feed off nitrates and phosphates. If you have none, then they won't survive. As for lighting, your T5 lights should be more than enough. You shouldn't need to add a shop light to it.

03/19/2009, 06:49 AM	#10
slider162 Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Orange City, FL Posts: 346	I had the same problem. My issue was lighting. I picked up the P38 5100k light that Melevs Reef recomended and it killed everything that I threw under it. I went to the local hardware store and picked up a cheap floodlight and I have to trim it back once a month.

03/19/2009, 04:56 PM	#12
brad7373 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: new york, new york Posts: 374	im using regular argonite sand and t5 lighting as stated i just cant figure it out. should i remove my phosban with de-nitrate?

03/19/2009, 05:49 PM	#13
cdbias2 Appalachian Reef Society Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Alum Creek, WV (No more) Posts: 1,433	Cheato, and all plants, like a yellow 6k bulb better than a blue 20k bulb.

03/21/2009, 12:30 AM	#14
SilverOne Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Harwood Heights, IL Posts: 54	Try to pull apart the chaeto like once a week. Keep stretching it out so flow gets through it. I could never keep it alive until I did this regularly. Might help.