Chaeto die off

Zacco · Feb 13, 2018

USMA36 said:
I have an ICP test due back in a week, I guess I will see then. I really hope the die off turns around and doesn’t cause more problems.

Well hopefully

Want2BS8ed said:
Yep yep! And iron is not something that shows up on an ICP Test generally. I am not familiar with Brightwells product. Does it include manganese as well?

M

No Manganese. Just Purified Water and Sodium Feredetate. ( A Medical Grade Iron Supplement that is use to treat anemeia) Guaranteed Analysis = Iron (Fe) (min) 0.40% Chelated Iron (118 mg/oz;4,000 ppm)

Want2BS8ed · Feb 13, 2018

Zacco said:
No Manganese. Just Purified Water and Sodium Feredetate. ( A Medical Grade Iron Supplement that is use to treat anemeia) Guaranteed Analysis = Iron (Fe) (min) 0.40% Chelated Iron (118 mg/oz;4,000 ppm)

Thanks Zacco. I use Julian Sprung’s Iron Concentrate Reef Formula which does have manganese... really for no other reason than it was locally available. Always curious about the alternatives out there and appreciate the info.

M

Mark Derail · Feb 16, 2018

Zacco said:
Your Chaeto may be Iron deficient. Photosynthesis is carried out within cell bodies know as chloroplasts. Iron is utilized in the electron transport chain within the chloroplasts and therefore required by photosynthetic organisms for continued functioning and health. In effect, the availability of iron becomes the limiting factor in the rate of photosynthesis, and hence the rate of nutrient uptake and growth. I dose Ferrion Iron Supplement from Brightwell Aquatics. About 2 ml. per 50 gallons once a week to keep my chaeto in good health. Chaeto will deplete your system of Iron in time.

This would make sense, because when I was doing large WCs for months, on a weekly or bi-weekly basis (20% to 50% WC) the Chaeto was always growing in leaps & bounds, and in the DT I practically had no algae, lots of coraline.
(WCs with Instant Ocean - which probably has trace elements of iron & such along with the Mag & Calc)

When I reduced the WCs to be weekly 10% (new tank at 6months mark) the Chaeto went on hold or reduced, and I start getting way more algae in the display.