Chaeto dying off

[pandaparties]

So my chaeto isn't growing great and seems to be slowly becoming more brittle and loose. I have a Neptune Gro that I'm running at night for 8 hrs. I'm wondering if my baffle setup is causing just flow across the top and starving it? My nitrates are plenty high at 15-20. I tried adding an mp10 but it seemed like a lot of flow and started breaking apart almost immediately. Anyone got ideas?

 

[KC's CNC Creations]

if you haven't added anything to the tank (carbon dosing/bio-balls/Vibrant/etc...) it's likely you're ratios of PO4/NO3.

 

[pandaparties]

My nitrates were 20 ppm when I measured this morning, haven't tested phosphates today but I'll update soon with the number

 

[pandaparties]

Phosphates were fine as well, anybody have any ideas?

 

[Goaway]

How long have you had the chaeto? What light are you using?
Was it shipped or LFS purchase?
Just read Neptune gro for light.

 

[pandaparties]

How long have you had the chaeto? What light are you using?
Was it shipped or LFS purchase?
Just read Neptune gro for light.

Had for a few weeks with next to no growth, and becoming less stiff and more brittle. Got it from algaebarn shipped

 

[Goaway]

Was it over night? Or 2-3 day shipping? Was the package cool or hot?

 

[MA Reefer]

So my chaeto isn't growing great and seems to be slowly becoming more brittle and loose. I have a Neptune Gro that I'm running at night for 8 hrs. I'm wondering if my baffle setup is causing just flow across the top and starving it? My nitrates are plenty high at 15-20. I tried adding an mp10 but it seemed like a lot of flow and started breaking apart almost immediately. Anyone got ideas?

So my chaeto isn't growing great and seems to be slowly becoming more brittle and loose. I have a Neptune Gro that I'm running at night for 8 hrs. I'm wondering if my baffle setup is causing just flow across the top and starving it? My nitrates are plenty high at 15-20. I tried adding an mp10 but it seemed like a lot of flow and started breaking apart almost immediately. Anyone got ideas?

Might want to check that light......i couldnt grow anything in my sump with 25w led....kessil a80 grow....until i bought an el cheapo 100w led fixture off amazon.

Then i was harvesting almost weekly

 

[Pistondog]

Maximize par by raising the chaeto to water surface with live rock or egg crate. Lower the light as close as you can.
If this doesn't work, get a cheap Amazon horticulture grow light. Stupid bright.

 

[pandaparties]

Was it over night? Or 2-3 day shipping? Was the package cool or hot?

2 day shipping, I'd say it was room temperature. One of the clumps was super thin and brittle but the other clump seemed healthy.

 

[Goaway]

2 day shipping, I'd say it was room temperature. One of the clumps was super thin and brittle but the other clump seemed healthy.

Its probably the light. I don't use leds for my chaeto and run my 65w 4.2kelvin bulb for 12 hours. I get tons of growth.

 

[MA Reefer]

Maximize par by raising the chaeto to water surface with live rock or egg crate. Lower the light as close as you can.
If this doesn't work, get a cheap Amazon horticulture grow light. Stupid bright.

Thats the one i was talking about

 

[moz71]

Might also be low iron. I tried several times would grow at first then would break up and die. I then dosed cheato gro by bright well and it took off. I thought it was my light too but wasn’t in my case

 

[KC's CNC Creations]

Phosphates were fine as well, anybody have any ideas?

it's impossible to know your ratio by 'fine' an actual number would be much more helpful in helping you.

 

[Pistondog]

it's impossible to know your ratio by 'fine' an actual number would be much more helpful in helping you.

Anything non zero is fine. Ocean is 0.02 ppm, where these algae live/evolved.

 

[KC's CNC Creations]

Anything non zero is fine. Ocean is 0.02 ppm, where these algae live/evolved.

we'll agree to disagree on that. an out of balance ratio can allow other algae and dinos to out compete chaeto, but to each their own.

 

[pandaparties]

it's impossible to know your ratio by 'fine' an actual number would be much more helpful in helping you.

I just meant its not 0, or astronomically high. I've never heard of the ratio of nitrates to po4 being important but i was around .08 with my nitrates at 20ppm. Thanks for the help so far

Lot's of good advice so far. I appreciate it everyone. I got a different light, and i'm going to try to lift it up off the ground a little bit both to get better flow and stronger light.

 

[reefermadness21]

I would like to keep up with this thread, I have had 2 batches of chaeto die, one from algae barn, one from LFS. Nitrates run 20-40 ppm, phosphate 70 ppb. I had a small brown algae out break during cycling but now nothing. I am going to check my light power. How much power does the chaeto need?