Chaeto Isn’t growing

[djbetterly]

I have a dedicated refugium chamber in my sump along with a Kessil H80, and enough flow to tumble the chaeto. My nitrates are high enough 10-15ppm (depending on the kit) and my chaeto still doesn’t grow. It seems to maintain itself but that’s about it.

Any ideas?

I have the H80 slightly backed off from complete red so it has a bit of blue in it and it’s at full power. The light runs opposite my display lights.

 

[Ocelaris]

Phosphate level?

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

What is your phosphate level? Do you have any algae growing in the display?

 

[djbetterly]

Phosphates are around .07 at the moment. Getting a bit of algae on the glass every few days but that’s it.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

Do you perform regular water changes? Next thing to check would be iron but this should stay at acceptable levels with regular w/c since you are not reporting any macro growth. You can try testing/dosing iron.

For what it’s worth, I spent over 10yr in the hobby unable to grow chaeto in any of my setups, tried everything. Only been able to grow chaeto on my current tank in the past year.

 

[djbetterly]

I have auto water changes setup, about a gallon a day. Have never tested iron...

 

[Super Fly]

I've had same experience as Lobsterofjustice and never could grow chaeto, and for some reason there are many folks who can't either. What's puzzling is I have no problem growing Caulerpa in my sump, which I feed to foxface and tang who gobble it up.

 

[djbetterly]

That’s good to know, guess I could always try that. I’m going to experiment with the light spectrum of the H80. Do a week at one color, weight the chaeto, week at another, weigh it and so on...

Never know what I’ll discover!

 

[Auto-pilot]

I couldn't grow chaeto at first and had a higher amount of nutrients. I have a cheaper led light and one day it just exploded!!!!! It grows like crazy. I don't know if my chaeto aclimated to my light or I did something else but it really grows now. Does carbon dosing effect alge at all?

 

[ca1ore]

Once you eliminate macro nutrients and light, it’s usually iron limitations. I cannot grow it in my system without supplementing iron (I use Ferrion).

 

[Auto-pilot]

Once you eliminate macro nutrients and light, it’s usually iron limitations. I cannot grow it in my system without supplementing iron (I use Ferrion).

Do you think it takes time for cheato to acclimate to lighting?

 

[ReeferReefer]

I've had same experience as Lobsterofjustice and never could grow chaeto, and for some reason there are many folks who can't either. What's puzzling is I have no problem growing Caulerpa in my sump, which I feed to foxface and tang who gobble it up.

Same problem here. I could never grow chaeto but grape caulerpa grows like crazy in my sump. I haven't had any issues over with it going sexual or anything like that.

 

[Saveafish]

Iron its green it needs iron.

 

[ZoWhat]

I'd stop the tumbling and anchor it with fishing line...to see what happens

 

[Eggpaul]

Chaeto was growing in my sump like crazy for a few months, but now it just gets smaller and smaller. I do have a bubble algae outbreak in the tank. Can that be the reason?

 

[GSnake]

Chaeto was growing in my sump like crazy for a few months, but now it just gets smaller and smaller. I do have a bubble algae outbreak in the tank. Can that be the reason?

ya possible out competition

 

[GSnake]

I have a dedicated refugium chamber in my sump along with a Kessil H80, and enough flow to tumble the chaeto. My nitrates are high enough 10-15ppm (depending on the kit) and my chaeto still doesn’t grow. It seems to maintain itself but that’s about it.

Any ideas?

I have the H80 slightly backed off from complete red so it has a bit of blue in it and it’s at full power. The light runs opposite my display lights.

ive had good luck with growing chaeto when my lights were 24/7 on. maybe more light in general. time or otherwise