Chaeto not growing!

[JurisHP]

I recently set-up a refugium to deal with nutrients especially Nitrate and Phosphate. I bought a bunch of Chaeto, and am using a Kessil H160 Tuna Flora...I am running it about 16 hours/day on the red setting at max intensity. My tank is 13 years old.

Any suggestions as to how I can get it to grow instead of turning white and dying?

 

[muzikalmatt]

Look into ChaetoGro from Brightwell Aquatics. On a tank that old you may have depleted some of the trace elements chaeto needs to grow properly like iron and manganese.

 

[Dabcrusher]

I recently set-up a refugium to deal with nutrients especially Nitrate and Phosphate. I bought a bunch of Chaeto, and am using a Kessil H160 Tuna Flora...I am running it about 16 hours/day on the red setting at max intensity. My tank is 13 years old.

Any suggestions as to how I can get it to grow instead of turning white and dying?

How far away do you have that light off the water

 

[JurisHP]

About 3”

 

[vetteguy53081]

They need good red light, subtle water movement and some iron in their environment.

 

[NS Mike D]

I have cheato growing very well for many years with cheap Chinese LED saltwater lights (like $30) on my HOB and an even cheaper plant LED on my below tank sump. I know the BRS tests with lighting but IME, any lights that will grow plants will effectively grow cheato.

Regular water changes should provide all the needed elements.

Best I can suspect: the full red setting may not be providing the needed Chor B (429nm - blue) spectrum. I have no experience with your lights so I don't know what full red means in terms of spectrum. I have, however, read it needs both the blue and red. Also, high intensity can kill cheato, but usually just the outer plant and the inner plant should be protected. New cheato balls may not be sufficiently dense to protect the center of the ball if the light is too strong. Keep in mind, I am just spit balling here.

 

[JurisHP]

Thanks to all.

 

[AlgaeBarn]

I recently set-up a refugium to deal with nutrients especially Nitrate and Phosphate. I bought a bunch of Chaeto, and am using a Kessil H160 Tuna Flora...I am running it about 16 hours/day on the red setting at max intensity. My tank is 13 years old.

Any suggestions as to how I can get it to grow instead of turning white and dying?

How high are your nitrates and phosphates?

 

[Dabcrusher]

About 3”

MaN your blasting that cheato that's a powerful light I would say at 3 inches maybe 25%I use an ai prime and it's nowhere as powerful and about 6 inches away and it's running maybe 45%

 

[MaxTremors]

MaN your blasting that cheato that's a powerful light I would say at 3 inches maybe 25%I use an ai prime and it's nowhere as powerful and about 6 inches away and it's running maybe 45%

Actually, the Kessil H160 has 40watts of power, an AI Prime has 55 (the fuge version has 46), I don’t know which has better lenses and diodes, but wattage-wise, and just based off anecdotal experience, the AI Prime is at least as powerful as the A/H160 if not moreso. But I agree, running it at 100% 3” off the water is likely too intense. I was using an AI Prime on my fuge and it worked great (had it at around 30% for each channel), but I’ve since switched it to the cheap ACKE plant light from Amazon and it’s grown chaeto even better than the Prime.

Edit: I also swear by Chaeto-Gro. I’ve always been able to grow chaeto without it (assuming it’s an established tank with detectable nutrients), but the growth is better, it feels more dense and wiry, and it’s a much darker, more healthy looking green when I dose it (I dose a little more than half the recommended amount).