Chaeto turning clear and brown?

woodzy128 · Jan 3, 2015

My chato in my fuge is turning clear and brown. It's been growing like crazy for the last 6 months harvesting a gallon jug every 2 weeks, then all of a sudden it's doesn't look too good. I'm growing it in a sandwich of egg crate and cutting and flipping it every two weeks. Is it not getting enough nutrients? Or too much? I have a little hair algae in the DT but it's going away. Im checking levels today but all I'm doing different is I just switched to 2 part instead of calk.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 3, 2015

It sounds like it died.

Too much nutrients doesn't do that, but not enough is one thing that can.

Nothing else changed?

Cory · Jan 4, 2015

I agree with randy. However I've noticed a small bit of mine die in the display tank when cyano covered it, turned white there. Also iron dosing may help it grow.

woodzy128 · Jan 4, 2015

No, nothing has changed. I had some red macro algae that was growing like crazy so I cut it way back. All my numbers are right on. I did a water change today and will be watching closely. Do you think I should shut off my Carbon and GFO reactor? Could it be stripping the water? I have always ran it without a problem.

labas39 · Jan 4, 2015

I'm not saying this is your issue but the algae in my ATS turned white and died. I changed my lights from a 42 Watt CFL, 150 Watt equivalent, to a 40 Watt red and blue LED and that ended up to being too much light. I guess it's called photosaturation. I cut my lighting period from 20 hours a day to 9 and the algae is coming back.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 4, 2015

woodzy128 said:
No, nothing has changed. I had some red macro algae that was growing like crazy so I cut it way back. All my numbers are right on. I did a water change today and will be watching closely. Do you think I should shut off my Carbon and GFO reactor? Could it be stripping the water? I have always ran it without a problem.

The GFO might be stripping it too much, but not the GAC.

woodzy128 · Jan 4, 2015

Sorry what is GAC?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 5, 2015

Granular Activated Carbon, which is presumably what you mean by carbon. The black chunks. I was distinguishing it from organic carbon dosing (like vinegar or vodka), which some people also just refer to as carbon.

woodzy128 · Jan 5, 2015

lol I figured it out this morning. Just need some sleep. My question then would be if my GFO is stripping the water then why do I still have some hair algae in the DT?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 5, 2015

Maybe the chaeto needs a higher level of phosphate to thrive than does the hair algae. Chaetomorpha is not as good at thriving at low nutrient levels than are other types of algae, such as Caulerpa racemosa.

But it may be other issues as well, such as flow, lighting, etc.