Chaetos melting. help?

[DracoKat]

While I had great success in growing chaetos in my 28g JBJ rear chamber with a DIY light.. I am having an awful time in my current system's sump!

Can someone help me figure out why I can't grow?

PAR36 (I think it's a 36) light about 6-7 inches high
Trigger Crystals System sump- build as follows:
Chamber 1: Intake with skimmer and heater
Chamber 2: Refugium with DSB, pieces of LR and (melting) Chaetos with the light above
Chamber 3: Return pump with ATO

I almost feel like the light is too much for it.. though I am not sure. I am seeing other people growing chaetos with the same or similar light.
Middle chamber has some flow.

any ideas? I may switch the bulb tomorrow if no one has other ideas.

 

[Tahoe61]

Are there enough nutrients to sustain the algae?
Is there enough flow? It's my experience that chaeto likes flow.

 

[DracoKat]

my tank is stocked and adding more corals soon. I have 9 fish in my 75 gal at this time and I feel like there should be enough nutrients.

if not, what can I do to ensure there's enough nutrients?

Should I add a nano powerhead to the refugium? I have an extra one.

 

[Tahoe61]

my tank is stocked and adding more corals soon. I have 9 fish in my 75 gal at this time and I feel like there should be enough nutrients.

if not, what can I do to ensure there's enough nutrients?

Should I add a nano powerhead to the refugium? I have an extra one.

Test nitrates and phos if you're running a low nutrient system that may be an issue.
If the Chaeto is just sitting in water it will melt or develop cyanbacteria, it needs some mod flow in my experience.
Check your N/P values if too low feed more.
I would just be speculating as to lighting, typically I used power compacts or cheap grow lights and the algae did well with that lighting.

 

[DracoKat]

thank you. I will do some testing tomorrow morning before my water change. I will take note to see if it's the issue with the chaetos

 

[hawkinsrgk]

I use a 5500k Home Depot led light and have good results. Pretty much what Tahoe said. Very low nutrients will kill chaeto

 

[nervousmonkey]

I use a 5500k Home Depot led light and have good results. Pretty much what Tahoe said. Very low nutrients will kill chaeto

Agreed with Hawk. I ran an ULNS and killed chaeto by the baseball size. That was with pellets, now with a new tank I am trying to run as natural as possible, so chaeto is a big part of the plan. Higher nutrients than I want, but chaeto seems to grow by the day; and it is lowering nutrient levels as well.
Like Hawk said, make sure you have nutrients or just don't use chaeto....

 

[DracoKat]

thank you since my tank is a few months old, it just may be too early for chaetos based on your suggestions. I'll switch the bulb, see if what little I have left grows. if not, I'll wait a few more months and try again

 

[nervousmonkey]

There is no correlation between the age of your tank and ability to grow chaeto; my tank is about 6 weeks old and I have fantastic chaeto growth. The correlations that do apply to growth of chaeto are:
1. available nutrients
2. sufficient light
3. Flow through the chaeto, fast, slow, tumbling, all are good just make sure it isn't stagnant.

That's really all. Just make sure you have NO3 and PO4 in your tank.

 

[DracoKat]

thank you

I added a nano powerhead to see if it helps. I am also going to change the bulb, thinking maybe the current is just too strong