Cheato won't grow.

[Connie]

Why can't I grow Cheato?

I have had it in the sump for 4 months now. It looks very healthy, it just ins't growing. I have a LED refugium light on all night every night. I can grow LPS, SPS, softies and fish, but no microalgae? Something has it stunted. Any ideas?

 

[pumarjr]

do you have any pic's? when i had my DIY LED fixture over my Cheato, I had to remove a handful of cheato every week, it was growing so fast that I decided to go back to compact fluorescent to slow it back down. How many LEDs are you lighting it with?

 

[florida reef]

I think it also has to do with the available nutrients in the tank. I had some chaeto in my fuge that grew very quickly, then I added bio pellets and the chaeto seemed to stop growing altogether.

 

[Connie]

I have no pics, but I started out with a 50/50 light from Lowe's in a clamp-on lamp. It wasn't growing so I bought a 6500K LED bulb. It is a small fuge...only about 20 gallons. Because it started out as a wet/dry fuge with bioballs, I cannot put the light directly over it. I have to put it shining in from the side. The top is where I place filter media.

 

[Connie]

I do run GFO and a poly filter. It could very well be that it isn't getting enough nutrition.

 

[Connie]

How would things do if I take the chaeto out and not have anything in fuge?

 

[Reef Breeders Verified Sponsor]

My chaeto does not grow much since I added a skimmer and gfo, but I left it. It provides a habitat for pods and bristle worms

 

[Connie]

You're right. I will leave it for the pods. It is pretty and green, just doesn't grow.

 

[Reef Pets]

Probably due to the lack of nutrients or your magnesium is high which will stunt the growth of chaeto and most other algae.

 

[ScottCRRT]

Probably due to the lack of nutrients or your magnesium is high which will stunt the growth of chaeto and most other algae.

This is exactly what my problem is currently. My Mag is off the charts. I have always wondered why it was stunted.

 

[mallorieGgator]

Do you have algae in the rest of your tank? If not and you're running GFO, then there is not enough nutrition for it to grow. Also, there is a very wirey version of chaeto and a fuzzier version. The wirey version is pretty slow growing.

 

[REEFKEEPER10]

I have some that is the diameter of fishing line and doesn't grow well but have seen some the diameter of yarn and was a bright green. I would say check your phosphate and nitrates if they are zero then there is your problem. When I had miracle mud in my fuge I had to trim mine twice a week so it could be lack of iron, patassium or any number of elements. I hope this give you some idea.