Dead Chaeto?

[KJones90s]

My Chaeto of 2 weeks is dying...I have no idea what’s causing it.
Any help out there guys...best way to keep alive and cultivate.
All the other inhabitants of my dt seem to be doing just fine.
Chaeto in the fuge isn’t getting it done.

 

[KJones90s]

Add to that I’ve seeded my tank with Tiggerpods twice and they’re nowhere to be found in my refugium.
One source told me that they’re there and hiding...but dead Chaeto makes me think otherwise.

 

[Goodair]

What lights, stocking and water parameters do you have? That defiantly looks dead.

 

[KJones90s]

What lights, stocking and water parameters do you have? That defiantly looks dead.

Calcium is 440mg/l
Carbonate hardness is 179ppm
Phosphate is between 0 and 0.25ppm

Stocked with 3 black mollies
1 sgt major damsel (I found out after it was purchased it was aggressive, will find a new home when I start seeing signs)
1 mandarin goby
1 green emerald crab
3 small hermit crabs
1 small green star polyp coral
1 small radioactive dragoneye zoan

 

[KJones90s]

Lighting in the fuge is aquatic life Reno blue/white led

 

[sean rand]

Calcium is 440mg/l
Carbonate hardness is 179ppm
Phosphate is between 0 and 0.25ppm

Stocked with 3 black mollies
1 sgt major damsel (I found out after it was purchased it was aggressive, will find a new home when I start seeing signs)
1 mandarin goby
1 green emerald crab
3 small hermit crabs
1 small green star polyp coral
1 small radioactive dragoneye zoan

Looks like u have ammonia

 

[KJones90s]

Looks like u have ammonia

Courtesy of a dead hermit crab I just pulled out of my tank...or at least part of one.
Must’ve picked it up in a frag swap I went to Sunday.
All my hermits are alive and healthy.

 

[sean rand]

Courtesy of a dead hermit crab I just pulled out of my tank...or at least part of one.
Must’ve picked it up in a frag swap I went to Sunday.
All my hermits are alive and healthy.

Can u post a pic of the ammonia test over a white background?

 

[KJones90s]

Courtesy of a dead hermit crab I just pulled out of my tank...or at least part of one.
Must’ve picked it up in a frag swap I went to Sunday.
All my hermits are alive and healthy.

at least I think it’s a hermit... [emoji848]

 

[sean rand]

How big is ur tank? How old is it?

 

[tehmadreefer]

Api test kits are pretty useless. Cheato needs po4 and no3 and the absence of those are typically what leads to it dieing. Try to test those 2 params with better test kit and see what you come up with.

 

[KJones90s]

Can u post a pic of the ammonia test over a white background?

Sorry, dumped it before I saw the message.
Dead Chaeto can also be responsible for the ammonia spike thought too right?
Dead organism in the tank.

 

[sean rand]

Sorry, dumped it before I saw the message.
Dead Chaeto can also be responsible for the ammonia spike thought too right?
Dead organism in the tank.

No. Dead cheato does not add ammonia 2 ur ur water

 

[KJones90s]

How big is ur tank? How old is it?

60 gallon with a 12-15 gallon homemade refugium in a 25-30 homemade sump.
Tank is about a month and a half old. Thought it was cycled properly before fish were added.

 

[Chris oliveria]

Tank is just too clean for cheato. Needs nutrients to grow.

 

[KJones90s]

Upon closer inspection found 2 purplish splotches in the sand bed of my fuge.
Can anyone identify?

 

[KJones90s]

Tank is just too clean for cheato. Needs nutrients to grow.

How will I know it’s the right time to add Chaeto? What am I looking for specifically?

 

[tehmadreefer]

Probably the beginning of cyano due to low nutrients and new tank.

 

[KJones90s]

No. Dead cheato does not add ammonia 2 ur ur water

Any other ideas of where the ammonia spike could be coming from?

 

[tehmadreefer]

How will I know it’s the right time to add Chaeto? What am I looking for specifically?

Po4 and no3. You really should use better test kits like hanna ulr for po4 and salifert for kno3. I wouldn't even worry about cheato until at least the 3 -6 month mark.