Issues with chaeto dyeing off

[Terran]

I am having issues with my chaeto dyeing off. I first tried it before the one year (close though) and it just fell apart. It is now at the 1.5 year mark and it is doing the same thing. I have a Tunze 8821 10000k full spectrum light. I had it sitting about an inch above the water and was told that the chaeto was getting too much light. So this time I had it sitting about 8 inches above the water and the chaeto is bleaching out, same as before, and now what I'm seeing is that it is not getting enough light. The flow over it is good. N-P are sitting around 30 & .28. Just ordered some chaeto grow hoping that will work but I could really use some advice to get this stuff growing.

 

[CoralB]

Are you adding anything to your tank that might be inadvertently killing it . Maybe any treatment like chemiclean , vibrant etc. ??

 

[Terran]

Are you adding anything to your tank that might be inadvertently killing it . Maybe any treatment like chemiclean , vibrant etc. ??

I have not added anything to the tank for months

 

[CoralB]

Ok a couple more questions !
I’m not familiar with that light but is the chaeto turning in the water automatically or manually or just sitting there to where only one side gets direct lighting . Not sure if the white light is the best for growing chaeto . I keep my light 6 inches over the water level Andi use reds and green lights . my chaeto turns freely in the flow until it grows to where I need to crop it . When it doesn’t turn by itself I manually turn the algae until I can get a chance to crop it again so that it gets lighting to all sides . Do you have a pic of your refugium?

 

[FIN&BONEZ]

Hit pause and try again in six months. Growing or trying to in the first year will only give you and your coral nothing but confusion.

 

[Terran]

Ok a couple more questions !
I’m not familiar with that light but is the chaeto turning in the water automatically or manually or just sitting there to where only one side gets direct lighting . Not sure if the white light is the best for growing chaeto . I keep my light 6 inches over the water level Andi use reds and green lights . my chaeto turns freely in the flow until it grows to where I need to crop it . When it doesn’t turn by itself I manually turn the algae until I can get a chance to crop it again so that it gets lighting to all sides . Do you have a pic of your refugium?

It does not tumble much but mostly turns in circles by itself then hits the current just right and tumbles. It has reduced in size from the day I got it due to die off. I was told that the white light would work just fine since it is made for fresh water plant growth, I can look into getting the purple light if that is what it will take. I do not have a picture yet but I will try to upload one, not sure how to do that on here just yet.

 

[Terran]

Hit pause and try again in six months. Growing or trying to in the first year will only give you and your coral nothing but confusion.

I am at the 1.5 year mark right now. Do I really need to wait longer?

 

[Lavey29]

I am at the 1.5 year mark right now. Do I really need to wait longer?

I highly recommend the Neptune gro light which you can position right over the fuge to prevent light spill and dose chaeto gro once a week. That algae plant needs iron and other trace elements.

 

[TokenReefer]

It's such a small clump of chaeto (no offense) it may be having a hard time competing for nutrients with your corals/other algae, etc. Just my theory

 

[fish farmer]

I am having issues with my chaeto dyeing off. I first tried it before the one year (close though) and it just fell apart. It is now at the 1.5 year mark and it is doing the same thing. I have a Tunze 8821 10000k full spectrum light. I had it sitting about an inch above the water and was told that the chaeto was getting too much light. So this time I had it sitting about 8 inches above the water and the chaeto is bleaching out, same as before, and now what I'm seeing is that it is not getting enough light. The flow over it is good. N-P are sitting around 30 & .28. Just ordered some chaeto grow hoping that will work but I could really use some advice to get this stuff growing.

I would think with those n and p numbers it should be growing. I had numbers like that...a little higher for the p. I started with a fist sized clump of chaeto and a cheap 9 watt Fiet plant bulb (purple/red spectrum), I set it 6 inches above the surface. I doubled growth in a month.

Do you have any algae issues in your main tank which could be competing?

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

I am at the 1.5 year mark right now. Do I really need to wait longer?

No, if you have the iron, nit and phos present. That should be it. I threw some chaeto in mine before my cycle finished with a $20 amazon grow light. Its been about 6 weeks and mine is growing.

I don't know how well recomended using traces to grow algae is, but i do use 1ml of chaeto grow from microbacter every other day.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I am having issues with my chaeto dyeing off. I first tried it before the one year (close though) and it just fell apart. It is now at the 1.5 year mark and it is doing the same thing. I have a Tunze 8821 10000k full spectrum light. I had it sitting about an inch above the water and was told that the chaeto was getting too much light. So this time I had it sitting about 8 inches above the water and the chaeto is bleaching out, same as before, and now what I'm seeing is that it is not getting enough light. The flow over it is good. N-P are sitting around 30 & .28. Just ordered some chaeto grow hoping that will work but I could really use some advice to get this stuff growing.

They need a LITTLE (low level ) iron and nitrates plus subtle water movement and light *red or pink is good)

 

[moz71]

For what it is worth, mine was dying off and wasn’t until I dosed cheato grow. My system always low on iron. I now dose redsea colors which one has iron and doing ok.

 

[Spare time]

Hit pause and try again in six months. Growing or trying to in the first year will only give you and your coral nothing but confusion.

What?

 

[Spare time]

I am almost certain it has nothing to do with the light. My guess would be a trace element issue based on a lot of what people report here and what I found with how my macroalgae might be a big trace element sink (particularly for potassium). I don't have any evidence of this but its worth a shot.

 

[Terran]

It's such a small clump of chaeto (no offense) it may be having a hard time competing for nutrients with your corals/other algae, etc. Just my theory

Lol I know it's horrible. It was larger

 

[Terran]

For what it is worth, mine was dying off and wasn’t until I dosed cheato grow. My system always low on iron. I now dose redsea colors which one has iron and doing ok.

I just started cheato grow from brightwell today

 

[moz71]

I just started cheato grow from brightwell today

Give it some time! After a week or two will start seeing improvement. Unfortunately, I did see improvement in hair algae as well but I don’t mind a little.

 

[Terran]

I would think with those n and p numbers it should be growing. I had numbers like that...a little higher for the p. I started with a fist sized clump of chaeto and a cheap 9 watt Fiet plant bulb (purple/red spectrum), I set it 6 inches above the surface. I doubled growth in a month.

Do you have any algae issues in your main tank which could be competing?

There is some in the main tank but it is not growing out of control. patches of tuffs, no long strands.

 

[Terran]

I highly recommend the Neptune gro light which you can position right over the fuge to prevent light spill and dose chaeto gro once a week. That algae plant needs iron and other trace elements.

Wow that is a nice setup that you have. I will look into the neptune gro light. My wife is not liking the bright light at night so this should make everyone happy.