Macro just will not grow.

Tmm87 · Jul 13, 2018

So far I've tried chaeto (it melts) and pom pom gracilaria (it just exists).

I started the chaeto with a good size ball and it just fell apart.

The red gracilaria was a golf ball size order from algae barn. For about two weeks it grew slightly then stopped. I notice pieces break off but overall it seems healthy. It's a deep red color.

My refugium is lit with a Kessil H80. Currently it's at roughly 50% intensity and set to grow (pink color). I've tried 100% intensity, 75%, 25%...no change. I've tried different heights and intensity combos, no change. I even added a small powerhead to the refugium thinking maybe it needed a bit more flow. Nothing.

Any ideas? The GHA grows perfectly fine in my refugium, so clearly there are nutrients in my system. I have no unwanted algae in my display outside of a little excess build up on the glass that needs to be scraped every other day or so.

DLHDesign · Jul 14, 2018

What's the flow like through your fuge?

Tmm87 · Jul 14, 2018

Without the small pump things would move slightly but no tumbling action on either macro. Flow is a lot stronger with the pump but no difference.

Orm Embar · Jul 14, 2018

Maybe supplemental iodine/iron?

Tmm87 · Jul 14, 2018

I dose iodine every now and then. Usually right after my shrimp melt. Iron I leave to my weekly 10g water changes.

Dennis McGrath · Jul 14, 2018

What are your water parameters?

Tmm87 · Jul 14, 2018

Salinity 1.025-.026
Temp sits around 78
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
Nitrates sit around 20-30 (I'm a heavy feeder)
Phosphate is barely registering on the api test kit
9dkh
Mag 1300
Calc 460

Calc, Mag and Alk are measured with a red sea test kit. The rest are from an API.

Dennis Cartier · Jul 14, 2018

I would try a more sensitive phosphate test just to make sure you are not phosphate limited. With that much nitrate, I suspect you might be. Either a Hanna ULR tester or a Salifert kit should give you a better idea of your PO4 level.

That being said, as another poster suggested, iodine and iron/manganese should get your chaeto happy and growing. Water changes only, will not keep iron levels high enough for macros (in my opinion). Also test Potassium if you can. I found that my K was low, inspite of water changes.

Dennis

AlgaeBarn · Jul 19, 2018

Tmm87 said:
So far I've tried chaeto (it melts) and pom pom gracilaria (it just exists).

I started the chaeto with a good size ball and it just fell apart.

The red gracilaria was a golf ball size order from algae barn. For about two weeks it grew slightly then stopped. I notice pieces break off but overall it seems healthy. It's a deep red color.

My refugium is lit with a Kessil H80. Currently it's at roughly 50% intensity and set to grow (pink color). I've tried 100% intensity, 75%, 25%...no change. I've tried different heights and intensity combos, no change. I even added a small powerhead to the refugium thinking maybe it needed a bit more flow. Nothing.

Any ideas? The GHA grows perfectly fine in my refugium, so clearly there are nutrients in my system. I have no unwanted algae in my display outside of a little excess build up on the glass that needs to be scraped every other day or so.

Are you running any other forms of nutrient reduction (nopox, biopellets, GFO) etc?

We have had pompom double in a week when tumbled.

The deep red color of the ogo is good. Can you post some photos of your refugium setup?

Tmm87 · Jul 19, 2018

AlgaeBarn said:
Are you running any other forms of nutrient reduction (nopox, biopellets, GFO) etc?

We have had pompom double in a week when tumbled.

The deep red color of the ogo is good. Can you post some photos of your refugium setup?

I can get some when I get home. I've got a layer of miracle mud in the bottom, some marine pure spheres and then my macro. It's lit by a Kessil h80. The only other thing I run in the sump is a bag of chemipure blue.