Unable to grow chaeto

[jd-woodlands]

I seem to have some trouble growing chaeto in my tank and looking for some suggestions.

I have a small refugium in my media caddy and use a IM magnafuge light on a reverse schedule. Here is what the little amount of chaeto I have left looks like.

Obviously not looking that great. Anyone have any ideas on what might be going on? Everything else in my tank is going gangbusters.

Parameters:
78° F
8.6 alk (salifert)
480 cal (salifert)
1500 mag (salifert)
0 Phosphates (Hanna LR 713 and Nyos)
5 ppm Nitrates (salifert)
35ppt salinity
7.6-8.3 ph
280-320 orp
Small Skimmer
GAC in a reactor

Actually finished testing phosphate like 4 times just now... hard to believe it’s at 0, I assume that’s the problem? The only algae I have going on is some reddish slime in my back AIO chamber due to no clean up crew back there and light spillage.

So assuming it’s the phosphate levels - just start feeding a ton?

 

[BadPanda]

You might be right in regards with nutrients. How much chaeto did you start out with. I have the same light in a refugium for my nuvo 40. Reverse cycle for 12 hrs. Starts out ping pong ball size and doubles in about 1 1/2 week (I limit the size due to decrease in flow in that chamber). With the parameters you have, I don't think chaeto would be needed. Try other macro algae and see if it produces the same result. If it does tank won't need it. If you need chaeto for pods, you might have to dose or feed some more.

 

[reeferKen]

i've read success with iron
https://www.amazon.com/Kent-Marine-Manganese-Supplement-17-4-Ounce/dp/B000255P94

 

[jd-woodlands]

You might be right in regards with nutrients. How much chaeto did you start out with. I have the same light in a refugium for my nuvo 40. Reverse cycle for 12 hrs. Starts out ping pong ball size and doubles in about 1 1/2 week (I limit the size due to decrease in flow in that chamber). With the parameters you have, I don't think chaeto would be needed. Try other macro algae and see if it produces the same result. If it does tank won't need it. If you need chaeto for pods, you might have to dose or feed some more.

I started out with more, sometimes I grows a bit, others times it’s mostly slime and melted most of it away. This is a mass about the size of a ping pong ball if I was to put it together, it’s just nothing like a wiry mass like it should be and doesn’t hold much shape.

I’ll start trying to bring my phosphate up by more coral feeding and frozen for the fish for now, wouldn’t hurt the SPS any. As for need chaeto, just figured it was a reef staple and needed to be there for extra biodiversity - in what cases would you not try and bother with it?

 

[ActualProof]

Mine did that the first couple of attempts. My nutrients were bottomed out at zero NO3 and zero phosphate. No amount of lighting would grow it. I also had only two small fish in 75g (yellow watchman and a cardinal).

I added a few more fish over the course of about 6 weeks (cardinal, clown, blue eyed tang), and dosed about 2ml of a Potassium Nitrate solution daily during this time. I also dosed amino acids for my softies and LPS.

Phosphate rose to a detectable level from moderately feeding the new additions, and nitrate got up to around 15 before I tried another attempt at growing chaeto. From then on, my chaeto grows like crazy no matter what light I have on it.

So, in short: add fish, or dose nitrate, and your chaeto will grow!

 

[jd-woodlands]

Mine did that the first couple of attempts. My nutrients were bottomed out at zero NO3 and zero phosphate. No amount of lighting would grow it. I also had only two small fish in 75g (yellow watchman and a cardinal).

I added a few more fish over the course of about 6 weeks (cardinal, clown, blue eyed tang), and dosed about 2ml of a Potassium Nitrate solution daily during this time. I also dosed amino acids for my softies and LPS.

Phosphate rose to a detectable level from moderately feeding the new additions, and nitrate got up to around 15 before I tried another attempt at growing chaeto. From then on, my chaeto grows like crazy no matter what light I have on it.

So, in short: add fish, or dose nitrate, and your chaeto will grow!

I have 5 large fish - nitrates are good, phosphates usually not at 0...may have fallen behind on feeding or all my new growth is consuming it faster than i5 used to be. I’ll see what a week of heavy feeding does.. oh and this tank is a “30” gallon.. so only like 24gal of water.

 

[Goodair]

Is chaeto generally easier to grow in a predator tank, considering there is higher bioload? Was planning on trying some in my sump.

 

[BadPanda]

I started out with more, sometimes I grows a bit, others times it’s mostly slime and melted most of it away. This is a mass about the size of a ping pong ball if I was to put it together, it’s just nothing like a wiry mass like it should be and doesn’t hold much shape.

I’ll start trying to bring my phosphate up by more coral feeding and frozen for the fish for now, wouldn’t hurt the SPS any. As for need chaeto, just figured it was a reef staple and needed to be there for extra biodiversity - in what cases would you not try and bother with it?

Lucky for your nitrates are good. Mine stays around 15-20 with newly removed chaeto and drops to about 8-10 after at least doubling in size. Also forgot to mention. Maybe it's a good excuse to add a fish or two.

 

[BadPanda]

Is chaeto generally easier to grow in a predator tank, considering there is higher bioload? Was planning on trying some in my sump.

The tank type/system shouldn't really be what determines chaeto requirement. Of course bioload like you said is a big factor but, its the way the tank processess the waste is key. Just like what I stated earlier, if the tank can maintain ideal nitrates by itself then consider it a blessing. Although, at any given time it can change from bacterial bloom to unaccounted livestock or from carbon dosing. Everyones experience will vary. I swear I read multiple threads here until I fell asleep prior even thinking about setting up a reef tank. Consider everyone's experience kinda a baseline and adjust it to your tanks needs. A predator tank would be ideal due to limited CUC becuase CUC become dinner often. I'm no expert and just sharing my experience from my current setup and/or threads I've read about.