What is going on with my Chaeto?

2clowns1tank · May 24, 2016

So I have been running a Pax Bellum N11 chaeto reactor for about almost 2 months now and the first month that stuff grew like wildfire, but I still had a creeping P04 issue. I let it be and after "culling" the chaeto every week for a month, about 1.5 months in a brown film started appearing on the top of my reactor, diatom like but was no where else in my tank. It had a "fishy" sort of smell. Until about 2 weeks ago I let it go but still had P04 so I brought in the big guns the GFO reactor. Now the P04 is gone, but the brown film in my reactor, and something brown on my chaeto started appearing also.

http://i.imgur.com/jkH2QV1.jpg

Yes I understand its dried up, I was cleaning it and didnt think at the time to snap a pic right away. So this "brown" stuff seems to be a almost bubble like structure within the chaeto and as far as I know it only started post GFO.

So my question is 2 fold, what is showing up in only my chaeto reactor (diatoms?) and what the heck is on my chaeto (is it dying?).

In my opinion I assuming Nitrates and P04 are so low (or don't exist) that the chaeto is slowly dying but would that explain the brown film in the reactor?

I have opted to take 90% of the chaeto out and see how that goes. I currently run 12/h reverse light cycle.

4FordFamily · May 24, 2016

Could be some sort of algae or dinoflagellates, they would compete for food thus starving your chaeto.

I'm not an expert here though I'll tag the [HASHTAG]#reefsquad[/HASHTAG] for assistance!

2clowns1tank · May 24, 2016

4FordFamily said:
Could be some sort of algae or dinoflagellates, they would compete for food thus starving your chaeto.

I'm not an expert here though I'll tag the [HASHTAG]#reefsquad[/HASHTAG] for assistance!

TY sir,

Why I am confused is it didn't happen for the first almost 2 months when my tank was pretty dirty (nitrates 30~ and P04 high, but not crazy deadly high). After it gets "cleaner" due to the chaeto it shows up. An now post GFO and a better maint schedule, more brown stuff plus the weird brown growths on the chaeto. Mind is boggled.

4FordFamily · May 25, 2016

Still no [HASHTAG]#reefsquad[/HASHTAG] ?

zemuss · May 25, 2016

The brown stuff looks like a film algae. Cheato will stop growning when the nutrient levels are too low.

You might want to feed more to bring them up. There is a few threads saying zero No3 and po4 is bad.

kireek · May 25, 2016

Excellent @zemuss, I agree.

twilliard · May 25, 2016

Yes film algae I would assume and the doc's is what these guys like.

You know when your low on nutrients when your algae starts to die.

zemuss · May 25, 2016

I agree with Twilliard.

2clowns1tank · May 26, 2016

zemuss said:
The brown stuff looks like a film algae. Cheato will stop growning when the nutrient levels are too low.

You might want to feed more to bring them up. There is a few threads saying zero No3 and po4 is bad.

Ya I knew this but didnt think the film algea would show up when its not "dying" just not growing. Also the wierd growths on it threw me off.

See I run zeovit, GFO and chaeto. Basically ULN system. But I have had some algae outbreaks (bryopsis and hair). So I am reluctant to increase feeding but I am going to feed daily now for the sake of my new corals. I hope it helps the chaeto also while still keeping ULN.

2clowns1tank · May 26, 2016

twilliard said:
Yes film algae I would assume and the doc's is what these guys like.

You know when your low on nutrients when your algae starts to die.

So even though I couldn't see the chaeto dying, minus maybe the brown growths, the film is a result of the chaeto dying? An also you can read above about my system.

I guess I need to find the happy medium for my corals/fish while still keeping ULN enough to stop nuisance algea.