What is going on with my dying chaeto?

[fr3n0z]

Can you guys help me I'd the problem? There is PO4 and no2/3 (I was dosing them), I had a spectacular growth while in 3 week's filled the reactor and after a major clean up and trim it just did not start up again. I added to the display some frag coming from a cyano assaulted tank. I am gettin some cyano on sand too now.

 

[Dan_P]

Can you guys help me I'd the problem? There is PO4 and no2/3 (I was dosing them), I had a spectacular growth while in 3 week's filled the reactor and after a major clean up and trim it just did not start up again. I added to the display some frag coming from a cyano assaulted tank. I am gettin some cyano on sand too now.

You are not the only one that has problems with Cheato.

I am wondering whether the spectacular growth you witnessed has depleted trace elements in your system. The cyanobacteria might be related to the Cheato becoming sick. I had a similar situation with Ulva. Fantastic growth followed by poor algae health. Dosing with CheatoGro helped. I recently started dosing iron in an attempt to stop it from sporulating - going sexual. So far no luck but the Ulva seems to be developing stronger fronds whereas before they were somewhat limped.

 

[Koigula]

Chaeto burns out of dies off in refugium as a natural progression of a home reef tank. Often I see red or green turf algaes appears before the chaeto withers away. Rinsing bacteria off algae or adding iron might prolong this but that is what chaeto does. Measuring phosphate and nitrate will not necessarily correlate to growth. You could probably buy another fresh sample in future if you want.

Instead of worrying about a minor nitrate removal mechanism, observe the corals intently for 10 minutes every day. This gives you a chance to fix anything that might be going wrong first.

My chaeto is gone. I do not use GFO either anymore. I use the Tropic Marin liquid carbon dosing very sparingly as a way to feed more and more. I also siphon off detritus that intentionally settles in the front of the tank. It is an amazing amount in bare bottom tanks. You can test the amount of phosphates locked up in this. It is extremely high.