When to add Chaeto

[vortexreef]

When can you add chaeto to a new tank? I have a new 60g with a sump, tank has been up and cycling almost 2 weeks. I used 60lbs of live sand, 20lbs live rock, and 50lbs of clean dry rock. I have also been running Aquavitro Seed, to help kick start. Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[EmdeReef]

Although some cycle with cheato, I would wait until your tank is fully cycled and you start adding fish. You want to avoid stripping nitrates early on as that can lead to all sorts of other nasty algae/bacteria blooms.

 

[JBKReef]

I would say once your tank is tracking consistent and nitrate and phosphate that is not associated with a cycle.

I added cheato during my tank set up, almost immediately after cycle and could not sustain due to a small bioload. I attempted again about a month later with a different macroalgae and it melted away again due to consuming all nitrates and then dying off.

Only now a year in, with nitrates hovering around 4 can I sustain a small, very small, clump of cheato.

 

[AlgaeBarn]

When can you add chaeto to a new tank? I have a new 60g with a sump, tank has been up and cycling almost 2 weeks. I used 60lbs of live sand, 20lbs live rock, and 50lbs of clean dry rock. I have also been running Aquavitro Seed, to help kick start. Thanks in advance for the help!

Typically, its best to add macroalgae once you start getting fish. You can do chaeto, but sea lettuce works fantastic as well.

 

[AlgaeBarn]

I would say once your tank is tracking consistent and nitrate and phosphate that is not associated with a cycle.

I added cheato during my tank set up, almost immediately after cycle and could not sustain due to a small bioload. I attempted again about a month later with a different macroalgae and it melted away again due to consuming all nitrates and then dying off.

Only now a year in, with nitrates hovering around 4 can I sustain a small, very small, clump of cheato.

What other macroalgae did you try? We setup a 136 DT + 44 gallon sump and we added sea lettuce 8 days after we setup (5 day to cycle with TurboStart). We just harvested a few pounds from it (about 1.5 months later)

 

[JBKReef]

What other macroalgae did you try? We setup a 136 DT + 44 gallon sump and we added sea lettuce 8 days after we setup (5 day to cycle with TurboStart). We just harvested a few pounds from it (about 1.5 months later)

It was not one of your algae's. It was a clump of red gracilaria from my LFS. Today I am only running my fuge basically once ever 3 days. I have fallen back into undetectable nitrates and phosphate (Hanna checkers, red sea test kits, and LFS tests) so I'm trying within reason to raise them. I've moved to 2x feeding daily, skimming much lighter, reduced fuge lighting, and letting my filter socks go 5 days or so between changing them intstead of 3 days.

I think I just lost a blasto, monti's are suffering, and zoa's are closed due to low nutrients.