Why can't I keep Chaeto alive?

[gideon2086]

I have a 91g system with an 18g sump - it's a Red Sea v3 sump with a dedicated fuge chamber. I have bio balls on the base and a Tunze fuge light for growth. I run the light 12 hours, at night when the DT lights are off. The tank sits at about 10-15 no3 and 1.1-1.2 po4 (I know, it's high!). I've tried Chaeto three times now, each time it's died off. I added another hefty chunk of it last week and I can already see it starting to lose its color and die off. What gives?

 

[Webslinger]

Iron? Lighting? Nutrients?

 

[gideon2086]

nutrients and lighting are listed in my post.. I've not ever tested my iron.. does an iron test kit even exist?

 

[35ppt]

Redacted

 

[Webslinger]

Try some iron, then

 

[gideon2086]

Try some iron, then

Believe it or not, I have iron that I dose into my planet tank... how much should I dose into a 91g reef tank? I've not heard of anyone dosing iron before.

Side note - GHA grows just fine in the fuge...

 

[ecexotics]

maybe your over skimming stripping out any possible nutrients ?

 

[gideon2086]

maybe your over skimming stripping out any possible nutrients ?

No, as I mentioned my nutrients are actually running high.

 

[Gordonm]

Don't worry i have the same problem

 

[gideon2086]

Don't worry i have the same problem

its driving me nuts! I can’t figure out the issue.

 

[D-code]

I had the same issue , is your ATO going straight in to your fuge as mine was with rodi water changing salinity levels, harming Chaeto when I moved ato feed Chaeto bounced back to life.

 

[gideon2086]

I had the same issue , is your ATO going straight in to your fuge as mine was with rodi water changing salinity levels, harming Chaeto when I moved ato feed Chaeto bounced back to life.

It’s not. ATO goes directly to return chamber

 

[Bryan68]

Welcome to my world, my nutrients are about the same as yours, lighting with an ai fuge and I can't keep the stuff alive either.

 

[gideon2086]

Welcome to my world, my nutrients are about the same as yours, lighting with an ai fuge and I can't keep the stuff alive either.

i was thinking about dropping a load on a Kessil fuge light thinking that my light must be the cause... but my light has glowing reviews across the internet.

 

[Bryan68]

Yeah, I'm stumped, may pick up some iron supplement to see off that helps, if so, I'll surely let you know.

 

[gideon2086]

Yeah, I'm stumped, may pick up some iron supplement to see off that helps, if so, I'll surely let you know.

Thanks... I’m wary to dose it with my ignorance

 

[Bryan68]

Thanks... I’m wary to dose it with my ignorance

Just wanted to update you. Added brightwell chaeto fertilizer and things continued to go downhill, all chaeto is now dead. I'm going to try pom pom macroalgae to see if it survived, I'll let you know.

 

[ReeferWarrant]

What’s your flow like in the chamber the Chaeto is? That was my issue, I haven’t ordered any lately but if it’s not in a heavily flowing area it gunks up and dies from my experience.

 

[gideon2086]

What’s your flow like in the chamber the Chaeto is? That was my issue, I haven’t ordered any lately but if it’s not in a heavily flowing area it gunks up and dies from my experience.

Just the natural flow of the water moving through the fuge and to the skimmer chamber. I put in a small wavemaker but all it does is suck the chaeto up and further the damage.

 

[Tyler Bullock]

I'm having the same issue, similar tank perams. Mine just slowly dies.