Why won’t my chaeto grow

[Dan7575]

Hi all,

I just can’t get chaeto to grow. What I do get instead is thick slimy red and green algae and disgusting scum on the surface. How can I get rid of the bad stuff and get the chaeto to grow

No3 - 20
Po4 - 0.18
Alk - 9
Cal - 420
Mag - 1300

 

[joseserrano]

Probably not strong enough light

 

[JGT]

Hi all,

I just can’t get chaeto to grow. What I do get instead is thick slimy red and green algae and disgusting scum on the surface. How can I get rid of the bad stuff and get the chaeto to grow

No3 - 20
Po4 - 0.18
Alk - 9
Cal - 420
Mag - 1300

Your nutrients look OK. How are you lighting it?

 

[Perthegallon]

I have the same issue in my sump alage takes over
*bad algae

 

[PokeFish]

Try getting the chaeto to roll around

 

[Dan_P]

Hi all,

I just can’t get chaeto to grow. What I do get instead is thick slimy red and green algae and disgusting scum on the surface. How can I get rid of the bad stuff and get the chaeto to grow

No3 - 20
Po4 - 0.18
Alk - 9
Cal - 420
Mag - 1300

The slime coating indicates a sick, and likely, dying algae. I don’t know if it can be saved. Since the nitrate level and phosphate levels are plentiful, that leaves depleted micro nutrients, iron is a popular guess, and improper lighting. I would focus on lighting. If the lighting was not bright enough, I would think the yellow slime would not be creating such luxurious growth. Water flow plays an important role in macro algae health. Too little flow could starve the algae of CO2, maybe even accumulating too much oxygen.

 

[Dan7575]

Thi is the light I am using, it has been recommended by loads of guys on an Aussie Facebook group who have all had good results. The flow isn’t too fast so I could increase it.

regarding lighting when I set it up I was using a cheap Chinese nano Tank led Light and that is when the bad algae started to grow so I changed it to this floodlight one. Maybe the damage was already done because of that, if so how could I get rid of the bad algae now to start the process again?

 

[Dan_P]

Thi is the light I am using, it has been recommended by loads of guys on an Aussie Facebook group who have all had good results. The flow isn’t too fast so I could increase it.

regarding lighting when I set it up I was using a cheap Chinese nano Tank led Light and that is when the bad algae started to grow so I changed it to this floodlight one. Maybe the damage was already done because of that, if so how could I get rid of the bad algae now to start the process again?

The light is certainly bright and spectrum seems like it would be OK. Here is another thing to think about. Is that 1600 lumens blasting a small area or a broad area? Something to consider when you place the light above the algae.

How to rid of the slime is even a tougher question to answer. When my refugium became
too disgusting, I physically removed the stuff and things looked good for awhile. Keep in mind this photosynthetic slime is doing the same thing macro algae does: removing nitrate and phosphate. Regular harvesting is OK. When the macro algae is growing well, the slime recedes. In my fish only system, the light was much brighter in the refugium than in the display tank, so the slime stayed in the refugium.

 

[Dan7575]

The light is certainly bright and spectrum seems like it would be OK. Here is another thing to think about. Is that 1600 lumens blasting a small area or a broad area? Something to consider when you place the light above the algae.

How to rid of the slime is even a tougher question to answer. When my refugium became
too disgusting, I physically removed the stuff and things looked good for awhile. Keep in mind this photosynthetic slime is doing the same thing macro algae does: removing nitrate and phosphate. Regular harvesting is OK. When the macro algae is growing well, the slime recedes. In my fish only system, the light was much brighter in the refugium than in the display tank, so the slime stayed in the refugium.

I guess the light is fairly close to the water, maybe 6”.

I have to do a water change today so I might empty the fuge and clean all the slime out. Is there a product that is reef safe that I could clean it with to kill the algae?

 

[nanocrazy4life]

Hi all,

I just can’t get chaeto to grow. What I do get instead is thick slimy red and green algae and disgusting scum on the surface. How can I get rid of the bad stuff and get the chaeto to grow

No3 - 20
Po4 - 0.18
Alk - 9
Cal - 420
Mag - 1300

Seems like you have very low flow back here. If you can place a oxygen pump in this chamber you might have better luck

 

[Eldredge]

I would suggest dosing ChaetoGro. It has worked well for me.

 

[Dan_P]

I guess the light is fairly close to the water, maybe 6”.

I have to do a water change today so I might empty the fuge and clean all the slime out. Is there a product that is reef safe that I could clean it with to kill the algae?

Sorry, I have no suggestions for an algae killer

 

[stanleo]

I would clean and empty the fuge completely. Hot water and elbow grease. There is nothing that I would trust to kill algae that wouldn't kill other things. Get new chaeto from a reliable source. Raise the flood light to about 10-12 inches and set the photoperiod to 10 hours a day.

What kind of flow do you have going through the fuge? It seems like from just looking at the pic that the water in there might be too stagnate. From what I understand your fuge should be turning over water at the same rate as the rest of your system. My fuge is a twenty gallon section of the sump. The water enters on the right from the bottom and flows over the baffle on the other side continuously. The sump is a DIY from a 55 gallon tank. My chaeto doesn't rotate however when I think about it I do turn it over manually from time to time. My chaeto grows like crazy. I usually have to give away or just pitch a basketball sized chuck of the stuff monthly. I have never used any product for growing chaeto or anything else.

 

[sfin52]

I'm starting to think when we blame lights on cheato it's because its easy to do.

My cheato stays alive even in low light or zero light for days. Maybe the real cause is too strong of light.
The other is lack of nutrients. Its not as simple to say I have po4 and no3. Algea needs minor elements as well. If we arnt dosing these than the macro can and will be limited. This is more apparent when there is microalgeas that is competing with the macros.
Algea is a plant and needs to be treated as such.
Just my 2 cents

 

[Cole.mormon]

Get an better light

 

[Cole.mormon]

Try an AI prime hd

 

[Dan7575]

I would clean and empty the fuge completely. Hot water and elbow grease. There is nothing that I would trust to kill algae that wouldn't kill other things. Get new chaeto from a reliable source. Raise the flood light to about 10-12 inches and set the photoperiod to 10 hours a day.

What kind of flow do you have going through the fuge? It seems like from just looking at the pic that the water in there might be too stagnate. From what I understand your fuge should be turning over water at the same rate as the rest of your system. My fuge is a twenty gallon section of the sump. The water enters on the right from the bottom and flows over the baffle on the other side continuously. The sump is a DIY from a 55 gallon tank. My chaeto doesn't rotate however when I think about it I do turn it over manually from time to time. My chaeto grows like crazy. I usually have to give away or just pitch a basketball sized chuck of the stuff monthly. I have never used any product for growing chaeto or anything else.

emptied it out and scrubbed it and also gave it a wipe over with hydrogen peroxide, guess it can’t hurt. I’ll put some clean water in and try the light set higher and also increase the flow as it was very light before.

 

[schuby]

For me, chaeto grew very well for about three months and then died. It was my first time running macro-algae. I didn't know that white/gray chaeto meant it was dying. I'd read many threads about growing macro-algae, but it wasn't until I searched for "chaeto dying" that I found many people saying they had to dose iron every week to keep chaeto growing. I got new chaeto, started dosing iron, and my chaeto has grown very well for the last 1.5 years. Light has always been the same: Kessel H160 on full & red spectrum.

 

[Dan7575]

For me, chaeto grew very well for about three months and then died. It was my first time running macro-algae. I didn't know that white/gray chaeto meant it was dying. I'd read many threads about growing macro-algae, but it wasn't until I searched for "chaeto dying" that I found many people saying they had to dose iron every week to keep chaeto growing. I got new chaeto, started dosing iron, and my chaeto has grown very well for the last 1.5 years. Light has always been the same: Kessel H160 on full & red spectrum.

What do you dose for iron?

 

[schuby]

Brightwell Ferrion. Currently, 3 mL a week. Basketball-sized chaeto.