Chaetomorpha dieing

[BraenDead]

I built a nice 30g refugium for my 75g tank/30g sump for the sole purpose of growing chaetomorpha to help with nutrient export. I don't really have algae problems in the tank (I scrap/clean the glass every couple weeks only), but I wanted to keep a nice refugium to help my pods grow well and provide an area for other diverse life. Originally it started as a nice ball and I am keeping it under the same light I had used in the past (the same one Melev of Melev's reef recommended as the best bulb for refugiums, the 16W CF floodlight @ 5100k), and the bulb was brand new so I know it should be fine. Over time, the chaetomorpha lost its ball shape and became "squished" like a pancake. The pieces are all breaking up into smaller and smaller pieces, losing their connectivty. I think it is at a point where I will just pull it from the tank because it has gotten so bad now. It didn't get white or transparent and just fall apart - the pieces that are still there are solid, they are just very short. Think of taking pieces of spaghetti and breaking them into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces. Any idea what would cause this? My two concerns would be that there wasn't enough flow (it wasn't enough to tumble the chaeto) or that there wasn't enough nutrients. It could be something else, but I am open to ideas.

Thanks!

Bob

 

[M88A2]

do u use bio pellets or dose vodka? whats your bio load and how often/much do u feed?

 

[BraenDead]

I do actually run bio pellets, so that could certainly be a factor. Bio load I have a kole tang, 3 firefish, and a mysterry wrasse (planning to add a couple more fish). For inverts I have a 7" maxima clam, 5 emerald clams, 2 pep shrimp, 1 cleaner shrimp, about 70 snails, 50 hermit crabs, and 2 large cowries. I also keep various SPS corals which do well.

Bob

 

[BraenDead]

Forgot to mention I feed twice a day. Once a good amount of flake and the other a mixture of PE mysis and flake food. They usually finish eating it in about 6 minutes, although they don't finish all of the mysis.

Bob

 

[M88A2]

could be that u are feeding sufficience ammounts for fish/inverts/corals and are not producing extra nitrates and/or phosphates for the cheato thanks to the bio pellets

 

[BraenDead]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking as well. Thanks for the thoughts.

Bob

 

[M88A2]

np. gl

 

[Six2seven]

I think you could do away with the bio pellets. I dont think your chaeto is getting enough light. It does not need to tumble.

 

[RyanAlan]

You don't need the cheato at this point. Sounds like the pellets are doing what they are designed to do.

Toss it.

 

[RyanAlan]

You can also throw some bio bale in there for the pods feel at home in.