Chaeto's limited life span??

[tzylak]

Three years ago my chaeto was wiry and robust. It looked like a bundle of coarse steel wool and it really kept my DT crisp and clean. Lately it looks more like algae that I scrape off of the DT. Fine and slimy.
A month ago I changed the light bulb but the deterioration continues, as if the plant reached "old age" and is not growing vibrantly. . . . It's not growing at all.
Also, I used to use a magnet scraper to clean the DT every 4 days. Now I do it every 2-3. . .
The simple solution is to get a handful of fresh one from the LFS but then, what really happened to the existing one??
Has anyone seen similar?

 

[mcgyvr]

IMO its simply not getting the nutrients/light,etc.. that it once was..
So its dying off..

I am not aware if chaeto has a "lifespan" but I doubt its measured in years only if there is one... probably more like centuries..

 

[A sea K]

Going through the same thing here, not growing at all anymore. My guess is your nitrate and phosphate levels are too low to support any growth.

 

[tinfoilsoldier]

Are you removing some when it gets too big to spin freely? I generally tear it in half and throw half away, but if the middle looks really dense or dirty I've cut some out.

I had some from my tank in a different tank with plenty of nutrients and light but without flow and it just went spindly and fell apart.

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[roostertech]

Sometime mine get covered in GHA and grow is stunted. I would trim off the slimy part and it keep on trucking.

 

[tzylak]

Yeah, about a month ago I had a whole bunch & threw half of it away. Now I still have slightly LESS than that half. It is not growing. OTOH my DT is growing algae very well, so it's not like chaeto is running out of nutrients. . .

 

[mcgyvr]

So you said you changed bulbs.. Was the algae already going down hill at that point?
What are you running BTW for lighting? Think you might need more?

 

[thegrun]

Your tank may be low in iron, many of us have to dose it, but be careful too much and you will have major algae issues.

 

[A sea K]

Can't speak for the OP but my bulb is 7 months old (red LED spotlight) and my chaeto came in from my previous system where it has grown well for the previous year. I transfered everything into my new 80gal DT 7 months ago and it has grown well until the last trimming about a month back. I tested my nitrate and phosphate on Monday, nitrate is undetectable with a Red Sea kit and phosphate is at .003 with a Hanna ultra low range checker. I should mention that I do have some bubble algae growing in the DT as well as some red macro. It is hanging in there but by no means thriving IMO.
One thing that I have done differently than ever before is to use a Marine Pure bio ceramic block in a low flow environment to help keep nitrate at bay and it seems to be working almost too well. I need to get some nitrate as I want to make a serious attempt at SPS so at this point I am thinking about removing the block.

 

[DamonG]

You said something very important : "my display tank is growing algea, so it's not lack of nutrient".. You either need to do one both things.. Depending on your wattage of light for the cheato, you probably need to increase it(the wattage and photoperiod) .. Because your display is beating out the fuge, so the fuge isn't effective. You have to overpower your display lights.. Then, you won't have to worry about the algea "ever" growing in the display.. The negative stuff that is..

And don't worry about the spinning.. Get a good light, and you don't have to think about it spinning ever again..

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