Cheato dying off

[doubletap4311]

As stated above. My cheato is continually dying off. I'm using (2) spiral bulbs, 100 watt equivalent in the 6500k range. running them 10 hours a day. any ideas??????????????

 

[ireefn]

Increase flow. works wonders you will be harvesting often so increase and go to work. It will take a couple days or so to notice

 

[rbursek]

Mine too, 3 different batches, reverse lighting, different flows, I think you need some higher Nitrates to keep it and mine are zip. Buddy/mentor has tons of it with just a 16watt grow light and low Nitrates like mine, go figure, he has huge balls I just have a few strands out of the sand in the fuge, my balls all just wethered away.

 

[suzimcmullen]

So all this dying off doesn't ruin your water? I just bought some from someone on Ebay. It came in smelling horrible. It even smelled worse than the live rock I had gotten from Petco. The water was brown and gross. I dumped out the water and used it anyway since I was putting it into a cycled tank. Now I don't know how to tell if it's dying. Most of it is a nice healthy shade of green. But it falls apart really easy. Shouldn't it be staying in a ball?

Suzi

 

[Tswifty]

you may be using too much light, and frying it...

I use a 75 watt bulb ran 14hrs per day reverse to my display tank.

Capn, uses a 25 watt spiral energy saver I think around 14 or 16 hrs.

Cheato does not have high lighting or flow requirements, although kicking up the flow every once in a while is a good idea.

Also, I rotate my ball once a week.

 

[Tswifty]

posting a pic of your setup also helps generate better ideas.

As stated above with the die off... you should be monitoring your water for ammonia spikes.

 

[doubletap4311]

I tumble the ball once a week. I have tried more flow. I use the spiral 75, then to a 100 then two hundred. It just keeps dying off.

 

[Tswifty]

I would try backing down the lighting... as I stated above, you may be frying it...

what are your water parameters, what type of housing/environment is it in?

 

[doubletap4311]

parameters are great except nitrate. It's around 20. I started the refrugium 2 months ago. I started with only 75 watt equiv spiral 6500k bulb. after it started dying off I increased lighting with still no good results. I am lost. I'm running a mag 18 on a 150 gallon tank which produces extreme flow through my sum. I have tried to lower the flow too with no good results. I am lost!!!!!

 

[woogy]

I have the same problem...most of my cheato has turn brown and slimy...I had a standard 15w bulb over top of it and it didn't seem to do nothing...I removed at least a 1/4 of it and now have it in a filter bag in the tank in front of the one powerhead which I just started today...My nitrates were about 20ppm but have dropped to 5ppm since putting the cheato in my HOB refugium...but I not sure whether this was due to adding more water volume to my tank or the cheato did help but not growing???...I currently am building a sump which I am going to use a 13wX2 cf light over top of my refugium...I also did run my light 24/7 when I had it on

 

[Aquarist007]

woogy and doubletap4311

alot depends if you are getting nitrates and phosphates to the cheato
eg if your skimmer is too effecient and is skimming the water before it goes to the fuge then you are going to starve the chaeto.

do you both have in sump fuges? and if you could post pictures of the sumps it would really help

also if you don't mind posting to this thread there are alot of knowledgable guys following it right now

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1349443

 

[brians4671]

ive heard supplimenting iron

 

[tony45power]

i have the exact problem for over a year now. my cheato never grows!! my buddy has same exact setup as me and his grow every day. only difference that i have is my skimmer pulls water from the return section and drains into my refugium. after reading capn post thats probaly why its not growing i am starving it i cant belive i never relized that.

 

[Tswifty]

yes... by skimming your water before it hits the fuge, you are depriving it of beneficial nutrients... Although there has been debate about this in the thread you are talking about.

 

[memorysan]

A little comic relief:

?How to say this clean...?

Sailors have such dirty minds...rbursek's post comparing his to his mentor's made me chuckle.

Sorry...

 

[Young Frankenstein]

dose some iron you will see..... and slow flow

 

[inachu]

Re: Cheato dying off

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12206215#post12206215 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by doubletap4311
As stated above. My cheato is continually dying off. I'm using (2) spiral bulbs, 100 watt equivalent in the 6500k range. running them 10 hours a day. any ideas??????????????

What is a cheato and spiral bulb?

Food and a a fancy electrical bulb?

would be cool to see pictures if possible.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12209001#post12209001 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by memorysan
A little comic relief:

?How to say this clean...?

Sailors have such dirty minds...rbursek's post comparing his to his mentor's made me chuckle.

Sorry...

can't believe I missed this one:lol: :rollface: :lol:

not really your mind--its a well known fact that dirty balls can cause a problem and should be cleaned or removed
(bioballs

 

[Aquarist007]

Re: Re: Cheato dying off

Re: Re: Cheato dying off

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12209283#post12209283 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by inachu
What is a cheato and spiral bulb?

Food and a a fancy electrical bulb?

would be cool to see pictures if possible.

energy saver bulb
this one is 25 watts rated to 100

 

[Playa-1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12209001#post12209001 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by memorysan
A little comic relief:

?How to say this clean...?

Sailors have such dirty minds...rbursek's post comparing his to his mentor's made me chuckle.

Sorry...

I had to bite my tongue on that one...