Cheato help!

Today's results:

Today's results:

P04 : 0.06 seriously hard to read. Could be 0.04.
N03 : 0.00
Mg : 1420
Ca : 470
DkH : 9.1
 
That is awesome. How much chaeto would you say you have growing, and how many gallons TWV do you have?
You may want to keep an eye on things with no NO3 showing. Or maybe dose some nitrogen. No No3 and alk above NSW can lead to tip burn.
And if you were to dose NO3, you could also get your PO4 lower (if you wanted).
Have you seen this BRS video they just put out?
https://youtu.be/OKNOfwEUdPs
 
To all the questions about whether the cheato can strip the water, yes! It depends on how much light you throw at it, and how many hours you have that light on.. I found that when I went to a trough/tub and the larger light {600 watt led), that it does indeed quickly strip, if I keep it in a strictly reverse schedule.. I have to adjust the photo period to not pull too much nitrate.. Which mine is more effectual at pulling nitrate (which makes sense, because your really doing vegative growth, as far as a plant is concerned).. For an extreme amount of phosphorus, something that flowers (I don't know what), would be extremely effective.. As flowering and fruit production in plants is what's really the puller of phosphorus..

And also on whether it can eliminate a skimmer, no.. Because I also tested this for two weeks.. The skimmer, even though you will find, that it may slow down a little bit, it will pick back up depending on how and what you feed.. I'm too old that, the skimmer helps pull out things "before they revert to elements that the cheato uses for growth and life..

I'm trying to think of what else.. Of light penetration.. You really, if using higher powered lights don't have to worry about the penetration or a need to tumble:completely unnecessary.. And even fruitless effort, unless you just have the desire to see it move.. Because it will penetrate and fuel is growth, absorbing nutrient..

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That is awesome. How much chaeto would you say you have growing, and how many gallons TWV do you have?
You may want to keep an eye on things with no NO3 showing. Or maybe dose some nitrogen. No No3 and alk above NSW can lead to tip burn.
And if you were to dose NO3, you could also get your PO4 lower (if you wanted).
Have you seen this BRS video they just put out?
https://youtu.be/OKNOfwEUdPs

After trimming this 2nd time I kept about a gallon worth if its squished tightly. From that I end up with a 5 gallon bucket full to trim after a week.

I'm aware of the potential issues with lack of N03. Thanks for the heads up. I have increased my feeding to hopefully increase them to about 3. No luck so far. My n Ct move will be to set the Pharos lights to o my be on when the main display is dark. Maybe I'll find a happy balance that way.
 
Looks like my levels have leveled out. N03 0.0 and p04 at 0.06. I'm going to take some of the biopellets out to hopefully bring the N03 to 1-3 which should allow me to bring the P04 down more. The cheato is still growing like mad.
 
Looks like my levels have leveled out. N03 0.0 and p04 at 0.06. I'm going to take some of the biopellets out to hopefully bring the N03 to 1-3 which should allow me to bring the P04 down more. The cheato is still growing like mad.

Why not take most of the cheato out?
 
Cheato help!

Why not take most of the cheato out?



I did, 4 times so far. Harvested 5 gallons each time and left 1 gallon to regrow. As soon as it gets to the point where it starts bleaching from the lights I harvest it. P04 went down from 0.16 to 0.04 then settled at 0.06. N03 went from 12 to 0.

If the decrease in biopellets does not result in N03 rise and drop in P04 I'll pull some more next week. If that does not work then I was thinking of using a small dose of Sea Clear to knock down the P04 and letting the Cheato maintain it hopefully.


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How's the corals looking? Are you getting any cyano from the nitrogen limitation?
You may want to dose some nitrate if decreasing the biopellets doesn't work. I think i read somewhere that at less than .03, Seakleer won't pull out much in the way of phosphates, but starts to precipitate out your alk.
 
High jacking here a bit, but does anyone have a link for how to on dosing potassium nitrate?
 
Most use potassium nitrate (stump remover from the big box store)
I picked up some sodium nitrate off Ebay. Mixed 100g with 200ml RO. I end up with 250ml of solution. 1ml of solution added to 64 gallons will raise NO3 about 1ppm.
HTH
 
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