Cheato not growing

[BIGD0G]

I have a 180g tank that has been up almost a year now. I added some cheato about 6 months ago and it was growing well. Since I have added a carbon/GFO reactor to get the phosphates down. I also have vertex alpha 200 skimmer. The bio load is low in that I only have a couple clowns, a CUC and a few corals. I also do auto water changes now changing 10% each week. Now that the phosphates and nitrates are down the cheato has been dwindling slowly as now is very small and thin. I have tried changing lights and for the last 3 months been using a 6500k CFL at night.

My phosphates now are .02 and nitrates are about 2.

Any ideas why the cheato will not grow? Is the water too clean? Not enough of a bio load?

Thanks got the help.

 

[xrayjeeper83]

Cheato won't grow when you have low nitrates and phosphates. Take it as a positive not a negative.

Id be more worried if it was growing like crazy

 

[BIGD0G]

Cheato won't grow when you have low nitrates and phosphates. Take it as a positive not a negative.

Id be more worried if it was growing like crazy

Thanks and I agree it is a positive just wanted to validate this was the case. I will try it again in the future when I have a heavier bio load and higher nitrates.

 

[xrayjeeper83]

I need to get some in my 75 I'm sure it would triple in size in no time lol

 

[thegrun]

With nitrates and phosphates at your levels there should be some growth. How deep in the water is the chaeto? Is should be very near the surface, if not prop it up. You may also be low on iron, algae needs iron. If you are low on iron be careful on your dosing, it can fuel algae growth in you display tank as well as your refugium. Iron s the one trace element I do dose on a regular basis. Red Sea makes a fairly decent test kit for iron.
P.S. it's Chaeto as in Chaetomorpha Algae, not Cheato which I believe is a cheese flavored snack!

 

[oh207]

+1

Cheato won't grow when you have low nitrates and phosphates. Take it as a positive not a negative.

Also keep in mind that if you allow the chaeto to die (usually thin out and turn white) it will be releasing those nutrients back into your tank as it dies. You don't want that to happen.

 

[ViktorVaughn]

I would think your levels of phosphate and nitrate should be just fine to grow some Chaeto as thegrun said. My levels are undetectable for both nitrate and phosphate but I still get some growth out of it and need to prune it back at least once a month or it just turns into too large of a ball and becomes way too dense. I'd try and target some other issues associated with Chaeto growth problems before blaming nutrients.

 

[boxfishpooalot]

Don't kid yourself in nature chaeto grows fast and phosphate and nitrate are much lower there. Add a plant grow light like an led with red and it will take off guaranteed.

 

[BIGD0G]

Thanks all. I ordered an Iron test kit and a new Grow light bulb to try as well. Will test them out and see if it is low iron and if the new bulb helps.

 

[Kearnel]

The chaeto I had the first time died of in a hurry, got more, changed my light, tested for iron, added iron and away it went. I'm not even sure it does much, for my system anyway other than providing a perfect place for all the good stuff to grow. I've always had it so I leave what works alone.

 

[Boom]

my macro has grown substantially since I started dosing iron, magnesium
sulphate, iodine, and potassium chloride. The elements that are depleted in different peoples tanks vary. Any limiting factor even temperature and flow will affect their growth.

 

[swk]

I never had luck with chaeto. I do grow caulerpa and dragons breath like mad though. Maybe try a different macro?

 

[Boom]

I never had luck with chaeto. I do grow caulerpa and dragons breath like mad though. Maybe try a different macro?

That's true, too! I have 4 different red kelp, 2 chaetos and 3 other green macros growing in the fuge. They seem to all have different growth spurts.

 

[ca1ore]

As noted unlikely that phosphate and/or nitrate are limiting factors. Use a LED light with plenty of red spectrum (either a dedicated red/blue bulb of something in the 5000K range) and try iron dosing. I have to do the latter in my tank to get macros to grow.

 

[BIGD0G]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I put a new LED bulb in today that is a dedicated red/blue bulb and also tested for Iron. The test showed 0 on the iron. I bought some Ferrous Gluconate to make an iron supplement. Will start dosing it tomorrow and see if the 2 of them will help.

 

[Silvergryphon]

I used a red/blue LED Bulb for a while and got no measurable growth. I switched over to a 6500k bulb and it is getting noticable growth now.

 

[swk]

I used a red/blue LED Bulb for a while and got no measurable growth. I switched over to a 6500k bulb and it is getting noticable growth now.

Same here. I received a fuge light led bulb from a vendor. Didn't see anything fantastic about it. Switched it out for a 6500k cfl and the results were staggering.

I was also running too much bulb for it too. Using a par 38 led fixture over a small fuge just cooked most stuff. Stepping way down in power has caused no discernible difference in growth for me as well

 

[Boom]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I put a new LED bulb in today that is a dedicated red/blue bulb and also tested for Iron. The test showed 0 on the iron. I bought some Ferrous Gluconate to make an iron supplement. Will start dosing it tomorrow and see if the 2 of them will help.

Notice any difference in your chaeto growth after a month?

 

[BIGD0G]

Notice any difference in your chaeto growth after a month?

Actually I am starting to see it grow now. I have changed several things and what little I had left is starting to grow and thicken up now. I have been dosing iron every 3 -4 days. I added a red/blue LED grow light and went back to my original JBJ LED fuge light. I run both together now. I also increased the time the lights run from 12 hours a day to 20.

All of this has made a difference for me.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[tanksfishtank]

I agree that it is a good sign it is not growing. That means low levels of nitrates which is generally a good thing!