Cheto is getting smaller problem
- Thread starter RTM
- Start date
graveyardworm
Premium Member
What kind of supplements are you adding? How big is the fuge? Lighting on the fuge? Generally when cheato is disintegrating it indicates that something it needs has become limited. Nitrates Phosphates and Iron are ones which it needs the most. The disintegrating is a sort of sporalation effort to get itself into a more desireable environment.
auto_loader
Premium Member
how long has the tank been established? I had some issues with it prevously and beleive I didnt have enough nutrients due to low bioload and newly established tank. After about a year or so I introduced it again after adding a few fish and feeding more and been doing fine ever since.
CeeGee
New member
I seem to be having the same type of problem.
I was dosing some iron but stopped as I was warned that it could seriously harm my SPS. Funny thing is that I have some hair algae growing here and there and it is getting the nutrients that it seems to need. Luckily it isn't out of hand.
I was dosing some iron but stopped as I was warned that it could seriously harm my SPS. Funny thing is that I have some hair algae growing here and there and it is getting the nutrients that it seems to need. Luckily it isn't out of hand.
graveyardworm
Premium Member
Dosing Alk and super buffer? Are you testing for Alk if so what kit. How about PH have you been testing for this?
graveyardworm
Premium Member
I dont know about iron and SPS, but iron is found naturally in the ocean. Plants need it, this includes zooxanthallae in your corals. In aquariums with macros this nutrient can become limited, and have adverse effects, just as too much will have adverse effects.
graveyardworm
Premium Member
Morning low PH can also be a product of having macros and corals, when they respire at night they use O2, and release CO2 this can depress PH levels. What do you have for an evening PH?
3.6 Alk is this dkh, or meg/l
3.6 Alk is this dkh, or meg/l
fantastic4
New member
RTM, try this immediately...
Run a small power head hitting chaeto directly 24/7. Hit chaeto with Melvs light or PC light or anything with strength. Dose iodine, and iron. Give it a week and report back.
Run a small power head hitting chaeto directly 24/7. Hit chaeto with Melvs light or PC light or anything with strength. Dose iodine, and iron. Give it a week and report back.
graveyardworm
Premium Member
A daily fluctuation of 7.8 - 8.0 is perfectly acceptable IMO. Can you test nitrates? If you have livestock getting fed regulary then you probably have enough phosphates. Dosing Iron may help. I'd start with about half manufacturrs recommendation and work your way up. You should also get an iron test kit although natural levels are below what some of the kits can accurately measure.
graveyardworm
Premium Member
It doesnt matter how much light you have if it becomes nutrient limited it'll still disintegrate.
Avast Marine
.Registered Member
Let it go. The tank is low on chaeto food = good. Don't start dosing Fe just to grow macro unless it is a nice looking macro like graveyardworm keeps. I doubt it will completely die as long as you are lighting it a couple hours a day, and when your "chaeto food" starts coming back so will your macro.
scaryperson27
New member
do they feed off of the same nutrient or food?
graveyardworm
Premium Member
If you want your macros to remain healthy and uptake nitrates, and phosphates then the availability of iron is a must. Phosohate to nitrate uptake ratio varies from one macro to another, but in many if not all cases macros will uptake alot more nitrate than phosphate. For example the ratio may be 20:1 or more. So for every 1ppm of phophate your macro needs to have 20 ppm of nitrate of nitrate available otherwise the macro suffers, uptake slows, and now micro algaes come in cause they are better at using phosphate ( possibly a lower uptake ratio ). I cant say for sure how iron might play into this ratio, but I can tell you that if it isnt available your macro growth will suffer, and leave more available nutrients for nuisance micro algae.
I'd like to add that while it may sound counterproductive dosing nitrate in the presence of macros will actually help to reduce nuisance micro algae by helping the macro to meet its uptake ratio needs.
I'd like to add that while it may sound counterproductive dosing nitrate in the presence of macros will actually help to reduce nuisance micro algae by helping the macro to meet its uptake ratio needs.
