boobookitty
Active member
I tagged onto a previous thread but got no answers, so thought I'd start my own. I'm relatively new to macros (but learning 
), so be gentle...
I added a CPR HOB refugium (18"x4"x12") on a 75g tank. I stocked it with chaetomorpha, and have it primarily for pod growth and macro...I put it in specifically because I was having a nitrate issue. The nitrates, although better, are still an issue, with around a 5ppm increase a week, so I'm wondering if the chaetomorpha just isn't growing well enough (I've also been searching for reasons why the nitrates are an issue in the first place, since I have a DSB, but that's a different story).
The fuge is the 18" long version, around 3 gallons, with live sand, pods, etc. For lighting I'm currently using a 20W NO flourescent - an ugly Home Depot special - but it doesn't seem to light the 'fuge well enough, so I've just ordered a 55W PC fixture with a 5000K bulb. Could lighting be the issue? Phosphates are fairly low now (after a series of water changes a month ago), around 0.1. In addition to the chaetomorpha, I also put in there some of the red gracilaria that the LFS sell for tangs - it's not growing much, mostly I just use it for storage of a handful while I feed it to the tangs over a month's time.
I *have* noticed a macro growing pretty well, though, and I've had to harvest it a couple times already. Forgive me for not knowing the name, but I'm just starting to get familiar with macro - it starts its life as long thin green strands that grow from the sides of the fuge, which eventually thicken up into flat blades that start to get crinkly after a while - looks like long blades of green grass. Does this sound like ulva? This stuff grows like wildfire in the 'fuge. I didn't put it there, but I've had it grow in the tank before, so it made its way to the fuge.
Any ideas for increasing chaetomorpha growth? I've hesitated to add iron without learning more about this, and I'm wondering if the 55W PC is too much for the 'fuge (but I got a decent deal on the fixture, so I took it ).
Thanks for any help...
bbk (aka Arthur)
), so be gentle...I added a CPR HOB refugium (18"x4"x12") on a 75g tank. I stocked it with chaetomorpha, and have it primarily for pod growth and macro...I put it in specifically because I was having a nitrate issue. The nitrates, although better, are still an issue, with around a 5ppm increase a week, so I'm wondering if the chaetomorpha just isn't growing well enough (I've also been searching for reasons why the nitrates are an issue in the first place, since I have a DSB, but that's a different story).
The fuge is the 18" long version, around 3 gallons, with live sand, pods, etc. For lighting I'm currently using a 20W NO flourescent - an ugly Home Depot special - but it doesn't seem to light the 'fuge well enough, so I've just ordered a 55W PC fixture with a 5000K bulb. Could lighting be the issue? Phosphates are fairly low now (after a series of water changes a month ago), around 0.1. In addition to the chaetomorpha, I also put in there some of the red gracilaria that the LFS sell for tangs - it's not growing much, mostly I just use it for storage of a handful while I feed it to the tangs over a month's time.
I *have* noticed a macro growing pretty well, though, and I've had to harvest it a couple times already. Forgive me for not knowing the name, but I'm just starting to get familiar with macro - it starts its life as long thin green strands that grow from the sides of the fuge, which eventually thicken up into flat blades that start to get crinkly after a while - looks like long blades of green grass. Does this sound like ulva? This stuff grows like wildfire in the 'fuge. I didn't put it there, but I've had it grow in the tank before, so it made its way to the fuge.
Any ideas for increasing chaetomorpha growth? I've hesitated to add iron without learning more about this, and I'm wondering if the 55W PC is too much for the 'fuge (but I got a decent deal on the fixture, so I took it ).
Thanks for any help...
bbk (aka Arthur)
. The light is a shoplight that I bought from Lowes for 20bucks, and it is even waterproofed. Sorry, no pictures.
