Is my cheato dying
- Thread starter R.W.
- Start date
HammerDude33
In Memoriam
how old is this refugium? i remember when i started mine, i had some die off in the beginning, and so did many others i've spoken to. i don't remember now if i had that striped problem, but i remember it not doing well.
meanwhile, plants thrive under the lower kelvin lamps- i use 6400k 23 watt energy saver bulbs like above.
i use a mix of a few different caulerpas as well, but i have to remove about 6" in a salt bucket a month.
( my lfs gives me 3 dollars a handfull for it)
i run my lights on a similar schedule as the display, since keeping it lit on an opposite schedule would cause my frag tank and display to lose it's night(they are all exposed and in the same room).
it's definitely not mandatory to run the lights 24/7, and i was under the impression that the only reason people did this was to cheat the caulerpa's out of a sexual event.
i don't see why you would have to run 24/7 for chaetomorpha...
sand beds/mineral muds/bare bottom, should not have an effect on the macroalgae's growth.
if the tank is brand new,i would be willing to bet, the lack of nutrients in the water is the problem.
meanwhile, plants thrive under the lower kelvin lamps- i use 6400k 23 watt energy saver bulbs like above.
i use a mix of a few different caulerpas as well, but i have to remove about 6" in a salt bucket a month.
( my lfs gives me 3 dollars a handfull for it)
i run my lights on a similar schedule as the display, since keeping it lit on an opposite schedule would cause my frag tank and display to lose it's night(they are all exposed and in the same room).
it's definitely not mandatory to run the lights 24/7, and i was under the impression that the only reason people did this was to cheat the caulerpa's out of a sexual event.
i don't see why you would have to run 24/7 for chaetomorpha...
sand beds/mineral muds/bare bottom, should not have an effect on the macroalgae's growth.
if the tank is brand new,i would be willing to bet, the lack of nutrients in the water is the problem.
ihopss
Premium Member
one of the reason for having the chaeto is for it to uptake nitrates and phosphates. when it does it doesn't change colour like that pictured--rather it turns very dark green and healthy looking due to photosynthesis.
Granted phosphate will cause browning of corals if this is what you are referring to
That was not what I was referring to,I was talking about nutrients for it to grow,you have it(nitrate)or yours would not do good.
Granted phosphate will cause browning of corals if this is what you are referring to
That was not what I was referring to,I was talking about nutrients for it to grow,you have it(nitrate)or yours would not do good.
Aquarist007
New member
why would you clean a fuge. IMO it defeats the main purpose of it all together--to produce a greater variety variety of copopods and usefull bacteria for the tank.
Aquarist007
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11918732#post11918732 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pikachusalad
Any chance you can ditch that piddly little clump and get a nice new green one (see Capn H's pictures above)? (Not trying to make fun..just what I would do).
I keep my lights on 24/7. I have to trim (and throw out considerably more than you have pictured)... I dunno...maybe monthly?
Next time you drive to Minneapolis, bring me a couple cases of Molson Ice and I'll give you a couple big bunches...
Also...what lightbulb are you using?
mine started like that and I used the same bulb that Lance is posting:
after two months with the light on 24/7:
Aquarist007
New member
then increase the height of the baffle with a piece of solid acrylic
As the cheato gets denser it will sit lower in the sump and won't flow over a high baffle with the water
that will also slow down the speed of the water passing through your sump giving the chaeto more time to work on the water
R.W.
New member
my tank has been running since jan 7th 2008, there still is no fish in the tank, even though i used everything cured. I am allowing my biofilter to develop a lot before i add anything. Right now all i have in there is 25 hermits, 5 turbo snails, 2 conchs. The cheato came from my fish guy and i think it looked like that when i got it.
mixed_reefer
In Memoriam
you dont have much nutrient production in the tank with no fish, once you stock it the chaeto will grow. It looks fine to me, nothing wrong with the chaeto and no need to start over. That thin ball will fill your fuge up before you know it.
Aquarist007
New member
you posted the words out of my mouth:lol: The chaeto needs phosphates and nitrates to grow.
also I would throw some food in there for the size of that clean up crew--pieces of raw shrimp etc. what they don't eat will be transformed into nitrates and phsophates for the chaeto to use
