Macro will not grow, other algae types doing wonderful. Confused.

[Reef This]

I have a 24" Aquafuge lit by a 18w Jalli fixture with a 6700k Daylight bulb in it.

Chaeto will not grow, it absolutley will not. Or grows for a short period, then dies. I have nitrates, testing about 8ppm, phosphates, I haven't tested lately, although, I will tonight. But, I am sure they have returned, because in my display tank, the green surface algae has returned, most surface algae was brown before now. The fuge was just completely replaced, I bought LS from the LFS here, and had a serious Cyano problem in the first fuge. So I just put a small sand bed (from a bag of dry sand)in this fuge, and the brown algae has now covered the fuge, even turned the Chaeto a little brown, and I can already see spots of red on the brown, and a large area of the same green surface algae that's in the display tank.

I don't know why, I don't know what to do. I'm getting frustrated, and am about to chunk this whole reef thing. Need some help.

55g
75# LR
24" Aquafuge
Prizim
2" SB that's partly siphoned during each water change.

 

[billsreef]

What's the depth of the Aquafuge? If it's more than about 10"-12" than it might need some brighter light. Another thing I find with green macro's is that they tend to do better when iron is added to the tank. Most iron supplements from the LFS will work, even though thier target market is FW planted tanks

 

[MDboyz]

I have the same thing happens to my cheato.
It turned brown and died. I'm trying to add Iron to see if it helps. BTW, green algea is taking over my main tank. The fuge is light up with 65W LOA light.

 

[Reef This]

Let me know, I've beyond confused.

 

[palmisanonet]

I have an identical problem (macros wont grow), and am along for the read.

 

[MDboyz]

I'm adding iron for almost a week now.
Still there are some die off.
I don't test for phosphate yet. However, would anyone think phosphate will affect their grow?...

 

[kmk2307]

MDboyz
I think phosphate would affect their growth. Even in very low phosphate conditions most macroalgaes can at least manage to stay alive and grow slowly. I agree with Bill that more light may be in order. I have a 20L 'fuge and I have two 42w PC lamps. You can get screw-in lamps from Wal-Mart and a cheap dome light fixture to supplement your current lighting.

palmisanonet,
What is your water chemistry like? What kind of macros have you attempted to grow? What kind of lighting are you attempting to grow them under?

Kevin

 

[palmisanonet]

palmisanonet,
What is your water chemistry like? What kind of macros have you attempted to grow? What kind of lighting are you attempting to grow them under?

Kevin

Short readings list:
SG - 1.025
Ammonia/Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - Not tested lately
Ca - 480
Alk - 13
PO4 - ~1.0 [1]

Ive had just about every type of macro algae in the refugium. Currently there is some grape and chaeto, both of which have only receeded since I put them in there a month ago.

The fuge light is a LOA 65w PC fixture.

The fuge is covered with cyano (DSB and about ten pounds of live rock), but the display is cyano-free.

[1] I know phosphate is high. I put a Rowaphos phosphate sponge in a few weeks ago, and its levels are on the way down from 2.5+ ppm.

 

[MDboyz]

MDboyz
I think phosphate would affect their growth. Even in very low phosphate conditions most macroalgaes can at least manage to stay alive and grow slowly. I agree with Bill that more light may be in order. I have a 20L 'fuge and I have two 42w PC lamps. You can get screw-in lamps from Wal-Mart and a cheap dome light fixture to supplement your current lighting.

Kevin

I don't think it's the light problem. A lot of people have the LOA 65W for their fuge too. Mine is a 20 Gal fuge, so I think the light is enuff for it tho. I last guess is Phosphate. I will get the test kit and see how much phosphate I have. BTW, I'm using the RO/DI water, and I just changed all my filters. I guess the Phosphate comes in from all the frozen food I feed.

 

[kmk2307]

MDboyz,

What I was trying to say is phosphate is important to growth but even in low concentrations your algae shouldn't be dying off.

Kevin

 

[Reef This]

I only use an 18w Jalli, but the source I get my Chaeto from (He crops it just for me anymore) is lit by the same light, and his grows like a mofo. Out of control.

I still don't see how the Cyano and Diatoms only grow in the fuge, and not in my display tank. My balls of Chaeto are almost all the way dead now, I'm just waiting for him to get back in town so I can get some more.

 

[palmisanonet]

I still don't see how the Cyano and Diatoms only grow in the fuge, and not in my display tank. My balls of Chaeto are almost all the way dead now, I'm just waiting for him to get back in town so I can get some more.

Mine is an identical problem. The fuge is covered with cyano, but the display has none. The main difference is the current in the fuge, as its flow is very low, while the display has a relatively high current.

 

[bob124578]

I have always found that macro grows better under 10K lights -- the redder 65k's and such tend to favor the micro algaes and the macro gets covered in it.

Change those bulbs -- if they are old they may have shifted to an even redder spectrum.

 

[bastion666]

Along for the ride as I'm also in the exact same situation:

1) Little to no growth of chaeto in my fuge under 13W 10K PC

2) Red cyano and blue-green algae on the fuge's DSB

3) No cyano in the main tank (yet), but I've seen a couple strands of it in the sump near the outflow from the fuge.

4) Light green algae in the main tank covering the wall and non-coralline covered sections of LR.

I haven't tested for phosphates, but would assume that the macro would eat it up.

Currently doing a 72 hour "no light" in the fuge to see if I can kill off the cyano. Also, after I saw the cyano really starting to spread I put in a 45GPH powerhead into the fuge just to get some more water flow. Ironically, cyano strands are now streaming off of the chaeto in the highest water flow area.

Oh the humanity!!!!

 

[palmisanonet]

If nothing else, Im glad Im not the only one in a similar situation.

Let us know if the no-light in the fuge for three days does anything.

 

[Reef This]

Can I get 10k Bulbs for the Jalli light?

I'd be willing to try it, hell at this point I'm willing to try anything. I don't know what else to do.

 

[Reef This]

I put a small powerhead in the tank, 50gph pond pump, and it's made absolutley no difference in the amount of Cyano, it's still growing in the last 4 days.

I'm going to try the darkness thing too, then get more Chaeto, and see what happens.

I wonder if the dying Chaeto causes Cyano bacteria to form.

 

[bastion666]

After 72 hours of darkness my cyano had significantly reduced. There were only a couple of patches left on the side of the sump, and the DSB was clean.

With words like had and was, you probably know where I'm going with this. I went back to a regular photo period and am experiencing yet more cyano growth.

This time it's coming back in strings, waving about in the current. No growth (or reduction in growth) of the Chaeto. In fact, cyano is growing on the macro too. Argh!

I wonder if there are so much nutrients in the DBS (all of the sand is from an established tank) that the cyano is utilizing them before the Chaeto is.

Next step is to "go dark" again and test for phosphates. My Salifert kit should be here in the next couple of days.

The saga continues....

 

[palmisanonet]

I also noticed a reduction in cyano during the dark periods of the fuge. In the evenings when the fuge light comes on, the cyano is only slightly red. In the mornings, after having light for twelve hours, its a dark red.

Ironically enough, the display is looking pretty good lately. Aside from a small algae growth spurt in response to a MH light bulb change, it looks great.

Still tagging along, though. Id love to be part of the 'my macros grow like crazy' crowd.

 

[Reef This]

Yeah, it's irritating, I'm going to go dark for a few days as well. Keep me posted.