Making Chaeto grow more

[underWoasisjake]

ok sorry it took so long... have dial up which suks A$$!!!

but here is the recent pic of my HOB fuge.... sorry glass is dirty cleaned it the other day.

 

[chris melb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11205870#post11205870 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bergzy
chris,

how's that spinning chaeto coming along?

For some reason it wasnt working well, i think i have problem with nutrients being to hight, i.e epiphytes, i have my N03 at 45ppm, which is quite high, have you experienced cheato die off from that?

Its still been sheding, ive recently isolated the fuge so that it keeps spinning and have done a 70% water change to reduce the N03 down to 10ppm i think that is helping it grow better not sure, it sure hasnt balled up yet, not sure why? But it did pull the N03 down to 0 in two days, so now im going to keep topping it up to keep the nutrients in the tank, im thinking to high of Nitrates and Phosphate can cause nusance epiphytes, have you grown cheato with No3 at around 45ppm.

 

[bergzy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11206168#post11206168 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by underWoasisjake
ok sorry it took so long... have dial up which suks A$$!!!

but here is the recent pic of my HOB fuge.... sorry glass is dirty cleaned it the other day.

the red stuff is cyano and is usually present when there is inadequate flow and high nutrients.

what you might do is siphon off the cyano which is a temp fix. then change to new bulbs...perhaps higher wattage/output bulbs in the 6500k area.

the most important is flow...get good flow running through it but not so much that it is blowing everything away and ripping things apart like the wizard of oz.

once you get that chaeto growing, your nitrates and phosphates should stop dropping.

keep me posted!

 

[Billybeau1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11206306#post11206306 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chris melb
For some reason it wasnt working well, i think i have problem with nutrients being to hight, i.e epiphytes, i have my N03 at 45ppm, which is quite high, have you experienced cheato die off from that?

Its still been sheding, ive recently isolated the fuge so that it keeps spinning and have done a 70% water change to reduce the N03 down to 10ppm i think that is helping it grow better not sure, it sure hasnt balled up yet, not sure why? But it did pull the N03 down to 0 in two days, so now im going to keep topping it up to keep the nutrients in the tank, im thinking to high of Nitrates and Phosphate can cause nusance epiphytes, have you grown cheato with No3 at around 45ppm.

Have you tried dosing some iron ?

Macro aglae and dosing recommendations
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/aug2002/chem.htm

 

[bergzy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11206306#post11206306 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chris melb
For some reason it wasnt working well, i think i have problem with nutrients being to hight, i.e epiphytes, i have my N03 at 45ppm, which is quite high, have you experienced cheato die off from that?

Its still been sheding, ive recently isolated the fuge so that it keeps spinning and have done a 70% water change to reduce the N03 down to 10ppm i think that is helping it grow better not sure, it sure hasnt balled up yet, not sure why? But it did pull the N03 down to 0 in two days, so now im going to keep topping it up to keep the nutrients in the tank, im thinking to high of Nitrates and Phosphate can cause nusance epiphytes, have you grown cheato with No3 at around 45ppm.

hmmm...

high nutrients should make the chaeto explosively grow faster than rosie o'donnels beard...and that is pretty fast!!!

45 ppm nitrates isnt that high...i've had higher!!! but is somewhat high for a reef...

i did notice the light bulb you were using is a small compact fluorescent. what wattage and kelvin is that? kelvin may not be as important but wattage...hmmm...

i have 65 watts of 6500k compact fluorescent about 2 inches from the water surface. i literally almost put the light into the bucket as trying to not waste any photons.

my only theory is that the intense direct light in a very small space along with the circular water movement expedites rapid chaeto growth.

i have found chaeto crumbling from two things especially...

1) not enough light. chaeto loves light. slow flow with lots of light still gets good growth, just thin and feeble strands.

2) not enough nutrients. believe or not!!! you pulled your no3 to zero? but then got i back up to 45? or am i totally off, again???!!!??? so, if your nitrates and phosphates are undetectable...you will see chaeto die off...which happened for me when i was going zeovit full bore...absolutely nutrient free tank...and chaeto died faster than ashlee simpson's career. chaeto die off 'can' be a good thing...it can indicate a very nutrient poor environment.

perhaps you can borrow someone else's test kit and compare the two...maybe you're doing better than you think with butrient reduction!

let me know!

tar.

 

[underWoasisjake]

ok great thanks bergzy!!!!
i will change out the bulb this week....
and i put the smallest powerhead i had in the HOB fuge and got some great current and the cheato is spinning in a ball so i will keep it like this for a while and keep you posted!!!

 

[chris melb]

The main tank has N03 at 45ppm i separated the cheato fuge, but kept in operating and reduced the N03 in that to 10ppm, and it went to zero in three days, then i topped it back up to 10ppm and its going down but slower, and im seeing Nusance algae the cheato is not as clean has stuff growing on it in places.

i thought that the lack of light may have an impact, whilst im using 5,500 or 6,000K my lighting is only 24watts, ill try upgrading that, i was able to get it to grow using a the same light but in a tank half the depth of the fuge that the cheato is in now.

Thanks for your help too, i really like this idea.