Help! chaeto dying

[kelogz08]

Hi fellow reefers,

I have a nano tank with a built in sump on the bank which i use as a refugium with chaeto in it. I use a regular spiral type daylight bulb i bought from home depot to light the refugium and I run it in reverse of my main display. However, my chaeto keeps on dying (turning brown) and it is my third time buying it. I am just wondering because my nitrate levels are between 20-40ppm and my phosphates are 2ppm. In addition, there are some algae growth in my main display, therefore, it should have enough nutrients in my water to feed the chaeto.

I can't seem to understand what am i doing wrong. please help

 

[ohana888]

what are the rest of your tank params?

 

[kelogz08]

ammonia is 0ppm or almost 0ppm
nitrite is 0ppm or almost 0ppm

i use the API saltwater master kit

 

[kelogz08]

here are pics of the chaeto in the sump

 

[Tonyscoots84]

What test kits are you using?
Which light are you using over the algae?

 

[tunicata]

Hey once you figure out what's wrong (I know I had that problem a long while back and when I changed over from regular light bulbs or Compact fluorescent my chaeto never became transparent again!).

I now grow chaeto and dragons breath in my sump without a problem. Not sure why other people can use those CF bulbs and be alright, but I needed Par38 (ordered mine on Amazon, 54w, 8 bulbs, blue and red for like $15 I think).

Not saying that is your problem but that was mine.

Anyway, if you need more chaeto when you figure it out/experiment, I can give you some for free. I live in BK too, 11238.

 

[kelogz08]

tunicata, is it similar to what people use to grow their plants indoors?

 

[kelogz08]

tonyscoots,

i am using API saltwater master kit and a daylight compact flouresent (spiral bulb) which is 60w equivalent

 

[Dan_P]

I would consider more light or moving your current light very close (don't electricute yourself! Watch out for salt water getting into the light fixture!).

I have macro algae collected from Long Island Sound that just sat or worse died until I lowered the CFL spot light (5000K) to within a few inches from the algae. I started to harvest algae after adding a second spot light. Caulerpa, however, does not do well with so much light. I am not sure if Chaeto is like Caulerpa or more like the algae I collected.

As for nutrients, my nitrate (Salifert) and phosphate (Hanna ULR) levels are undetectable and I still have vigorous growth. Caulerpa in the display tank is growing OK under a pair of T5's.

 

[dubs]

U need a 75 to 100 watts clear screw In bulb and ur good to go ge or Phillips make them 3:49 for 2 think those are the bulbs I used I have no issues growing cheato

 

[kelogz08]

do you guys run the light for 24hrs or opposite to the light in the main tank?

 

[j0hnnyb0y13ave]

When I first started my tank I kept buy and buy chaeto and kept dying and dying thought it was the lights I was using a reg house 65w flood bulb.. I turned my light on to 24/7 and still nothing.. My nitrates where 0 so figured I'd start to add more fish as I need and wanted more anyways and slowly as I added more fish nitrates went up a bit between 5-10ppm and that's when my Chaeto took off.. Idk how long your tank has been up but I could tell u higher the nitrates and the more light the more it will grow and grow.. I take 1 gallon size zip lock bag out every 2 weeks and it's covered in pods and stars.. Good luck and if u ever wanna stop by and grab some instead of paying 20$ for a softball size let me know

 

[kelogz08]

my nitrates are about 20-40ppm. Right now about 50% of my chaeto is dying and would really appreciate you guys giving out chaeto

 

[kelogz08]

Finally, they stopped dying! And it wouldn't stop growing. it filled up my built in sump. I might be giving out free portions by next week.

 

[raultsu]

what did you do to keep it from dying?

 

[kelogz08]

i have an ordinary 60w equivalent compact fluorescent bulb from home depot. I placed it very close to the chaeto and run the lamp for 24 hours

 

[gared]

I have mine 24hrs turned on. The chaeto doesnt stop growing actually started dying because of low nutrient levels. lol

 

[Dan_P]

I have mine 24hrs turned on. The chaeto doesnt stop growing actually started dying because of low nutrient levels. lol

What are your nitrate and phosphate levels?

A couple thoughts...nothing normally lives under 24 hours of light, so, not sure this light cycle is optimum. Secondly, I am having good success growing native macro algae with no detectable nitrates or phosphates. Red hair algae is even doing well. It is possible that Chaeto is dying for another reason, like the 24 hour light cycle.

 

[kelogz08]

i tried doing only at night but they die. My nitrates are 5ppm but phosphate is 5ppm

 

[greenstreet.1]

What do you keep you mag at ?