Terry's 120g money pit

[hma]

Cool

[tbittner]

I have a question about Chaeto. I have a huge ball of it in my 100g refugium and I only have about 400gph flowing through it. I have a 6700k daylight T8 florescent, two bulb fixture suspended over it. It's not growing at all. Why not? In fact, it almost looks like it's starting to turn brown just a tiny little bit.

My water tests are Am 0, NitrItes 0, NitrAtes 0-5, Phos 0, Calc 430, Alk 14

You can see a picture of the fuge in the first post.

[hma]

Originally Posted by tbittner

I have a question about Chaeto. I have a huge ball of it in my 100g refugium and I only have about 400gph flowing through it. I have a 6700k daylight T8 florescent, two bulb fixture suspended over it. It's not growing at all. Why not? In fact, it almost looks like it's starting to turn brown just a tiny little bit.

My water tests are Am 0, NitrItes 0, NitrAtes 0-5, Phos 0, Calc 430, Alk 14

You can see a picture of the fuge in the first post.

Chaetomorpha linum does not like a lot of light , however them grows very well in a little darker tank/fuge. Simply a little less light or the available light something darken and you will see, your Cheato grows again. I have Chaetomorpha linum in my breeding tanks as a hiding place for the brood. The breeding tanks are lighted up merely with 11 watts and daylight spectrum.

[tbittner]

Very interesting, Heinz! Everything I've read says to give it lots of light. I'll give it a try by shielding the light for a week or two and see what happens.

Thank you!

[hma]

Originally Posted by tbittner

Very interesting, Heinz! Everything I've read says to give it lots of light. I'll give it a try by shielding the light for a week or two and see what happens.

Thank you!

One sees the alga in the sea in depths from 10 m, the deeper one dives, the closer become the algae. This allows to close on little light need.

[Craig Manoukian]

HMA,

Would an 18 watt daylight bulb be little enough light?

[BigAl07]

Mine grows like MAD under a very weak curly que compact "Energy Efficient" light bulb. I think it's a 40w replacement bulb and it's like less than 12w I think.

[hma]

Originally Posted by Craig Manoukian

HMA,

Would an 18 watt daylight bulb be little enough light?

Yes of course Craig. 18 watt ist OK. You can attach the light somewhere in the stand, it must not even be directly above the water surface. The alga lives predominantly on the metabolite of NH4 and PO4. Because she is able to processe these materials actively in their metabolism and does not deliver this, in case she dies, back to the water.

[Craig Manoukian]

Originally Posted by hma

The alga lives predominantly on the metabolite of NH4 and PO4. Because she is able to processe these materials actively in their metabolism and does not deliver this, in case she dies, back to the water.

24/7 photo period to avoid asexual happening?

[tbittner]

I didn't think that Chaeto ever went asexual....

[Craig Manoukian]

Neither do I, just checking to verify.

[hma]

Originally Posted by Craig Manoukian

24/7 photo period to avoid asexual happening?

The increase with Chaetomorpha linum occurs exclusively asexual !

[tbittner]

I'm sorry, I still don't understand. So the light should be on 24/7 to keep it from going asexual?

[Craig Manoukian]

That's been my understanding based on reseaerch, let's see if Heinz concurs.

[hma]

The light is important for the metabolism of the plant. Only then when the light 24 / 7 on, are NH4 and PO4 dismantled. If the light switched off, every plant CO2 delivers, thus also this alga. CO2 influences the PH value of the water negative. The PH value of the night would fall even more than it already does. For this reason we let the light 24 / 7. with the asexuell propagating light has nothing to do. These algae proliferates only asexuel. It dismisses one to two times a year to the surrounding water Spurs (phytoplankton).