Water to clean for Chaeto?

[brucewrs]

Is that possible?I have 0 nitrates.I also run a phosban reactor and carbon reactor.Running 2 protein skimmers,the stock one and the Euro reef in the sump.
It seems like my Chaeto is dying.Keeps breaking apart into small pieces.

 

[elmafioso52988]

Are you adding iron suppliment? Cheato need it to grow

 

[zenzence]

Hey Bruce,
What color is the cheato?

Chad

 

[brucewrs]

Hey Bruce,
What color is the cheato?

Chad

It was green.Now its like a clear with a brown tint.

 

[brucewrs]

Are you adding iron suppliment? Cheato need it to grow

I was adding Iron but stopped because I read that doing weekly water changes is enough.

 

[Reefmack]

I'd agree that water changes should be enough. I'd be afraid that adding an iron supplement will cause other algae to grow. Where do you have the chaeto? Does it get enough current and light? Do you turn it over every few days, and pull some if it gets too thick?

 

[brucewrs]

I'd agree that water changes should be enough. I'd be afraid that adding an iron supplement will cause other algae to grow. Where do you have the chaeto? Does it get enough current and light? Do you turn it over every few days, and pull some if it gets too thick?

I have it in my first chamber in my sump.I had a few different lights.Just got a different bulb from Home Depot.Its a 5000k light.Melv reef web site had a big article on bulbs and chaeto.Lets see if that works.

 

[Reefmack]

Hopefully the new bulb will help. If that fails, and the chaeto is too far gone, you might need a fresh hunk of it.

 

[tnwillia]

Could it be starving cause your cleaning everything it eats out before it gets it? Just wild guessing....

 

[brucewrs]

Well the chaeto is suppose to eat nitrates thats the reason why we use it?....I dont have any so maybe thats the reason?

 

[jaubuchon]

I lost a bunch of Chaeto once, I figured out that it was because I was dosing Ca and Alk too close to it. I was able to save a small piece, but the rest did just what you said... Shrivled up and turned brown/clear. I now have the chaeto upstream of where I add supplements.

 

[brucewrs]

I lost a bunch of Chaeto once, I figured out that it was because I was dosing Ca and Alk too close to it. I was able to save a small piece, but the rest did just what you said... Shrivled up and turned brown/clear. I now have the chaeto upstream of where I add supplements.

That could very well be the problem..I sometimes add the ca and alk to that chamber....Thanks,I will add it to the other chamber so by the time it reaches the chaeto it would have gone thru the whole tank first.