chaeto

[guppychao]

can chaeto go bad?

[Brian Ward]

ummmm... only if it dies... i think.

[zygote2k]

I have some that constantly fights with my Ochtodes. Just try to keep those two seperated...

[zygote2k]

I have some that constantly fights with my Ochtodes. Just try to keep those two seperated...

[Grav]

If bubbles are getting into your fuge, they can stick to any macro, cause it to float and kill it. Makes for a stinky mess.

 

I've seen the stuff go for weeks without light and not die, but sure... poor conditions can kill anything.

 

Perhaps a bit more info would help us help you.

[guppychao]

have a maxijet 900 feed my fuge from the tank. had some cyno grow on some of the Chaeto, and recently siphoned out half the detritus in the fug. the Cheato is still mostly green, however some a parts have cyno.

 

2 water parameters out of wack, DKH is high 14, and nitrates 1-5 ppm

 

only test those 2 plus calcium and mag.

 

use GFO, and carbon, been changing that once a week to once every other week.

 

trying to figure why my nitrates are still so high with the macro algae in place

thanks

[zygote2k]

1-5 ppm NO3 is fine for just about anything unless you're fanatical about trying to go ULN. I keep my chaeto in direct flow from the overflow coming from the main tank. It actually gets diffused light from the sides because the top is covered with a colored lid. It is kept in constant motion so as not to allow detritus and other unwanted algaes to settle on it. I have found that sponges grow rapidly on/in the chaeto when it is kept in this fashion. It gets all the air bubbles too and actually filters them out from going anywhere else. I keep it suspended in the water column by placing a sheet of eggcrate approximately 6 inches above the bottom of the 'fuge. This way, I can siphon off detritus without disturbing the chaeto. I have never had an issue with rotting or dying chaeto either.

I also grow some in the brighly lit area of the 'fuge too. It grows in a different form here- long, straight-ish filaments as opposed to tightly coiled masses in the other less lit area. It also grow maybe 3 or 4 times quicker here. I use a Koralia Nano to move the water in this area. I have found that if there is not enough water moving through the chaeto, it traps detritus and nuisance algaes much like a filter sponge. It will even harbor cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates.

I suspect that if your chaeto is dying, it is the result of not enough light and not enough flow. Just pull off the dead areas and keep the rest.

[sen5241b]

My chaeto died off after one of fuge bulbs went out and I was down to only 10 watts. It rotted out and fragmented slowly --but it did die without light. I'd say you need at least 15 or 20 watts of halogen or florescent light for a softball size piece. 5K is good also but others have grown chaeto with less.

[zygote2k]

I see a re-occurring trend here: Use as little amount of light as possible to light the 'fuge.

If you want your plants to grow and flourish and use up whatever nutrients are being made available, use a higher wattage of light. It seems that evryone belives in an overkill of light when it comes to corals, why not the same attitude towards the macro that you're trying to use for nutrient export?