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Recently saw the ball of cheato in my fuge atrophy and shrink even though water had nitrates at 10ppm, strong flow and plenty of light. I've seen it do this before. Anyone else seen their cheato shrink for no apparent reason. Does cheato naturally go through cycles where it grows and shrinks regardless of light, flow and nutrients? (It's growing back now in my fuge even though my nitrates are way down.)

(edited)

I would think phosphates would be a better growth indicator on it. I used to grow it like crazy 1 trim per week. Now that I have a better skimmer it doesn't grow at all. I have undetectable phosphates and nitrates right now though. In the past I have seen cyano out compete the chaeto and stop its growth by growing on the chaeto

Edited by gmerek2

I would think phosphates would be a better growth indicator on it. I used to grow it like crazy 1 trim per week. Now that I have a better skimmer it doesn't grow at all. I have undetectable phosphates and nitrates right now though. In the past I have seen cyano out compete the chaeto and stop its growth by growing on the chaeto

 

That's happening to me right now.  purple goop growing all over the chaeto.

(edited)

That's happening to me right now. purple goop growing all over the chaeto.

Are your nitrate and phosphate undetectable? If so similar situation and you may be better off throwing the chaeto in trash lol try better flow but didn't work for me

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited by gmerek2

I have seen the same thing.  Sometimes it grows so fast I'm pulling half out weekly, others it just sits there collecting glop.  I could list a dozen or so variables, but, as with anything in a reef aquarium, I have never systematically separated them.  I am currently in a major growth phase, but can't tell you if it's because I added some fresh plants from the Gulf, or because I am dosing vinegar as a carbon source, or because I am wearing a tinfoil hat (which must be grounded to be effective, by the way).  Lighting, NO3 and PO4 (currently about 5 and undetectable, respectively) seem to be less important, as long as they are within a fairly broad acceptable range.  

 

My opinion is that, because it is growing asexually, it will peter out after a while and needs new blood.  

Had red cyano grow on top of my cheato too. It was right about this time cheato began to atrophy and nitrates were high 10 to 20ppm. Seems like there is no good reason why it will atrophy. 

I am going to toas it in the trash like Brian recommends and will start over at some point if numbers start going up.

Or are you just happy to see me?

Yep.  It's in my chaeto bucket.  Was going gangbusters for a while and was a beautiful sight, but then petered out.  The chaeto bucket is now an impressive set of 2 large stomatella snails (that somehow made it through the pump and manifold and into the bucket), red bubble algae (which is actually really pretty, I think, with fluorescent orange spots), amphipods, lots of coralline algae, spirobid worms, and a pile of chaeto covered in red slime. 8)

Or are you just happy to see me?

:tongue:

 

Yep.  It's in my chaeto bucket.  Was going gangbusters for a while and was a beautiful sight, but then petered out.  The chaeto bucket is now an impressive set of 2 large stomatella snails (that somehow made it through the pump and manifold and into the bucket), red bubble algae (which is actually really pretty, I think, with fluorescent orange spots), amphipods, lots of coralline algae, spirobid worms, and a pile of chaeto covered in red slime. 8)

I'm starting to rethink the chaeto bucket addition to my build... do you think it's worth doing?

Yep, it really does work to grow chaeto, if chaeto is going to grow in your system.  It's also pretty easy to build.  Worked great for a while.  I just agree with others here that have said that some people can grow it and some can't.  I was one of the "can's" for a while, but now seem to be a "can't."

Maybe you can get into a situation where your other nutrient export methods compete with the cheato causing it to atrophy or not grow.

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