Chaeto just will not grow!

Discussion in 'Algae' started by Nikon Samurai, May 18, 2009.

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  1. Nikon Samurai

    Nikon Samurai Bristle Worm

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    I had a chaeto growing thick in my fuge when i first purchased my set up. ND3_5420.jpg The guy had a 10,000k corallife bulb on it but the bulb/fixture was twice the length of the fuge so i wanted to replace it so coraline wouldn't grow on my pump and skimmer. I did the reaserch and saw on 3reef people were posting this link everywhere
    Melevsreef.com - Refugium Bulb so i ordered 2 of the 51000k bulbs. I put both of them in my fuge and cut my chaeto back to half so it would have room to grow. I was expecting it to take off based on the way people have been talking on here. It's been 2 months and now my chaeto is almost gone. ND3_7293.jpg It is very brittle, most of it is skattered on the bottom. I've tried putting a powerhead in the fuge to increase flow. That made it turn white really fast so i took that out. I have only had one light in it now for the past month. I tried turning the flow valve on the mini pump feeding water way down then cyano started growing so i turned it back up. Now I hooked up a new pump to see if maybe a little more flow coming over the edge would be better than when i had the karola nano powerhead in it. Would a maxijet 400 be to much flow for chaeto? I just don't get it, the posts on here make it seem like this is an easy thing. What can i be doing wrong.
     
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  3. sostoudt

    sostoudt Giant Squid

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    i had a problem with my chaeto it wouldnt grow well under my halide in my dt, but recently it has taken off now that i use flourscent and t5 bulbs above it. it growth rate has tripled now that i have a coralife colormax bulb above it, yea not ideal for a reef tank i know but the chaeto loves it.
     
  4. sostoudt

    sostoudt Giant Squid

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    also i dont think its flow issue as i have a powerhead pointed right into it. i think its probably a light issue or nutrient one
     
  5. tigermike74

    tigermike74 Panda Puffer

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    I have very little flow in my fuge and my cheato looks like a giant afro. It started out the size of 4 golf balls, now it's like a basketball and will be pruned very soon, some of it is coming out of the water. I have my light very close to the surface of the water. I'm using a 6500K 16W CF spotlight from Lowes and it works great.
     
  6. Nikon Samurai

    Nikon Samurai Bristle Worm

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    what if

    About the same time i switched the bulbs and cut the chaeto back i put the following two mediums in the sump. I know they take out the stuff chaeto needs to grow but would it cause the chaeto to turn white and die off?

    SEACHEM PURIGEN
    SEACHEM PHOSGUARD
     
  7. bioreefdude

    bioreefdude Fu Manchu Lion Fish

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    +1 that might be it also it make still be recovering from the red slime algae covering next time you do a water change take the chaeto and wash it in waste water and cut off the dead pieces if be any it should come back to life
     
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  9. dixiedog

    dixiedog Coral Banded Shrimp

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    It won't grow for me, either, and I use the same bulb Tigermike mentioned.

    I've got some caulerpa in the fuge now; I'm gonna see how that works.
     
  10. AaaRr

    AaaRr Spaghetti Worm

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    Your lighting Kelvin is way to high you want something like 27000-30000K to grow it really well. You could go to lowes get a clip on light by a growing flood light and use that for best results I think.
     
  11. dixiedog

    dixiedog Coral Banded Shrimp

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    I'm pretty sure he meant to say he ordered two 5100K's, not 51000K. ;)
     
  12. sostoudt

    sostoudt Giant Squid

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    to tell you the truth im not crazy about those regular cf bulbs, as there not made with the idea of growing plants in mind. they may not put out the spectrum you need, grow bulbs incompass a bunch of different wavelengths of light to produce the visible kelvin rating.

    edit: but it could just as easily be phosgaurd, what your phosphat and nitrate levels?
     
    Last edited: May 18, 2009