Chaeto just will not grow!

I ordered the exact bulb from Melevs reef. Mine did not grow at all in the DT with the normal lights. It has taken off like crazy with the 5100k bulb. What are your nitrates?
Nitrate is fertilizer and plants need it to grow. I don't know about the turning white thing, but if it's not growing for a lack of nitrates and phosphates it's probably a good thing. It shouldn't be dying though that's weird.

 

correction

Yes i did mean 5100k, sorry about the confusion. I took the phosgard and purigen out. I guess i'll wait until the fish show ick before i put it back in. I haven't tested my phosphates and nitrates in a few weeks. Testing takes a while and this is the busy season for my business. It's hard to find time. You are right though, i should do it if i want to find the heart of the problem. I have a UV Steralizer coming, 2 65w 14,000k CP, and 2 10,000k 250w MH bulbs. I think most of my problems lately are because the lighting in my tank was just really old. That dosn't explain the cheato problem but it could all be tied together i guess with the cyano spores.

What is the ideal steps for growing chaeto? It's been around for a while so there has to be a 12 step plan or somthing. I've admitted it ... i have a problem with my chaeto. So what's step 2?

 

Yeah.. I would get on the testing wagon.
What type of corals do you have?
If all is well I wouldn't worry too much about chaeto not growing.
Although it should normally be growing with a normal bioload.

 

ok guys i think i should point this out they dont make bulbs for aquariums or plants above 20,000k so count your zeros ppl.

the only program for cheato is
light+fertilizer+cheatomorpha= more cheatomorpha

i dont think we can really help out more as we have addressed the lighting and cheatomorpha(since you have some) part of the equation. the only thing left is fertilizer aspect and only you can check that with a test kit.

 

I think there might be more to it than that. I did the tests last night. Phosphate is reading 1.2 on the high range (diluted) test but on the regular test is reads between .5 and 1 ppm My nitrates are really high from what the tests say. I used the nitrate test kit and phosphate test in the red sea mini lab. It showed up as bright pink in both the high and low range tests but didn't match any of the colors listed. I used a dip strip to see if i could get a reading. It said nitrates are between 40 and 80 ppm but that dosn't make since because my fish are alive and well. Nitrates that high would kill everything in my tank right? I still have lots of red legged hermits, shrimp, a hippo tang, dashardi sail fin tang, one manderin goby and 2 clarkey's.

Is anyone growing chaeto with photosgard and Purigen in their tank at the same time? I took mine out yesterday and saw today there are little strings starting to form. Much smaller than the chaeto that was in there like maybe new growth is starting?

Everything

 

I think there might be more to it than that. I did the tests last night. Phosphate is reading 1.2 on the high range (diluted) test but on the regular test is reads between .5 and 1 ppm My nitrates are really high from what the tests say. I used the nitrate test kit and phosphate test in the red sea mini lab. It showed up as bright pink in both the high and low range tests but didn't match any of the colors listed. I used a dip strip to see if i could get a reading. It said nitrates are between 40 and 80 ppm but that dosn't make since because my fish are alive and well. Nitrates that high would kill everything in my tank right? I still have lots of red legged hermits, shrimp, a hippo tang, dashardi sail fin tang, one manderin goby and 2 clarkey's.

Is anyone growing chaeto with photosgard and Purigen in their tank at the same time? I took mine out yesterday and saw today there are little strings starting to form. Much smaller than the chaeto that was in there like maybe new growth is starting?

Everything that lives has ideal living criteria. does anyone have a link to somthing similar online for chaeto? I've looked and found a big mix of oppinions but nothing that looked factual.

 

no fish adapt to bad water conditions, of course it might be a shock to any incoming fish. i would try replacing the original pc lamp if it doesnt pick up.

do you do water changes?

edit: also there no more to it then that, plants only need the right light, the correct elements(fertilizer), water(its in aquarium), co2(fish and gas exchange provide). they take these conditions and use them to grow in a through a process i like to call photosynthesis

 

i think its ideal living conditions are the oceans parameters, i.e. the parameters of a healthy saltwater tank. i dont think its anything else then either the light or lack of elements for it(if you skip water changes it could cause a lack of them especially iron if it was growing before)

the only other thing it could be is if your tank is really off on ph or temperature, or salinity

 

I'll know more in a few days i guess. I wrote an email to seachem asking about what has happend. It does seem a little odd that the day after i take the purigen and phosgard out of the tank i see new groth when i've had a month of constant die off? As i said above it's not a lot of groth just a few very little balls forming about the size of 14lb fishing line. If that's the start of a new crop and all i did is take the media out of the sump i think it would be safe to point the finger right? What i'm confused about is why are my levels so high but the chaeto isn't growing? there's alot of "fertilizer" in my tank. i'm giving it good light from a brand new bulb that others have had double groth over night with.

 

you could have a different strain of chaetomorpha, i dont know if there are different ones tho.