how to grow cheato?

Discussion in 'Algae' started by oldfishkeeper, Jan 7, 2014.

to remove this notice and enjoy 3reef content with less ads. 3reef membership is free.

  1. oldfishkeeper

    oldfishkeeper Giant Squid

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2012
    Messages:
    7,660
    Location:
    Cincinnati
    Hi All: I have a ball of cheato in the refugium section of my tank and it hasn't grown at all (after about at least a month). What do I need to do to give it ideal conditions to grow?
     
  2. Click Here!

  3. zesty

    zesty Sailfin Tang

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2013
    Messages:
    1,715
    Location:
    Greenfield, WI
    Light, nitrates and time?

    I added a small air stone to the middle of mine. It keeps the ball floating at the top of my fuge section and I've noticed it seemed to take off growing a faster after I did that.
     
  4. oldfishkeeper

    oldfishkeeper Giant Squid

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2012
    Messages:
    7,660
    Location:
    Cincinnati
    that is a great idea zesty! thx!
     
  5. Ducncover

    Ducncover Skunk Shrimp

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2012
    Messages:
    254
    Location:
    Everett, Wa
    maybe your water is too clean? I thought the point of keeping chaeto was to take up excess nutrients in the water and growing in your sump/fuge rather then growing somewhere as algae in DT?

    do you have other algae in your system that could be out competing for nutrients?

    what type of lighting do you have?
     
  6. affordable Aqua

    affordable Aqua 3reef Sponsor

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2011
    Messages:
    60
    Location:
    Stamford, CT
    What color temp is the lighting you are using? If your light isn't close enough to daylight the chaeto might be starving for the light it needs. I put five 5300K cfl bulbs on my 65 gallon fuge and it quickly grew to fill the tank. Also, if there aren't enough nutrients in the water it wont grow as quickly either. In my experience however, poor lighting is often the main culprit.
     
  7. oldfishkeeper

    oldfishkeeper Giant Squid

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2012
    Messages:
    7,660
    Location:
    Cincinnati
    I have a mini T5 light in there with one daylight and one actinic (this is the light my friend that built the sump recommended) and he's very familiar with fuges. I was just wondering if I should change out the actinic for another daylight? I have nitrates in my tank (low but they are there) so I should have the nutrients for it to grow.
     
  8. Click Here!

  9. affordable Aqua

    affordable Aqua 3reef Sponsor

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2011
    Messages:
    60
    Location:
    Stamford, CT
    I think the lighting is definitely your issue. The T5 daylight is probably 10K and neither is providing the correct spectrum for the chaeto. Sell off the T5 and buy a cheapo clip on reflector and 5000K cfl.

    [​IMG]
     
  10. Fish_whipped

    Fish_whipped Astrea Snail

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2014
    Messages:
    39
    That's what I used before and it grew great.

    Might have also been because I had excessive nitrates lol.
     
  11. DSC reef

    DSC reef Giant Squid

    Joined:
    Dec 16, 2012
    Messages:
    3,817
    Location:
    Cocoa, Florida
    I put a 3 watt single led at 6500k, seems to do good. I have a friend that put a par 38 led bulb from lowes in a dome reflector and its growing great. Some say it has to constantly move but I don't know. I put my cheato in a baffle and it acts like a sponge as water flows to my return pump.
     
  12. texanjordan

    texanjordan Peppermint Shrimp

    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2009
    Messages:
    431
    Location:
    San Antonio, TX
    Im setting up a new system, and I bought one of those exact clip on lights that I am going to be pointing at my fuge. I have a PAR 38 LED flood light that I also got at home depot, will this be sufficient to grow Chaetao and other macro algaes? The light wont be directly over the water, but mounted and pointing at the side of the refugium section of the 55 gallon.