Whats wrong with my refugium?? Cheato wont grow!

[Cory]

never mind this post, i see you posted temperature. Mine is 79-82 daily.

 

[Reef_a_holiks]

if you want to go by my example, my tank parameters are 8dkh alk, po4 0, no3 0, salinity 1.026, magnesium 1250ppm, calcium 400. Some are api, some are salifert.

Personally id raise the salinity to 1.026 as thats what they live in, not 1.024. Could be why it dies. Magnesium seems a bit high and calcium too. Id aim for natural levels if it were me, who knows what higher values do? But if you plan on raising it id ask Randy how to properly do it as your magnesium and calcium would increase with the salinity increase too.

My bio cubes parameters are closer to yours, with salinity even lower then mine and cheato is growing like crazy

 

[Reef_a_holiks]

0 Nitrate could be a factor they need a little nitrate JMO. How long has the tank been running?

Tank has been running for about 6 months now

 

[Cory]

Well if everything is like this I'd try doing water changes and run carbon to see if there is an improvement.

 

[Reef_a_holiks]

Well if everything is like this I'd try doing water changes and run carbon to see if there is an improvement.

Wouldnt carbon remove even more nutrients?

 

[NanaReefer]

New tank syndrome! Lol. Could be your fuge just isn't dirty enough yet. Give it time.

 

[Cory]

Carbon doesn't remove everything, but will remove some stuff. That why both is like double guns.

 

[Reef_a_holiks]

So im back in for another update, New batch of cheato doesnt seem to be dying off , but some parts are kinda losing its color already. Overall most of it is still green , so far not dying away nor growing. So ill update you guys on this in the next few days.

I decided to throw in a bag of carbon this morning, as maybe some kind of toxin or heavy metal in the water is harming the cheato. I seriously doubt this , but worth the try.

 

[NanaReefer]

Are you not using RO/DI water?

 

[Reef_a_holiks]

Are you not using RO/DI water?

I am using RO/DI water

 

[Reef_a_holiks]

So coming in for a quick update. The new batch of cheato has gone down the drain as well. almost completely dead as well. I was thinking, would running filter cause this, not letting the nutrients get to the cheato ?

 

[NanaReefer]

I am using RO/DI water

I asked as you stated that toxins or heavy metals may be getting into your tank. How else would they be introduced?

 

[g6gang]

Tagging along - I have the same problem in my refugium - Dragons Breath or Cheato does not grow (same size for about 5 months) - It does not die like the thread author's - My Dragons breadth is faded and chaeto gets a clumpy snotty mess on it- I think I have flow issues in fuge being too low, also competes wit Skimmer (running 24x7) and only feeding one cube a day (80G tank only 6 small fish)

 

[N1Husker]

My chaeto grows like crazy. I have found that the biggest thing is lighting. I use something very simple for lighting. I have a clamp light that I got at Home Depot for about $10.00 and I put a plant bulb that I got in the garden dept, it was around $12.95 about 3 or 4 years ago. I haven't added anything else, RODI water, filter sock, skimmer runs 24/7. No reactors, no uv, I use Kent Reef Salt, no 2 part, pretty simple set up. 120 gallon tank, 29 gallon sump, max fish load, mixed reef.

 

[reefndude]

So coming in for a quick update. The new batch of cheato has gone down the drain as well. almost completely dead as well. I was thinking, would running filter cause this, not letting the nutrients get to the cheato ?

How's rest of tank doing?

 

[Reef_a_holiks]

How's rest of tank doing?

oops, i noticed i forgot the right ''socks'' can filter socks cause this.
And the rest of the tank seems to be fine.

 

[reefndude]

If cleaned frequently socks remove stuff before it breaks down. Maybe your system is just ultra clean. I believe you said you dose amino acids for corals.

 

[Fishmania21]

I got better grow when there is nitrate in the water. I think too clean water starves them out.

 

[reefndude]

I got better grow when there is nitrate in the water. I think too clean water starves them out.

It absolutely does

 

[moviepastor]

what are your phosphates. my understanding is this thrives on phosphates and nitrates. if it doesnt have a nutrient supply it will die. i have same set up. healthy tank. every time i put chaeto in it dies. i have zero phospate and zero nitrate tho. thats the goal anyway to export the nutrients so chaeto is of no use.