Algae out competing chaeto in refugium

[Pezking182]

So as the title says I believe that my chaeto is being out competed in my fuge by some hair algae and Dino's (brownish mat type slime with bubbles in it). I think that this is causing a uln condition and it affecting corals.

This problem is isolated to the fuge section of the sump only.

I run a grow light for 18 hours a day opposite the display lights with over laps on ramp up and ramp down. This and dosing kalk in my ato keeps ALK and pH stable.

I keep my ALK at 9dkh (red Sea). My nitrates and phosphate always read zero (API, seachem).

What would be the best way to reach gain control of the fuge/low nutrients?

Can I just scrape and shop vac the fuge and do an equal volume wc? Or feed more heavily to bring up nutrients? Black out?

Currently I'm feeding 1x a day to the tank pellets/frozen mysis/reef roids/pellets/clams/reef roids in that rotation for a variety.

 

[Flippers4pups]

So as the title says I believe that my chaeto is being out competed in my fuge by some hair algae and Dino's (brownish mat type slime with bubbles in it). I think that this is causing a uln condition and it affecting corals.

This problem is isolated to the fuge section of the sump only.

I run a grow light for 18 hours a day opposite the display lights with over laps on ramp up and ramp down. This and dosing kalk in my ato keeps ALK and pH stable.

I keep my ALK at 9dkh (red Sea). My nitrates and phosphate always read zero (API, seachem).

What would be the best way to reach gain control of the fuge/low nutrients?

Can I just scrape and shop vac the fuge and do an equal volume wc? Or feed more heavily to bring up nutrients? Black out?

Currently I'm feeding 1x a day to the tank pellets/frozen mysis/reef roids/pellets/clams/reef roids in that rotation for a variety.

I suspect light spill from the refugium light, correct?

 

[Pezking182]

The light is directly over the section I'm question. Light spill into the return section has produced no algae at all.

 

[Infinite Reef]

I would pull out everything, scrub real good and get new macroalgae as well.

You could also try a black out for a few days but it would probably be easier just to start fresh

 

[PatW]

I found 2 problems with macro algae.

1) They require light. I did fine with just a Home Depot LED. But then I ramped up the DT lights for photosynthetic corals. The algae withered. I installed a powerful Kessel H380 and the chaeto did fine.

2) They require nitrates and phosphates. When either of these hit 0, the chaeto dies. I measure nitrates with the Red Sea Pro detectable limit of .25 ppm and phosphates with Hanna ULR.

I dose nitrates and phosphates maintaining Nitrates at 1 ppm and phosphates at .02 ppm.

 

[ZoWhat]

What chaeto light are you using?

This what i use and it ROCKS! Grows chaeto like Audrey2 in the movie Little Shop of Horrors ...Lol



Its a combo of 650 and 450nm light. It will rock your chaeto

SCREWS IN TO A TYPICAL BULB SOCKET like a Floodlight

AMAZON;

https://www.amazon.com/Thinklux-Gro...1553353249&s=gateway&sprefix=par+grow&sr=8-12

 

[Pezking182]

I would pull out everything, scrub real good and get new macroalgae as well.

You could also try a black out for a few days but it would probably be easier just to start fresh

Any drawback to this? Like bio filter benefits?

 

[Flippers4pups]

@Pezking182, with N03 and P04 being zero, this is likely the issue. If the chaetomorpha is growing and is green and healthy, you have some nutrients. Running a refugium is in most cases a means of nutrient export, which you have very little.

Better test kits may shed more light on what your levels really are.

If your truly at zero, consider taking refugium off line for so time till you have the nutrients to support running it.

 

[Pezking182]

It's

What chaeto light are you using?

This what i use and it ROCKS! Grows chaeto like Audrey2 in the movie Little Shop of Horrors ...Lol



Its a combo of 650 and 450nm light. It will rock your chaeto

AMAZON;

https://www.amazon.com/Thinklux-Gro...1553353249&s=gateway&sprefix=par+grow&sr=8-12

A Canna grow light. Heavy in reds and uv. It grows the chaeto well. But it also is growing the nusiance algae and stunting the growth of chaeto do to low nutrients uptake

 

[Pezking182]

@Pezking182, with N03 and P04 being zero, this is likely the issue. If the chaetomorpha is growing and is green and healthy, you have some nutrients. Running a refugium is in most cases a means of nutrient export, which you have very little.

Better test kits may shed more light on what your levels really are.

If your truly at zero, consider taking refugium off line for so time till you have the nutrients to support running it.

Interesting solution. I will have to move my heater up to the display temporarily.

New kits are on order.

 

[ZoWhat]

It's


A Canna grow light. Heavy in reds and uv. It grows the chaeto well. But it also is growing the nusiance algae and stunting the growth of chaeto do to low nutrients uptake

Really? And you know this how?

Im a 1yr 100% completely satisfied user of the product... and you are.... (?)

 

[Pezking182]

Really? And you know this how?

Im a 1yr user of the product... and you are.... (?)

I don't know what you mean? This is the light.

CANAGROW LED Plant Grow Light, 100W Waterproof Full Spectrum LED Grow Lights for Indoor Plants, New Technology Cob Led Grow Light, Natural Heat Dissipation Without Noise https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D3LW3MH/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_10KLCbY483PFT

 

[Flippers4pups]

Interesting solution. I will have to move my heater up to the display temporarily.

New kits are on order.

It's sort of a balancing of competition for nutrients. When one has enough coral mass and nutrients to support them, excess nutrients that they can't process can be up taked by macro algae. This condition out competes nuisance algaes.

 

[Firemanreefkeeper]

Are you flipping your chaeto every once in a while? I get growth like you are describing so I flip it over. I also took mine out with some WC water and gave it a good rinse and a shake. It knocked off hair algae and stopped the slime growth.

 

[ZoWhat]

I don't know what you mean? This is the light.

CANAGROW LED Plant Grow Light, 100W Waterproof Full Spectrum LED Grow Lights for Indoor Plants, New Technology Cob Led Grow Light, Natural Heat Dissipation Without Noise https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D3LW3MH/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_10KLCbY483PFT

Im saying i have a "chaeto grow out section" and use this light to grow out chaeto like crazy.

Even if NO3 is undectable on a test.... does not equal there being zero NO3 in your water column. Chaeto eats the NO3 very we quickly to get the test on NO3 to 0 very quickly.

Practical everyday use speaking here. Man i wish there were two sections within the reef section 1) theoretical advice and 2) hands on practical advice.. @revhtree

With thus light dedicated to growing out chaeto, even if NO3 tests bounce btwn 0 to 2.....the chaeto does NOT die off. Its either sustaining chaeto weight and volume or grows.

Now. . Yes extended periods of NOOOO light with low low nuttients will die off chaeto.

But with a light such as this...... in over a year ive never seen die-off with rUunning this ight running 24/7.


.

 

[Pezking182]

Are you flipping your chaeto every once in a while? I get growth like you are describing so I flip it over. I also took mine out with some WC water and gave it a good rinse and a shake. It knocked off hair algae and stopped the slime growth.

I do flip it regularly. I get hair algae and some slime with bubbles on the glass and bottom

 

[Pezking182]

Im saying i have a "chaeto grow out section" and use this light to grow out chaeto like crazy.

Even if NO3 is undectable on a test.... does not equal there being zero NO3 in your water column. Chaeto eats the NO3 very we quickly to get the test on NO3 to 0 very quickly.

Practical everyday use speaking here. Man i wish there were two sections within the reef section 1) theoretical advice and 2) hands on practical advice.. @revhtree

With thus light dedicated to growing out chaeto, even if NO3 tests bounce btwn 0 to 2.....the chaeto does NOT die off. Its either sustaining chaeto weight and volume or grows.

Now. . Yes extended periods of NOOOO light with low low nuttients will die off chaeto.

But with a light such as this...... in over a year ive never seen die-off with rUunning this ight running 24/7.


.

Good points. A new test kit may help identify a more accurate nutrient level. That being said I am getting some growth of chaeto but also and increasing amount of nusiance algae. My primary concern was that the nusiance algae seem to be consuming more nutrients (growing faster)than the chaeto. Which I beileve maybe be why I am reading zero on my test kits. As before the outbreak my chaeto was growing fine and I had 5-10 ppm nitrates and .1 po4.

 

[theMeat]

Would increase flow in fuge area to promote cheato instead of nuisance algae , and decrease light time in fuge to increase nutrients

Would also feed more than once a day, but don’t know your livestock’s needs. You could also increase portion size for single feed

 

[PerplexyHexy]

It's


A Canna grow light. Heavy in reds and uv. It grows the chaeto well. But it also is growing the nusiance algae and stunting the growth of chaeto do to low nutrients uptake

I use the same light... just lower photoperiod and test weekly... start by lowering an hour each week, then test no3 and po4 until your where you wanna be. Im running the 300w cannagrow only 5 1/2 hours from 11:00pm to 4:30am and its keeping me steady. Your light is the 1 puck so its a 1/3 as strong as mine... just to give you an idea... flow is important as well too, like stated above... just gotta find that ohotoperiod for the macros to be most efficient at... use it as a tool

 

[EmptyWallet]

I have the exact same problem and now just live with it. I consistently test 0.00 phosphate (hanna checker), 0.03 at most and <1 nitrate (salifert) with a Kessil H380 blasting an external refugium. I moved from a refugium in the sump to a 'plastic bucket' external fuge because I got sick of the nuisance algae 'filthing up' my sump. Now, weekly I simply turn off the manifold, unplug the plastic fuge bucket, take it outside, trim the chaeto back to 10% (the inner ball is the cleanest, by now the surface area is completely covered in slime and GHA), scrub the bucket walls and discard the filth water. 10 minutes work and back to crystal clear water and clean fast growing chaeto. Rinse and repeat the next week. It's not ideal, but far better than it growing in the display or sump! I hope t0 one day conquer nuisance algae entirely in my tank and have 'perfectly clean' chaeto do all the work.