Chaeto died what do I do with my fuge now?

[JosephM]

What kind of fuge light do you have?
How deep is water where cheato is?
How many gallons is fuge, and what’s gph ?

Cheap Amazon grow light, maybe about 8-10”, fuge is maybe 15x12 but occupied by small skimmer and big bag of matrix, approximately 350gph running through the system. Fuge is low flow though, it doesn’t tumble (I manually flip and turn it whenever I remember or about every 2 nights +-)

 

[JCM]

If you're having to dose nutrients, why not just skip the algae? throw some live rock or other suitable medium in for pods to live/reproduce, turn the light off and forget about it.

 

[theMeat]

Cheap Amazon grow light, maybe about 8-10”, fuge is maybe 15x12 but occupied by small skimmer and big bag of matrix, approximately 350gph running through the system. Fuge is low flow though, it doesn’t tumble (I manually flip and turn it whenever I remember or about every 2 nights +-)

Would try a few dif types of macro. Maybe cheato and caulerpra, see which one does better in your tank, and that’s the one for you.
Find that cheato likes higher flow, caulerpra low flow. Cheato likes red/blue light, caulerpra daylight.
Doubt low iron is the issue this soon into it, and would check magnesium levels.
Think 8,10,12 hours on opposite your display lights is the way to go. Too little and the macro dies. Too much doesn’t take too much nutrients out, it just grows slower, more stringy, and less green. Which is a good visual of what’s going on in your tank. Ime

 

[theMeat]

Stupid bright, but grows chaeto

Tried this light for about 2 months and gha started taking over. Took it off and cheato took over again. Wish they made it in a less powerful model because it’s a nice water resistant design. Far as I can tell it only comes 100 or 200 watt and the 100 was way too strong in my 20” deep fuge

 

[JosephM]

If you're having to dose nutrients, why not just skip the algae? throw some live rock or other suitable medium in for pods to live/reproduce, turn the light off and forget about it.

That was kind of my point in starting this thread but it seemed like everyone wanted me to put chaeto back in lol

Would try a few dif types of macro. Maybe cheato and caulerpra, see which one does better in your tank, and that’s the one for you.
Find that cheato likes higher flow, caulerpra low flow. Cheato likes red/blue light, caulerpra daylight.
Doubt low iron is the issue this soon into it, and would check magnesium levels.
Think 8,10,12 hours on opposite your display lights is the way to go. Too little and the macro dies. Too much doesn’t take too much nutrients out, it just grows slower, more stringy, and less green. Which is a good visual of what’s going on in your tank. Ime

I tried both and they both died. I do have that red grow light. Magnesium was 1580 last I checked (couple weeks ago), it’s always been high since I started the tank.

Tried this light for about 2 months and gha started taking over. Took it off and cheato took over again. Wish they made it in a less powerful model because it’s a nice water resistant design

That’s the exact light I have and tons of GHA in sump that sea hare has been chowing down on.

 

[JCM]

That was kind of my point in starting this thread but it seemed like everyone wanted me to put chaeto back in lol

Seems counterproductive to me. If you're having to dose nutrients you obviously don't need the additional export. "Cryptic fuges" grow pods well too

 

[theMeat]

That was kind of my point in starting this thread but it seemed like everyone wanted me to put chaeto back in lol

I tried both and they both died. I do have that red grow light. Magnesium was 1580 last I checked (couple weeks ago), it’s always been high since I started the tank.

That’s the exact light I have and tons of GHA in sump that sea hare has been chowing down on.

Sorry, did you mention where your nutrient levels are?
Maybe have your skimmer off for 4,6,8 hours a day?
Gha can out compete and grow on/cover up macro. Gets nasty. Maybe do a complete lights out in fuge for a few weeks and physically remove as much gha as you can. Then once gha all gone put macro in and start slow with light (8 hours)

 

[theMeat]

Seems counterproductive to me. If you're having to dose nutrients you obviously don't need the additional export. "Cryptic fuges" grow pods well too

Agreed. If nutrients low by other means. Rock, rock rubble great habitat for pods

 

[JosephM]

Sorry, did you mention where your nutrient levels are?
Maybe have your skimmer off for 4,6,8 hours a day?
Gha can out compete and grow on/cover up macro. Gets nasty. Maybe do a complete lights out in fuge for a few weeks and physically remove as much gha as you can. Then once gha all gone put macro in and start slow with light (8 hours)

last tested 2 days ago nitrates were around 10 (salifert) and phosphates were 0.02 (hanna ULR) so I dosed 0.02 ppm. Lights out is smart, I'm letting the GHA be so my sea hare doesn't starve, I've grown to like him lol

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

That was kind of my point in starting this thread but it seemed like everyone wanted me to put chaeto back in lol

I tried both and they both died. I do have that red grow light. Magnesium was 1580 last I checked (couple weeks ago), it’s always been high since I started the tank.

That’s the exact light I have and tons of GHA in sump that sea hare has been chowing down on.

Sounds like the GHA is outcompeting the chaeto. But as long as your display is clean does it really matter? Perhaps after the sea hare eliminates all of the GHA, try some chaeto again?

 

[JosephM]

Sounds like the GHA is outcompeting the chaeto. But as long as your display is clean does it really matter? Perhaps after the sea hare eliminates all of the GHA, try some chaeto again?

Yeah. I think my game plan right now is let the sea hare feast until all GHA is gone and then pick up some chaeto grow and try chaeto again.

 

[Subsea]

If you're having to dose nutrients, why not just skip the algae? throw some live rock or other suitable medium in for pods to live/reproduce, turn the light off and forget about it.

Seems counterproductive to me. If you're having to dose nutrients you obviously don't need the additional export. "Cryptic fuges" grow pods well too

kudos to the above post.

Nutrient management should not be 100% focus on export. By the very nature of growing desirables, nutrients are uptaken by desirables, which is how I use the term “nutrient recycling”.

 

[JosephM]

kudos to the above post.

Nutrient management should not be 100% focus on export. By the very nature of growing desirables, nutrients are uptaken by desirables, which is how I use the term “nutrient recycling”.

Thats true. Maybe I should get the sump clean and let it run for a while without dosing N03 and P04 and see if they skyrocket or plummet. I’m a big believer in high import high export. I do have a filter sock, skimmer, 1L of matrix, and about a lb/gal of live rock so maybe I have enough surface area for enough bacteria to be able to export my heavy import. It’ll be interesting to see tbh

 

[JCM]

kudos to the above post.

Nutrient management should not be 100% focus on export. By the very nature of growing desirables, nutrients are uptaken by desirables, which is how I use the term “nutrient recycling”.

Agreed. The goal should be matching imports and exports to produce a consistent equilibrium. It will need tweeking occasionally, but if you're having to dose nutrients daily you're not balanced. There are obviously a hundred ways to achieve that balance, but that should be the focus in my opinion.

 

[Tamberav]

Well after a good month of thriving and trimming back bi-weekly my chaeto decided to let go and die on me. I think it might have been too large of a trimming or maybe the other algae’s in my fuge outcompeted it. What ideas do you guys have for a fuge? I don’t want DSB or anything that’s high in maintenance or super hard to clean. Should I try chaeto again, or some other macro? Right now it’s just bare with my sea hare putting in some work and pooping like crazy. In reality unless my N03 and P04 start climbing I’m fine with no extra export but I want a safe haven for pods as I’m planning on getting a mandarin real soon.

Put Caulerpa in it. Easy to grow. Otherwise put some decorative or editable macros in it.

I hate messy cheato. Doesn’t work as well as Caulerpa for nutrients (if that is the goal) and picky and can’t feed it to fish like ulva or ogo. Not pretty and profitable like red dragons breath, string of pearls, or blue hypnea.

Really cheato doesn’t have much going for it IMO You can stuff it in a reactor I guess.

This is my fuge when it needed a dire trimming lol

 

[JosephM]

Put Caulerpa in it. Easy to grow. Otherwise put some decorative or editable macros in it.


I hate messy cheato. Doesn’t work as well as Caulerpa for nutrients and picky and can’t feed it to fish like ulva or ogo. Not pretty and profitable like red dragons breath, string of pearls, or blue hypnea.

Really cheato doesn’t have much going for it IMO

This is my fuge when it needed a dire trimming lol

I think your corals gave you a gift of some frags beautiful set up though. I’m gonna try and see if I can balance my system without macro so I’m not always having to dose and then I can add some LR rubble. Who knows maybe in a week I’ll need more export and go back to macros. A nice little experiment I’ll say

 

[JosephM]

Quick question. I know chaeto absorbs phosphates and nitrates but is the nítrate intake higher then phosphates? I tested today and got 0.03 ppm phosphates so I dosed 0.02 more (currently have beginning signs of dinos so I’m shooting for 0.07-0.1ppm but my nitrates seem to be creeping up. It was between 10-25ppm (salifert) ~15ppm if I had to guess. Shall I keep observing and continue feeding and exporting normally (without chaeto) or should I take action to lower nitrates someway?

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

Quick question. I know chaeto absorbs phosphates and nitrates but is the nítrate intake higher then phosphates? I tested today and got 0.03 ppm phosphates so I dosed 0.02 more (currently have beginning signs of dinos so I’m shooting for 0.07-0.1ppm but my nitrates seem to be creeping up. It was between 10-25ppm (salifert) ~15ppm if I had to guess. Shall I keep observing and continue feeding and exporting normally (without chaeto) or should I take action to lower nitrates someway?

That is why I have several types of macro algae in my fuge. I think each one may have somewhat different nutrient sweet spots as they tend to alternate in how well they are flourishing. None completely die out, but I do notice differences from time to time in how well they are growing, and how much I must harvest

 

[Subsea]

Quick question. I know chaeto absorbs phosphates and nitrates but is the nítrate intake higher then phosphates? I tested today and got 0.03 ppm phosphates so I dosed 0.02 more (currently have beginning signs of dinos so I’m shooting for 0.07-0.1ppm but my nitrates seem to be creeping up. It was between 10-25ppm (salifert) ~15ppm if I had to guess. Shall I keep observing and continue feeding and exporting normally (without chaeto) or should I take action to lower nitrates someway?

Phytoplankton absorbs N in a ratio of 16:1 and is called the Redfield Ratio. When I had Gracilaria Parvispora, aka red Ogo, tested the ratio of N was 30:1.

 

[Subsea]

That is why I have several types of macro algae in my fuge. I think each one may have somewhat different nutrient sweet spots as they tend to alternate in how well they are flourishing. None completely die out, but I do notice differences from time to time in how well they are growing, and how much I must harvest

consider what owner of ReefCleaners said about growing mixed culture of macro:

Stocking a Refugium - Reef Cleaners

A refugium is a safe place in your system. It is usually a tank that is plumbed into your main system where you keep delicate species, or try to grow copepods,

www.reefcleaners.org

That is why I have several types of macro algae in my fuge. I think each one may have somewhat different nutrient sweet spots as they tend to alternate in how well they are flourishing. None completely die out, but I do notice differences from time to time in how well they are growing, and how much I must harvest

Our Philosophy:

You want both consistent nutrient uptake and pulse nutrient uptake macros and saltwater plants in your tank.

Here is what I mean by those terms: (They use similar terminology in phycology by the idea is exactly the same)

Consistent Macros- Macros that need nutrient at a high levels, all the time to thrive. They filter out nutrients quickly and are effective at dealing with established nutrient problems.

Pulse Macros - Can handle periods of low nutrient levels well, and are long lived plants

Middle of the Road Macros - as you may have guessed, these macros and plants are somewhere in the middle. They grow quickly in high nutrient tanks, but can endure longer periods of low nutrition as well.

Consistent Macro Algae and Saltwater Plants: (High nutrient uptake - not in any particular order)

• Cactus Caulerpa
• Caulerpa Mexicana
• Caulerpa Prolifera
• Chaeto
• Dictyota ciliolata
• Fern Caulerpa
• Manatee Grass
• Grape Caulerpa
• Saw Blade Caulerpa
• Spider Algae
• Suction Cup Caulerpa
• Oar Grass

Middle of the Road: (Medium nutrient uptake -grows quickly under high nutrient conditions - not in any particular order)

• Red Mangroves
• Black Mangrove
• Botryocladia (Red Grape)
• Christmas Tree
• Green Gracilaria
• Halimeda (Monile)
• Halimeda scabra (Money Plant)
• Halymenia
• Halymenia duchassaignii
• Red Gracilaria
• Mermaid's Wine Glass
• Mermaid's Shot Glass
• Pencil Cap
• Scroll Algae
• Shaving Brush
• Ulva
• Acanthophora spicifera (Spiny Algae)

Pulse: (Low nutrient uptake - can store nutrients when they become available - not in any particular order)

• Codium
• Mermaid's Fan
• Laurencia
• Spatula Algae
• Red Titan Algae
• Sargassum
• Fauchea
• Fire Fern
• Flame Algae
• Liagora
• Pink Galaxy

[The most ideal refugiums offer a combination of all 3. The slower filtering algae is there for when your tank stops producing such high nutrient levels. Because they all compete for space, proper trimming of the consistent macros keeps them in check. The slower growers hedge your bet so to speak in case the faster growers have some die off because of lack of nutrients. (You can limit this with proper pruning) There is a long article about this at chuck's addiction that explains the idea better. It is here:]

http://www.chucksaddiction.com/algae.how