Chaeto in reactor going brown and full of air bubbles...why?

[fr3n0z]

Hi guys i have a diy chaeto reactor. Been away 3 weeks, when back it was very full and chaeto was in good shape, params we're good did a 20% wc and harvested nearly all chaeto, left a couple of golf ball size in the reactor. Closed all and go, it started growing again pretty fast a week after i've staarted noticing that was going brownish and gettin full of bubbles as in the photo. Reactor is in reverse cycle and light are on about 16hrs a day.

What can be? is it dying (surely does not look good ) what can be the cause?

In the last period i had eavily dosed on PO4 with sodium phosphate since wasn't gettin any reading of po4...stable at 0.03 (tested with tropic marin and JBL). I have dosed probably around 3ppm (NOT 0.3ppm) in around 10 days and still no reading. corals till now are doing good but chaeto...

Tomorrow i will empty the reactor and give a good clean to the chaeto in the hope to save few grams so that i don't have to buy it again.

 

[theMeat]

If you have zero po4 why you doing water change and running cheato for 16 hours? Where’s your nitrate level?

 

[a.t.t.r]

Looks coated in Dino’s. Throw it under a scope and see

 

[fr3n0z]

If you have zero po4 why you doing water change and running cheato for 16 hours? Where’s your nitrate level?

Reactor was put in place since the start because i had to go away 3 weeks and noone was there checking on tank so i tought was a good thing to try to maximise nutrien export since i could not do WC during those weeks. Since it has worked pretty well i would have liked to go with with this WC every 3/4 weeks.

Looks coated in Dino’s. Throw it under a scope and see

i tough to that too, but since never had dinos in the display (i have a small aio) i am not sure. I do not have a microscope a part from a small electronic one that i use for soldering, noting on a cellular level. Dino should wash off chaeto easily? I've rinced it and it does come off but it demand a bit of a rub.

 

[theMeat]

So where’s your nitrate level?

 

[fr3n0z]

So where’s your nitrate level?

3 days ago was around 15ppm

 

[Tathamet]

i tough to that too, but since never had dinos in the display (i have a small aio) i am not sure. I do not have a microscope a part from a small electronic one that i use for soldering, noting on a cellular level. Dino should wash off chaeto easily? I've rinced it and it does come off but it demand a bit of a rub.

It does look like dinos to me as well. Possibly Cyano. If you happen to have a uv sterilizer on hand you can toss it in and see if it helps. It doesn’t work on all Dino species though. You also may want to turn off the reactor light for a couple days while the uv is running so it releases from the chaeto.

one test that works for ostreo (which UV works on) I think was to collect some in a small clear cup (a shot glass should work). Stir it up or swish it through a turkey baster so there aren’t any strings/strands left in the water. And put it under a strong light source. If it collects back into snotty looking strands after 30 or so minutes you’ve got dinos.

I noticed it all collecting back together into strands in the cup during the time it took to check under the microscope.

 

[fr3n0z]

It does look like dinos to me as well. Possibly Cyano. If you happen to have a uv sterilizer on hand you can toss it in and see if it helps. It doesn’t work on all Dino species though. You also may want to turn off the reactor light for a couple days while the uv is running so it releases from the chaeto.

one test that works for ostreo (which UV works on) I think was to collect some in a small clear cup (a shot glass should work). Stir it up or swish it through a turkey baster so there aren’t any strings/strands left in the water. And put it under a strong light source. If it collects back into snotty looking strands after 30 or so minutes you’ve got dinos.

I noticed it all collecting back together into strands in the cup during the time it took to check under the microscope.

i will surely give it a try if does not get better now that i cleaned the reactor and the chaeto, still some attahced. Surely the chaeto wasn't looking healty, i will not be surprised if it dies completely.

Just i wonder how come there is dyno or cyano in the reactor and not in the tank (at the moment)...i never had yet ciano or dyno outbreak, i did add a couple of rocks with frags that we're coming from a tank in dismission that had cyano problem.

 

[Tathamet]

i will surely give it a try if does not get better now that i cleaned the reactor and the chaeto, still some attahced. Surely the chaeto wasn't looking healty, i will not be surprised if it dies completely.

Just i wonder how come there is dyno or cyano in the reactor and not in the tank (at the moment)...i never had yet ciano or dyno outbreak, i did add a couple of rocks with frags that we're coming from a tank in dismission that had cyano problem.

hmm. well I’ve found the dinos like to collect in places where it gets the best light but I would expect it to be in your display as well. especially at the stage it’s at in your pictures.

My chaeto looked just like yours except the glass was pretty coated in mine. I have a bit of Cyano as well and it doesn’t seem to spread nearly as fast or bad as the dinos did so it’s possible you have some sort of Cyano.