Chaeto keeps dying

[Rangers26]

I’m in desperate need of help because I’m completely at a loss as to why I can’t keep Chaeto alive.

I used to grow so much that I’d have to throw it out or sell 5-gallon buckets every other week. That system was eventually shut down, and my dad and I built a new setup. But ever since then, every time I add Chaeto to this system, it dies. I even swapped my Kessil fuge light for a Mars Hydro grow light, and my most recent batch is still dying.

We’re running a 375-gallon display and a 220-gallon display plumbed into a 150-gallon sump. The 375 had been running for about two years before we connected the 220.

I do have a QT system, so all fish go through quarantine. I avoided adding a cleanup crew for a long time, and the tank got pretty dirty. Nitrates and phosphates were very high, and when the fish got ich, I had to treat the display with copper. So, the tank didn’t get the care it needed for a while—but all my fish are now happy and healthy.

We’ve been doing 200-gallon water changes weekly for months now. Phosphate has come down to around 0.4 ppm, and nitrate is about 10 ppm. My last ICP test showed copper as undetectable.

I’m running a 120-watt UV and an MRC Pro-2 skimmer. I do have two large bashsea reactors I add carbon and gfo to also!

Because we’re changing so much water, we’ve been using Instant Ocean salt. My current parameters are:

• Alkalinity: 8.4 dKH
• Calcium: 269 ppm
• Magnesium: 1130 ppm
• pH: 8.3 ( Apex probe might be bad)
• ORP: 184 (it’s been low for a while)

I’ve attached my most recent ICP test as well. I really hope you can help me figure this out—I’ve put so much time and effort into this system, and I can’t understand why I can’t get Chaeto to grow. I’ve dosed pods and phyto, added batches of snails, hermits, and starfish, and even blow out the rocks before every other water change.

We’ve been keeping reef tanks for a long time and have had great success with corals, but this one has me stumped. Also my tank is not overrun with algae until recently I’ve finally had a cyano outbreak.

 

[Baby Damsel 219]

is there a lot of flow hitting the macro algea

 

[Rangers26]

The sump has around 3 - 4000 gph moving through it

 

[Baby Damsel 219]

Why 4000 GPH might be too much​

• Macroalgae may tumble violently and get torn apart
• Could prevent proper nutrient absorption, because water passes too fast
• Might stir up detritus that stresses other tank inhabitants - chatpt

 

[Fish Fan]

Why 4000 GPH might be too much​

• Macroalgae may tumble violently and get torn apart
• Could prevent proper nutrient absorption, because water passes too fast
• Might stir up detritus that stresses other tank inhabitants - chatpt

Just a friendly FYI, but the majority of members here at R2R frown on the use of AI for aquarium related questions, and replies based on AI. I see you at least mentioned that you're using AI here, and for that I thank you Some members try to pass off AI replies as their own, which is a lot worse

This has been asked about before, and the owner of R2R has asked that AI replies be flagged as such. Here's a post from R2R's owner on this:

I think this site needs some kind of member AI policy

What is this 'black & white wooden television' of which you speak? Take us to your Leader... 😜

www.reef2reef.com

Just so you know

 

[Dan_P]

I’m in desperate need of help because I’m completely at a loss as to why I can’t keep Chaeto alive.

I used to grow so much that I’d have to throw it out or sell 5-gallon buckets every other week. That system was eventually shut down, and my dad and I built a new setup. But ever since then, every time I add Chaeto to this system, it dies. I even swapped my Kessil fuge light for a Mars Hydro grow light, and my most recent batch is still dying.

We’re running a 375-gallon display and a 220-gallon display plumbed into a 150-gallon sump. The 375 had been running for about two years before we connected the 220.

I do have a QT system, so all fish go through quarantine. I avoided adding a cleanup crew for a long time, and the tank got pretty dirty. Nitrates and phosphates were very high, and when the fish got ich, I had to treat the display with copper. So, the tank didn’t get the care it needed for a while—but all my fish are now happy and healthy.

We’ve been doing 200-gallon water changes weekly for months now. Phosphate has come down to around 0.4 ppm, and nitrate is about 10 ppm. My last ICP test showed copper as undetectable.

I’m running a 120-watt UV and an MRC Pro-2 skimmer. I do have two large bashsea reactors I add carbon and gfo to also!

Because we’re changing so much water, we’ve been using Instant Ocean salt. My current parameters are:

• Alkalinity: 8.4 dKH
• Calcium: 269 ppm
• Magnesium: 1130 ppm
• pH: 8.3 ( Apex probe might be bad)
• ORP: 184 (it’s been low for a while)

I’ve attached my most recent ICP test as well. I really hope you can help me figure this out—I’ve put so much time and effort into this system, and I can’t understand why I can’t get Chaeto to grow. I’ve dosed pods and phyto, added batches of snails, hermits, and starfish, and even blow out the rocks before every other water change.

We’ve been keeping reef tanks for a long time and have had great success with corals, but this one has me stumped. Also my tank is not overrun with algae until recently I’ve finally had a cyano outbreak.

Dosing CheatoGro (trace elements) might help.

 

[Bruttall]

3000 to 4000 GPH is not a lot of flow for some sumps. I run 3100gph pump at 100% on my tank and my chaeto doesn't tumble.
6ft 125g tank converted into a Sump.

 

[Rangers26]

Dosing CheatoGro (trace elements) might help.

Tried it no luck…. iron was through the roof on an icp test kit

 

[Rangers26]

3000 to 4000 GPH is not a lot of flow for some sumps. I run 3100gph pump at 100% on my tank and my chaeto doesn't tumble.
6ft 125g tank converted into a Sump.

I agree with you for the size of my sump it’s not to much flow. The sump is a 6 foot 150 gallon tank and the fuge is about 40 inch’s long. I had to build a basket in the middle because the chateo never grew, my old 90 gallon sump would fill the whole chamber so I made the fuge a lot bigger on this build….

I am about to pull the uv off the main return pump because it can handle 1500gph on its own being 120watt uv.

And might put both tanks on their own pumps which will more than double my flow though the sump

 

[Zuluuz]

raise mag to 1300. Run carbon to bring iodine levels down stop dosing or feeding whatever is responsible for that. Should fix your issue

 

[jonelder68]

If you’re tired of trying chaeto give Pom Pom a try. I find it much easier and does just as good of a job at pulling nutrients if not better. Needless to say I’ll never use chaeto again.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Through the roof iron is a pretty vague assertion. Some folks dose iron to a huge 0.1 ppm without problem. But I do agree that if you dosed chaetogro without any change, trace elements are probably not limiting the chaeto.

Have you always gotten it from the same place? Maybe it’s not a good source.

FWIW, I use primarily ulva in my refigoum.

 

[Rangers26]

Through the roof iron is a pretty vague assertion. Some folks dose iron to a huge 0.1 ppm without problem. But I do agree that if you dosed chaetogro without any change, trace elements are probably not limiting the chaeto.

Have you always gotten it from the same place? Maybe it’s not a good source.

FWIW, I use primarily ulva in my refigoum.

I believe it was only around .04ppm but on the ICP test kit range it was suppose to be almost 0.

Chaeto should be the easiest thing to grow and my fish are doing great! We feed very heavy and in order for me to start growing corals again i need the Chaeto for nutrient export because the skimmer isn't enough even though its a very good unit!

I have bought from different people as well.... Could this be as stupid as i dropped screw in the tank and i have no idea or a ball valve or gate valve fitting was made with the wrong material?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I believe it was only around .04ppm but on the ICP test kit range it was suppose to be almost 0.

Chaeto should be the easiest thing to grow and my fish are doing great! We feed very heavy and in order for me to start growing corals again i need the Chaeto for nutrient export because the skimmer isn't enough even though its a very good unit!

I have bought from different people as well.... Could this be as stupid as i dropped screw in the tank and i have no idea or a ball valve or gate valve fitting was made with the wrong material?

The iron is not too high.

If you had a metal problem bad enough to kill chaeto, it would be showing on the ICP and killing other inverts.

 

[Rangers26]

The iron is not too high.

If you had a metal problem bad enough to kill chaeto, it would be showing on the ICP and killing other inverts.

That's what i would think the only metal that you can see is high is Iodine but i read that's because of the high phosphates it throws off the readings.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

That's what i would think the only metal that you can see is high is Iodine but i read that's because of the high phosphates it throws off the readings.

Iodine isn't a metal, but in any case, its not going to hurt chaeto.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Have you tested nitrate to be sure there is enough N for it to grow?

 

[Rangers26]

Have you tested nitrate to be sure there is enough N for it to grow?

Yes Nitrates are around 10ppm and phosphates are high at 0.4ppm

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

• 
  
• Could prevent proper nutrient absorption, because water passes too fast

Just an fyi, that cannot possibly happen.

There may be a number of reasons for excessive flow to be avoided with macroalgae, but inability of the macro to catch nutrients flowing by too fast is definitely not one of them.

But it is the sort of misinformation on the internet that AI “learn” from, leading to false answers.

 

[Baby Damsel 219]

Just an fyi, that cannot possibly happen.

There may be a number of reasons for excessive flow to be avoided with macroalgae, but inability of the macro to catch nutrients flowing by too fast is definitely not one of them.

But it is the sort of misinformation on the internet that AI “learn” from, leading to false answers.

yeah just wanted to see what the AI would say