I have been running the Triton method for a few months now. Everything has been going great. Coral growth and color is fantastic. Last week however, phosphates shot up to 0.1 while nitrates stayed at 0. In turn, hair algae has started to grow quite rapidly (could be consuming all the nitrates). Also, in the last month or so Chaeto has not been growing at all. Not dying either. Just staying the same. It’s about the size of a baseball. Per my last ICP 3 weeks ago phosphates were a little low but Zinc was super high so they recommended 6 water changes. Sometime after my last ICP is when phosphates rose. I have done 3 water changes so far and phosphates are now back down to .01. Any idea on how I can get the chaeto to grow and out compete the hair algae? Refugium is powered by a Kessil H160. 12 hours a day on opposite schedule of DT lighting on the grow setting, almost max power. Any help would be much appreciated!
Chaeto not growing, hair algae starting
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Well it could be to much light and not enough nutriants.
I would start by redusing the Kessel lightings period to 8 hours a day.
Sometimes more light is not a good thing.
What is your iron level, has it reduced over time?
You will need to manually remove as much of the hair algae as possible.
I would start by redusing the Kessel lightings period to 8 hours a day.
Sometimes more light is not a good thing.
What is your iron level, has it reduced over time?
You will need to manually remove as much of the hair algae as possible.
Iron is a tad high so I dont see that as an issue.
Lack of growth is normaly due to low iron.
Yes thats my suguestion. I have read that everything needs rest even plants and vegitation.
In nature plants (Algaes) are not inundated with 100% of the light spectrum for 12 hours straight. Like your chaeto is.
If there is a lack of nutrients (food) and yet more light than it needs well it could just be ballancing itself.
So I would manually remove the hair algae to allow more nutrients for the chaeto, reduce the light and see what happens.
I am sure other smarter than me will chime in.
Also there are many "My chaeto stoped or wont grow threads" to seek out.
Lack of growth is normaly due to low iron.
Yes thats my suguestion. I have read that everything needs rest even plants and vegitation.
In nature plants (Algaes) are not inundated with 100% of the light spectrum for 12 hours straight. Like your chaeto is.
If there is a lack of nutrients (food) and yet more light than it needs well it could just be ballancing itself.
So I would manually remove the hair algae to allow more nutrients for the chaeto, reduce the light and see what happens.
I am sure other smarter than me will chime in.
Also there are many "My chaeto stoped or wont grow threads" to seek out.
where is the chaeto from? What type is it? there are a couple different species and not all equal, the strain i have loves light and can grow like crazy just on light and very low nutrients which is the antennina its more of the brillo pad type, the second is spiralis its more of a loose stringy Chaeto. I grow roughly 2 1/2 to 3lbs a week in my fuge on low nutrient system running KZ this is due to the light ( Kessil H380) mind you your not suposed to run a fuge on the Zeovit system, but i still like to, and it works just fine.
Got my Chaeto from ReefCleaners a few months ago. Type, I’m not sure about. It started as the size of a golf ball now it’s about baseball size. So it has grown some for sure but I would say it’s seemed to have stopped in the last month or so.
If it's from John at reefcleaners it's the antennina strain that loves light. I pound it with 10 hours of light every night it doesn't burn just gets super dark green.
Just give it some time, you could feed heavy and remove any filter socks if you have any with Triton your not supposed to run them, and supposed to feed heavy, when I ran Triton I didn't see an explosive chaeto growth just what I was seeing prior. Which is the same I see now. This is what I pull out about every 2 weeks.
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If the fuge light is not pink (horticulture color) and blinding, it's not enough.
I run 4pm to 10 am and pull 1/2 out every 3 to 4 weeks. Nitrates 5, phosphates 0.15 which helps.
Triton also.
I have to add iodine since chaeto export removes it.
Also, make sure chaeto is at water surface or par is lower. I have live rock to within 3 inches of top to support the chaeto.
I run 4pm to 10 am and pull 1/2 out every 3 to 4 weeks. Nitrates 5, phosphates 0.15 which helps.
Triton also.
I have to add iodine since chaeto export removes it.
Also, make sure chaeto is at water surface or par is lower. I have live rock to within 3 inches of top to support the chaeto.
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