Chaeto Not Growing

fishnugget1 · Sep 20, 2020

My Tank is Almost 2 years old & maturing. Everything is growing well. SPS dominated.
However, I noticed 6-8 months ago my chaeto stopped growing. It used to grow into a massive matt that I would prune. I was using a HD grow light over it for a year and then it stopped growing. I switched to a Kessil 160. Less success. My refugium also now has some red algae in it. It could be cyno, but I have not algae in the display. My service man & LSF said not to worry about it. Some tanks grow Chaeto, some don't. I feel like I am missing something.

I use Red Sea ABCD 15ml of each twice a week. My Phosphates run .03-.08. My nitrates are 10-12. I am using SeaGel as a carbon and GFO remover in a bag. If my phosphates inch up I put 10ml of Brightwell Phosphate E in.

My Alk is steady at 8.1
Calcium 435
Magnesium 1425
Salinity .025-.026

I am using a CO2 scubber tied into my skimmer so I maintain 8.15- 8.35. However, I noticed my skimmer does not skim as well with CO2 scrubber tied into cup.

A few times a week I was adding 15ml Red Sea AB+. I saw no difference and once in a while I see Cyno on a rock and I stop dosing AB+ and it goes away.

I am thinking of getting rid of refugium but afraid my nitrates might go sky high. I am stocked with corals and only 15 fish in a Reefer 750- 200 total gallons. I am lightly stocked. Most fish are small. Since my chaeto is not growing but getting red algae I don't know what to do.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. BTW my corals are growing great.

Memisis · Sep 20, 2020

Following

Coralsdaily · Sep 20, 2020

following +1

fishnugget1 · Sep 20, 2020

What does that mean

AlgaeBarn · Sep 21, 2020

Are you saying it stopped growing after the swtich to kessil? ~Shaun K

JohnGP · Sep 21, 2020

They're saying they'd like to follow along and see what responses you get to your query. I've found that if my Chaeto seems to have stalled a little dose of Brightwell Ferrion really seems to give it a boost. Be careful in using, I believe it is the SeaChem freshwater iron additive, it can kill Tangs and a few others if I remember correctly.

fishnugget1 · Sep 22, 2020

No. It stopped before I switched to kessil. That is why I switched. Should I try new chaeto

montethemoster · Sep 22, 2020

If your corals are growing great, I’m not sure I would personally change anything. If slow chaeto growth is your only issue you are way ahead of most of us lol. You could always try to increase fish feeding slowly to see if that bumps up refugium growth.

frank10 · Sep 22, 2020

Put you GFO in a media reactor to get your phosphates down further.

reduce the amount of chaeto in your fuge, you can put the excess in an extra tank if you want to save it

Silly clownfish · Sep 30, 2020

I can’t grow cheato in either of my tanks, but I also am atpretty much 0 for nitrate and phosphate unless I dose. It seems stupid to dose thesewhile skimming and trying to grow macros in a fuge. while I have given up on cheato, I can keep ulna alive and slowly growing, so I have gone that route.

in spite of what I have read, none of my fish - includin foxface or coral beauty will touch it. Even my emerald crab won’t eat it. When I pull some from the fuge to an algae clip, only my turbo snails will eat it.