Chaeto Shrinking Despite Iron Supplementation

[Kelliwilliams817]

Hey everybody - I'm new to R2R and wanted to run a question by you all. I recently bought some chaeto for my sump but it's shrinking (started off as .44 lbs and is now .3 lbs). Here's what I'm working with:

50 gallon total system volume
Fritz blue box salt
45ppm nitrate, .4 phosphate
In the last two weeks, I dosed 8 drops of iodine, 9 drops of 5% lab-grade ammonium chloride, three capfuls of Chaeto-gro, and one capful of Ferrion.

For the substrate, I'm using red lava rock, miracle mud, and aragonite. I'm using a Kessil A360X Refugium (I started it at 20% intensity for 12 hours and over two weeks worked it up to 35% intensity for 16 hours). Flow through the sump is about 1,500 GPH.

The tank also contains tons of copepods and I dose phyto twice per week.

Any help would be welcome - I'm clearly doing something wrong here and would love some tips. TIA!

 

[KrisReef]

Not sure why you are slowing ramping up the refugium light? I would put it on full tilt for 10-12 hours and call it good, for refugium illumination.

Are there corals in there?

 

[Kelliwilliams817]

Not sure why you are slowing ramping up the refugium light? I would put it on full tilt for 10-12 hours and call it good, for refugium illumination.

Are there corals in there?

No corals in there. I had read that immediately putting the lights at full intensity could shock the chaeto. Could that be the problem? Too little light?

 

[cbreier]

I have never had luck with chart. I tried for a long time with several reactors and determined for me it was a huge PITA. I instead bought Red Sea ReefMats for my systems and nutrients in my mature systems with lots of large colonies never had nutrient issues. Best purchase I have ever made and would never consider having a reef tank without them.&

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I presently grow ulva in my refugia. It grows super fast.

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

I presently grow ulva in my refugia. It grows super fast.

Hey @Randy Holmes-Farley what did you come up with for lighting the ulva? I’m thinking of switching up the lighting as my green thumb turned black many years ago. I have a Kessil h160 that I’ve tried various settings on, stuff grows but not well. I even pulled out a Kessil ap700 from the garage to try, that grew fairly well but 180 watts (over a 15 gallon(?) area) just seems ridiculous to me. Knowing you (well I don’t know you but you know), I bet you came up with a diy and budget friendly lighting setup. My nutrients are plenty high, I’ve been adding iron and manganese. I get plenty ulva on the pumps, weir, and return plumbing in the display. The sump is just meh.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I use these bulbs, and the ulva is growing like crazy. The bulbs are fairly close to the algae (6-12”), and I have three over one brute and one other another. I cut holes in the brute lid, covered the holes with glass, and the bulb hangs touching the glass.

They screw into cords like the second link:

Amazon.com : SANSI 32W Grow Light Bulbs for Indoor Plants, 350W Equivalent Full Spectrum LED Grow Light Bulb High PPFD with Optical Lens, Plant Bulbs with Ceramic Tech. Energy Saving for Seeds and Greens : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Amazon.com : SANSI 32W Grow Light Bulbs for Indoor Plants, 350W Equivalent Full Spectrum LED Grow Light Bulb High PPFD with Optical Lens, Plant Bulbs with Ceramic Tech. Energy Saving for Seeds and Greens : Patio, Lawn & Garden

a.co

Amazon.com

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

I use these bulbs, and the ulva is growing like crazy. The bulbs are fairly close to the algae (6-12”), and I have three over one brute and one other another. I cut holes in the brute lid, covered the holes with glass, and the bulb hangs touching the glass.

They screw into cords like the second link:

Amazon.com : SANSI 32W Grow Light Bulbs for Indoor Plants, 350W Equivalent Full Spectrum LED Grow Light Bulb High PPFD with Optical Lens, Plant Bulbs with Ceramic Tech. Energy Saving for Seeds and Greens : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Amazon.com : SANSI 32W Grow Light Bulbs for Indoor Plants, 350W Equivalent Full Spectrum LED Grow Light Bulb High PPFD with Optical Lens, Plant Bulbs with Ceramic Tech. Energy Saving for Seeds and Greens : Patio, Lawn & Garden

a.co

Amazon.com

Thank you Randy. I think I might play around with these. I’m not convinced the blurple “refugium” lights are any better than plain Jane full spectrum. The algae was growing well under the 180watts of reef lighting, but crickets with the <50watts of blurple. Not a fair comparison I know, but those things were supposed to be the best at the task if one is to believe the hype.