Cheto problems

[lickyricky]

Hey guys,

So I think my cheto is dead or dying. Still some green left but mostly dull almost transparent looking.

What are the most common causes of this?

My parameters are ph 8.2, SG 1.025, am 0, nitrites 0, nitrates 0, ca 475 (I know too high), ak 11.2, mg 1400

I run a light on it 12 hours a day

 

[tankstudy]

Mine tends to die when nutrients are on the low end.

 

[lickyricky]

Mine tends to die when nutrients are on the low end.

Should I remove the cheto altogether?

 

[tankstudy]

I keep what I have left in my tank incase nutrients do spike but mine went from a softball size to a golf ball size. I only feed my tank once a week and its just one mysis shrimp cube.

Compared to when I had a 65 gallon that I fed 3 cubes a day and was throwing out chaeto because I had so much.

 

[lickyricky]

Makes me wonder if I’m feeding enough. 40 gallons 2 small fish feed once a day like pinky nail sized piece of frozen brine cube and sometimes throw in a pinky nail sized piece of frozen plankton cube. Takes me like 2 weeks to go through a single cube!

 

[tankstudy]

That's even less than me. I use 1 cube for a 20 gallon a week. Your using 1 cube for a 40 gallon once every 2 weeks lol.

 

[WesleyC]

When you have low nutrient, turn down the chaeto light a bit and light it in less hours to keep them alive and in darker green color.

 

[McArcher]

I would feed more

 

[shaggydoo]

I've also found that chaeto will start to die off if a bulb gets old and loses the proper spectrum. This isn't as common now that LEDs are all the rage, but a lot of sumps still use older type lighting.

 

[bluescion.dg]

made a DIY fuge light for mine growing like a champ some heat sinks and a
Driver and a few LEDs off rapid led it wasn't the cheapest out there but it takes up no space and I got to make it myself lol about 40 bucks all said and done