Giving up on Cheato

[Merv49]

Is it me or is my sump cursed? I’ve in my second year with my 200 gallon reef and as hard as I’ve tried I just can’t keep cheato growing in my sump. My tank has bee through all the cycles and is at the point now where I have no real issues in the display.
What gets me is I can’t get cheato to grow in my sump. GHA grows great there on top of and all through the cheato but after a couple weeks of buying a new batch of cheato the stuff begins melting. I’ve used the Kessil H380 and H80 on numerous lighting schedules with no luck. My phosphates are .25 and nitrates are 4. I dose NoPox. My next move is to fil my sump with live rock and ceramic bio blocks.
Anyone else taken this route? Since my cheato is always dieing and contributing to the tank nutrients, I’m thinking everything will be fine without using cheato.

 

[Jvesche20]

Is it me or is my sump cursed? I’ve in my second year with my 200 gallon reef and as hard as I’ve tried I just can’t keep cheato growing in my sump. My tank has bee through all the cycles and is at the point now where I have no real issues in the display.
What gets me is I can’t get cheato to grow in my sump. GHA grows great there on top of and all through the cheato but after a couple weeks of buying a new batch of cheato the stuff begins melting. I’ve used the Kessil H380 and H80 on numerous lighting schedules with no luck. My phosphates are .25 and nitrates are 4. I dose NoPox. My next move is to fil my sump with live rock and ceramic bio blocks.
Anyone else taken this route? Since my cheato is always dieing and contributing to the tank nutrients, I’m thinking everything will be fine without using cheato.

Do you have any flow with your Chaeto? I grow chaeto very fast but I don’t use a h380. I use a 19W led. How close to the water is the light? What’s it like when it dies? Change color? Shrivel up etc.

 

[Hitman]

Had the same issue with my 240. I stopped dosing NOPOX and started dosing 3ml of ESV Transision Trace Elements ( not the plus just the regular) and the Cheato took off. I started with a golf ball size ball of Cheato in 10" deep water with a Kessil H380 hanging 10" over the water light on from 9pm to 8am and I'm now pulling a basket ball size amount of Cheato out every 2 weeks. My PO4 is stable now at .02 and 5ppm of nitrate. Might be something to look into. At 3 ml a day it will cost me about $25 a year vs hundreds I was spending on NOPOX that honestly did nothing for my tank other then cause a cyno outbreak last summer.

 

[Merv49]

Do you have any flow with your Chaeto? I grow chaeto very fast but I don’t use a h380. I use a 19W led. How close to the water is the light? What’s it like when it dies? Change color? Shrivel up etc.

There is good flow through the sump. The chaeto just turns brown and gets very soft as it melts. I thought the H380 might just be to strong so i’ve put an H80 on the sump and in two weeks with another batch of good cheato it began to melt also.

 

[Hitman]

There is good flow through the sump. The chaeto just turns brown and gets very soft as it melts. I thought the H380 might just be to strong so i’ve put an H80 on the sump and in two weeks with another batch of good cheato it began to melt also.

I'm willing to bet your missing trace elements like I was.

 

[dantimdad]

I would say up your feeding or dose trace elements if you really want it to grow.

I have never had to dose but I hear good things.

My solution was to increase feeding and variety to make sure that the nutrients were there if it seemed like it wasn't growing fast enough.

I honestly haven't heard of a success story with nopox. I am sure there are some, but mostly I hear people having better luck when they stopped.

 

[Merv49]

I'm willing to bet your missing trace elements like I was.

According to my Trident tests everything is about right.

 

[Merv49]

I would say up your feeding or dose trace elements if you really want it to grow.

I have never had to dose but I hear good things.

My solution was to increase feeding and variety to make sure that the nutrients were there if it seemed like it wasn't growing fast enough.

I honestly haven't heard of a success story with nopox. I am sure there are some, but mostly I hear people having better luck when they stopped.

I have been considering that and will give that a try. Thanks

 

[Merv49]

I would say up your feeding or dose trace elements if you really want it to grow.

I have never had to dose but I hear good things.

My solution was to increase feeding and variety to make sure that the nutrients were there if it seemed like it wasn't growing fast enough.

I honestly haven't heard of a success story with nopox. I am sure there are some, but mostly I hear people having better luck when they stopped.

Sounds like something I should try. Thanks. I am still wondering if just filling that sum area with ceramic blocks could be just as effective as having cheato.

 

[dantimdad]

Ceramic blocks don't really take up nutrients (although I suspect they can become a nutrient sink over time).

They biologically convert nutrients via bacteria. Macro algae become an export so they completely remove them.

 

[Merv49]

Ceramic blocks don't really take up nutrients (although I suspect they can become a nutrient sink over time).

They biologically convert nutrients via bacteria. Macro algae become an export so they completely remove them.

Going to slowly reduce the NoPox to 0 then try the cheato again.

 

[CJS80]

You might also want to try ulva (sea lettuce). Personally it does better than cheato for me.

 

[dantimdad]

There is also anecdotal evidence that ulva may help reduce dinos. I wish I had the link here at work.

 

[trustmeimalawyer]

I’m having the same issues and was recommended that I dose iron. Just got a new ball of chaeto and will try it out. Will update the thread with my progress.

 

[Merv49]

I’m having the same issues and was recommended that I dose iron. Just got a new ball of chaeto and will try it out. Will update the thread with my progress.

I tried iron and it made no difference.

 

[rushbattle]

I tried iron and it made no difference.

Can you describe your water change schedule? I’ve suggested to a number of people to do big water changes to get macroalgae growing and it’s worked every time. This stuff should help as well.

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/chaetogro-refugium-fertilizer-brightwell-aquatics.html

 

[stacksoner]

Iron + iodine dosing + 14 hour light schedule in my fuge helped me out a lot

 

[BertieBones]

But how much Iron and Iodine to dose

 

[Variant]

Having had planted tanks in the past, I would think potassium or iron may be the limiting factor, assuming you have proper nitrogen sources and CO2.

Maybe consider a couple cheap bottles of potassium and iron supplements typically used in planted tanks and put in a few squirts.

 

[stacksoner]

But how much Iron and Iodine to dose

I have a Pax Bellum reactor that says to dose their Iron+Manganese solution 1 drop per 100L per day.

My iodine dosing is based on my triton tests, appx 1 drop/100L per week.