Green Hair Algae Growing on Chaeto

[drblank1]

I had a serious GHA issue in my refugium that choked out my chaeto. So I broke down the fuge, cleaned it, and bought a new softball size ball of chaeto. I also changed the config of the fuge so the chaeto tumbles. But now, I have GHA starting to growing on the chaeto again. I thought maybe tumbling the chaeto would help. See attached pic. I circled an example in the pic but you can see the gha all over the chaeto if you look closely.

My water flow is as follows:

1. Tank water empties into a filter sock into the sump.
2. The water passes through the skimmer chamber.
3. Then water flows over carbon filter bags.
4. Then the water flows into the return pump chamber.
5. The return pipe branches off where 1/2 the water flows into the chaeto fuge. The fuge is a standalone 20 gallon long tank.
6. The chato fuge empties back into the sump again into another filter sock and then travels to back through skimmer, carbon, etc...

I change my filter socks Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat

It has been 3 weeks since I "reset" the fuge. The chaeto growth has tripled since then, but the GHA is taking hold again. I do not have a nuisance algae problem in the tank.

Six weeks ago, I convert from standard IO salt to TM Pro salt and have done a number of water changes since then to covert the system water to prep for corals.

The system if FOWLR but I am receiving my first corals tomorrow.

SG - 32
pH - 8.3
Calc - 420
Alk - 8.9
Mg - 1450 (I overdosed a few weeks back and bringing back down slowly)
Nitrate - less than 1
Phos - .02

Thanks

 

[madlos123]

I notice that chaeto will get outgrown by gha when you don't have enough nutrients combined with little to no trace minerals for them to grow. I have been using brightwell chaetogro just once a week and that seem to keep my chaeto growing even at low nutrients. Even with low flow in my chaeto and not tumbling it i dont have gha.
My nitrates are 5 - 20 ppm
Phosphates are ~0.1 ppm
My light is 50w plant light.

I have been dosing 10 ml of chaetogro once a week. I have 90 gallon system.

Try it if it works.

 

[Lavey29]

I have some GHA in my new fuge to but the chaeto is growing huge. I put some trochus snails in there who are managing it ok and I pull out what I need to. Better in the fuge then your DT.

 

[drblank1]

I notice that chaeto will get outgrown by gha when you don't have enough nutrients combined with little to no trace minerals for them to grow. I have been using brightwell chaetogro just once a week and that seem to keep my chaeto growing even at low nutrients. Even with low flow in my chaeto and not tumbling it i dont have gha.
My nitrates are 5 - 20 ppm
Phosphates are ~0.1 ppm
My light is 50w plant light.

I have been dosing 10 ml of chaetogro once a week. I have 90 gallon system.

Try it if it works.

Would you say my nutrient export is too high?

 

[drblank1]

I have some GHA in my new fuge to but the chaeto is growing huge. I put some trochus snails in there who are managing it ok and I pull out what I need to. Better in the fuge then your DT.

I scrap off the glass one a week. Not sure the snails could jump onto my tumbling chaeto. If they could, they'd probably get motion sickness.

 

[Lavey29]

As I bonus my snails clean my filter sock to. Maybe change once a week now.

 

[merkmerk73]

The chaeto in the image doesn’t look healthy so I’m not surprised to see GHA

It looks like what my algarbarn chaeto looked like - never grew, just diminished and did nothing

Try some of the other chaeto available online that’s more of a thin hair- type - it feels like it’s fake and it grows like a weed

 

[AlgaeBarn]

The chaeto in the image doesn’t look healthy so I’m not surprised to see GHA

It looks like what my algarbarn chaeto looked like - never grew, just diminished and did nothing

Try some of the other chaeto available online that’s more of a thin hair- type - it feels like it’s fake and it grows like a weed

Hello,

When did you purchase your chaeto and did you happen to reach out to the AlgaeBarn support team for assistance with your order?

 

[merkmerk73]

Hello,

When did you purchase your chaeto and did you happen to reach out to the AlgaeBarn support team for assistance with your order?

I've purchased chaeto from Algaebarn probably 4 times.

I had a bad batch one time which was mostly DOA - and your team replaced it which was great.

However, I haven't had any luck with Algaebarn chaeto at all - it never thrives. At best it just kinda sits there.

I dose ChaetoGro, have an AI Fuge light running at high for 8-12 hours, and have non-zero nitrates and phosphates.

Further research is that this Algaebarn chaeto is the "thick kind" - for lack of better scientific explanation.

The fine, hair chaeto I've gotten from reef pro explodes in growth. It seems to be a different species.

 

[alindell]

The chaeto in the image doesn’t look healthy so I’m not surprised to see GHA

It looks like what my algarbarn chaeto looked like - never grew, just diminished and did nothing

Try some of the other chaeto available online that’s more of a thin hair- type - it feels like it’s fake and it grows like a weed

I got mine also from algeabarn. It does the same thing. It looked good originally and then started deteriorating slowly. Spots would turn white and it doesn't look a healthy green. I thought I needed some iron and I dosed flourish Iron from what my LFS recommended which killed two of my tangs . Cheato has been terrible for me. I have it rotating in a dedicated sump with a poweful kessil grow light. I now use cheato grow but haven't seen much affect

 

[merkmerk73]

I got mine also from algeabarn. It does the same thing. It looked good originally and then started deteriorating slowly. Spots would turn white and it doesn't look a healthy green. I thought I needed some iron and I dosed flourish Iron from what my LFS recommended which killed two of my tangs . Cheato has been terrible for me. I have it rotating in a dedicated sump with a poweful kessil grow light. I now use cheato grow but haven't seen much affect

Try ordering some chaeto from Reef Pro

$39.99 for a giant portion that would cost you $80+ from AB.

You'll immediately notice the difference in how it looks and feels. You'll think it's fake until it takes off and covers your fuge.

Make sure there's some good flow, and stretch it apart to try and cover as much surface area as you can - it'll explode.

The one caveat I would mention - all of my chaeto now seems to be that thicker kind now.

I don't really know what that means - the failing AlgaeBarn chaeto was a small patch. Perhaps the stuff I got from RP transitioned into another form...I honestly have no idea.

Anyways, give it a shot.

 

[alindell]

It looks good, but does that price include shipping. I'm in Colorado and algea barn is probably cheaper if I have to pay $50 for shipping. I didn't know there were different species of cheato. My fear is shipping anything in the winter months with the cold could kill it

 

[fishyjoes]

If you're accomplishing the goal of nutrient control maybe just consider it a combination effort and let it ride?

 

[merkmerk73]

It looks good, but does that price include shipping. I'm in Colorado and algea barn is probably cheaper if I have to pay $50 for shipping. I didn't know there were different species of cheato. My fear is shipping anything in the winter months with the cold could kill it

It included shipping for me

I really think you should give it a try

It was a game changer for me with regards to chaeto

 

[AlgaeBarn]

There are over 70 species of Chaetomorpha many of which are highly recognizable, and others are not. Three of the most common ones that we see in the hobby because they grow well for folks are the species C. Linum, and C. Spiralis and C. Crassa. While they grow well, it can vary based on each of our systems, the nutrients, or lack thereof. What I mean by that is that I might be able to grow C. Linum really well in one of my aquariums, and in another aquarium that is similar in age and health might not be able to grow it at all. We are constantly learning more about these species and what makes some grow better than others; and of course will post a blog article whenever we have new, and helpful information.

It looks good, but does that price include shipping. I'm in Colorado and algea barn is probably cheaper if I have to pay $50 for shipping. I didn't know there were different species of cheato. My fear is shipping anything in the winter months with the cold could kill it

All of the above being said, we would be happy to help you out and work with you to find a macro algae that does what you are hoping it to in your system, and while it may or may not be chaeto we hope to be able to help. We also have years of experience shipping during all seasons of the year and have a DOA policy that is sure to get you taken care of if something does not do well in transit!

 

[alindell]

There are over 70 species of Chaetomorpha many of which are highly recognizable, and others are not. Three of the most common ones that we see in the hobby because they grow well for folks are the species C. Linum, and C. Spiralis and C. Crassa. While they grow well, it can vary based on each of our systems, the nutrients, or lack thereof. What I mean by that is that I might be able to grow C. Linum really well in one of my aquariums, and in another aquarium that is similar in age and health might not be able to grow it at all. We are constantly learning more about these species and what makes some grow better than others; and of course will post a blog article whenever we have new, and helpful information.


All of the above being said, we would be happy to help you out and work with you to find a macro algae that does what you are hoping it to in your system, and while it may or may not be chaeto we hope to be able to help. We also have years of experience shipping during all seasons of the year and have a DOA policy that is sure to get you taken care of if something does not do well in transit!

Okay so I bought cheato for one to help control nutrients and to help absorb CO2 and reduce the nighttime ph swing. Also have never used it and I this is my first set up where it can grow it properly. I use a kessil h380 and I have it spinning in the water column. it seemed like it was doing good initially. It blew up and then it started dying back, parts turned white, pieces broke off clogged up some of my filters and got into the display. Surprisingly my powder blue eats it. I thought it needed more iron because it started losing its deep green and turned more pale. I dosed iron and killed two of my tangs.
I want this stuff to be a good natural filtration method for phosphates and nitrates. I don't run gfo and I want to see if this will work. If you had other species for me to try that would be awesome or something else too. I run a powerful light on for 12 hours with good flow in the chamber

 

[AlgaeBarn]

Okay so I bought cheato for one to help control nutrients and to help absorb CO2 and reduce the nighttime ph swing. Also have never used it and I this is my first set up where it can grow it properly. I use a kessil h380 and I have it spinning in the water column. it seemed like it was doing good initially. It blew up and then it started dying back, parts turned white, pieces broke off clogged up some of my filters and got into the display. Surprisingly my powder blue eats it. I thought it needed more iron because it started losing its deep green and turned more pale. I dosed iron and killed two of my tangs.
I want this stuff to be a good natural filtration method for phosphates and nitrates. I don't run gfo and I want to see if this will work. If you had other species for me to try that would be awesome or something else too. I run a powerful light on for 12 hours with good flow in the chamber

Would you be open to trying a different kind of macro and could you reach out to us directly either through DM here or email [email protected] so that I can better assist you. I would need to find your original order and connect the dots if that makes sense. But I am more than happy to help!

-Sam

 

[alindell]

Sure