BeejReef
2500 Club Member
Good afternoon all.
I'm looking for some chaeto advise. I have a young tank, one month post cycle, lightly stocked w 5 snails, two juvenile clowns, and three juvenile pajama cards, also a peppermint shrimp. Three softy frags and three lps frags. 65g dt, 30g sump, 70g twv. Tiny sprinkle of flakes in the morning and 1/3 to 1/2 cube of mysis at dinnertime
Parameters have been fairly stable.
Alk 9.1-9.2 (I have had to adjust it up with baking soda)
Calcium not being consumed yet, stays at 440sh
Magnesium 1350, also not being consumed yet
PH 8.4, solid as a rock
Nitrate generally in the range of 3-6
Phosphate is the issue. It's not crazy high, but it's the one thing that fluctuates a lot. Testing about twice a week I've been bouncing between .02 and .18. Presently it's .10
Obv, post cycle, my nitrate and phosphate were disgustingly high, like 150 nitrate and 3.0 phosphate. I lit the refugium w a tennis-ball chunk of chaeto and both dropped like a stone.. 4 nitrate, .02 phosphate. At that point I dialed back the fuge light to 13 hours from 18. Nitrates have stayed in the happy zone, but phosphate made it up to .25
A lot of background for a simple question, but anyhow, at what point do I trim or discard a portion of my chaeto and what effect can I expect to see? The species of chaeto I have isn't the type that is extremely course, balls up, and rolls in the flow. It's more like a mass of overcooked pasta or a very worn out brillo pad. It fills about 70% of my fuge, partly floating, partly laying on rubble rock. It's not all getting great light. If I remove 40% of it, will I be reducing my nutrient export or increasing it. It is under strong, 150w, horticulture-style lighting.
I'm coming into the teeth of the ugly phase. May be chasing numbers a bit, but would really like to stay in that sweet spot I temporarily found at 5sh nitrate and .02 phosphate to ride out the uglies.
I'm looking for some chaeto advise. I have a young tank, one month post cycle, lightly stocked w 5 snails, two juvenile clowns, and three juvenile pajama cards, also a peppermint shrimp. Three softy frags and three lps frags. 65g dt, 30g sump, 70g twv. Tiny sprinkle of flakes in the morning and 1/3 to 1/2 cube of mysis at dinnertime
Parameters have been fairly stable.
Alk 9.1-9.2 (I have had to adjust it up with baking soda)
Calcium not being consumed yet, stays at 440sh
Magnesium 1350, also not being consumed yet
PH 8.4, solid as a rock
Nitrate generally in the range of 3-6
Phosphate is the issue. It's not crazy high, but it's the one thing that fluctuates a lot. Testing about twice a week I've been bouncing between .02 and .18. Presently it's .10
Obv, post cycle, my nitrate and phosphate were disgustingly high, like 150 nitrate and 3.0 phosphate. I lit the refugium w a tennis-ball chunk of chaeto and both dropped like a stone.. 4 nitrate, .02 phosphate. At that point I dialed back the fuge light to 13 hours from 18. Nitrates have stayed in the happy zone, but phosphate made it up to .25
A lot of background for a simple question, but anyhow, at what point do I trim or discard a portion of my chaeto and what effect can I expect to see? The species of chaeto I have isn't the type that is extremely course, balls up, and rolls in the flow. It's more like a mass of overcooked pasta or a very worn out brillo pad. It fills about 70% of my fuge, partly floating, partly laying on rubble rock. It's not all getting great light. If I remove 40% of it, will I be reducing my nutrient export or increasing it. It is under strong, 150w, horticulture-style lighting.
I'm coming into the teeth of the ugly phase. May be chasing numbers a bit, but would really like to stay in that sweet spot I temporarily found at 5sh nitrate and .02 phosphate to ride out the uglies.
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