Please help!!! My chaeto is dying!!

[Thespammailaccount]

Oh okay thank you!!

Yep no problem. This I think will be the easiest some of the Red Sea testing can get expensive and complicated. I think the cheto is dying back because of lack of iron. You have enough nitrates and phosphates for the micro algae to eat so this is not the problem. Once you start dosing the all for reef you can increase the time the light is lighting your refugium if you want to lower nitrates and once you get your nitrates where you want them you can adjust the lighting scheduled from there

 

[Thespammailaccount]

But doesn’t all that come with my salt mix? What about the iron?

Yes but trace elements are generally depleted faster than your weekly water change

 

[Thespammailaccount]

What salt brand do you use?

 

[Natescorals]

Yep no problem. This I think will be the easiest some of the Red Sea testing can get expensive and complicated. I think the cheto is dying back because of lack of iron. You have enough nitrates and phosphates for the micro algae to eat so this is not the problem. Once you start dosing the all for reef you can increase the time the light is lighting your refugium if you want to lower nitrates and once you get your nitrates where you want them you can adjust the lighting scheduled from there

Okay should I make any changes to the refugium? Does it need baffles?

 

[Natescorals]

What salt brand do you use?

Regular instant ocean

 

[vetteguy53081]

How do I add iron?

 

[Thespammailaccount]

Okay should I make any changes to the refugium? Does it need baffles?

I am sorry but can’t help you there I do not know maybe someone else can answer. I have my micro in a sump that already has baffles

 

[Natescorals]

I am sorry but can’t help you there I do not know maybe someone else can answer. I have my micro in a sump that already has baffles

But what are the baffles even for? I know their to separate the other equipment away from the refugium or just to separate equipment?

 

[Natescorals]

I am sorry but can’t help you there I do not know maybe someone else can answer. I have my micro in a sump that already has baffles

Also do you have sand or live rock in your refugium?

 

[Thespammailaccount]

But what are the baffles even for? I know their to separate the other equipment away from the refugium or just to separate equipment?

Good question. Found this thread online

can a sump work without baffles ?

Can i use an empty tank without any baffles to house my skimmer heater etc ?...may be some bionatrex...what I'm wondering is do the baffles just serve the purpose of seperating compartments to house different methods of filtration?

www.ultimatereef.net

 

[Thespammailaccount]

Also do you have sand or live rock in your refugium?

I have miracle mud and a few broken pieces of rock in the sump probably less that a half a pound of rock. All of my rock is in my display

 

[Natescorals]

I have miracle mud and a few broken pieces of rock in the sump probably less that a half a pound of rock. All of my rock is in my display

Thank you for that bit of information. So I don’t necessarily need the baffles since this little tank is only for a refugium. All my equipment is fine in the main display I guess. I don’t know if I’m actually getting enough flow to the refugium to use it as a sump what do you think? I wonder if I’m getting more flow to my refugium or to my HOB aquaclear 50 filter. I also have a 10 gallon empty tank I could turn into a sump I just don’t really have the room for it

 

[Natescorals]

I have miracle mud and a few broken pieces of rock in the sump probably less that a half a pound of rock. All of my rock is in my display

What benefit do you get from miracle mud?

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

I'm puzzled about something: If the purpose of adding Cheato (or any other macro algae) is for nutrient export, why are we adding nutrients to get the chaeto grow. No growth should equal low to not detectable levels of nutrients, which is the goal.

So the real question is whether there is any nuisance algae in the display? Ridding the display of nuisance algae is the goal

 

[Natescorals]

So the real question is whether there is any nuisance algae in the display? Ridding the display of nuisance algae is the goal

But does a refugium help rid nuisance algae?

 

[Dom]

But does a refugium help rid nuisance algae?

Refugiums HELP to rid the display tank of nuisance algae through nutrient export.

When you promote the growth of macro algae in the refugium, it uses nutrients in the water, leaving little available to feed algae that grows in the display.

So refugiums are one weapon in combating nuisance algae. When you combine it with water changes and good 'ole fashioned elbow grease, you have little if any growing in the display.

 

[Dom]

2.5 gallon water changes

Okay... that's a 10% water change. Personally, I would increase the size of the water change. It sounds like your inhabitants and feeding may be leaving more nutrients in the tank than water changes and the refugium can consume.

I would:

1. Give the tank a good manual cleaning to remove as much algae from the display as possible.

2. Do 20% water changes moving forward.

By doing the cleaning first, you can remove much of the algae by siphoning old water out.

 

[Natescorals]

Okay... that's a 10% water change. Personally, I would increase the size of the water change. It sounds like your inhabitants and feeding may be leaving more nutrients in the tank than water changes and the refugium can consume.

I would:

1. Give the tank a good manual cleaning to remove as much algae from the display as possible.

2. Do 20% water changes moving forward.

By doing the cleaning first, you can remove much of the algae by siphoning old water out.

I also notice my nitrates and phosphates go super high when I feed reef roids too. Are reef roids really necessary?

 

[Natescorals]

I also let the back glass fill up with algae. I dont really have any algae at all except for on the back glass. My last water change I brushed a ton of the algae off and I couldn’t get it all out my tank was covered in algae do you think that could have caused the water to become dirty? Should I start keeping the back glass clean?

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

But does a refugium help rid nuisance algae?

That has been my experience. But it is not the refugium, but rather my chaeto and ulva under a 600W Chinese horticulture light. I have to harvest it bi-weekly. Other than my skimmer, it is my only form of nutrient export. So, basically my refugium is acting as an algae scrubber, but with the advantage of all the pods and worms and stometella.