Chaeto not growing

[rohnds]

I have small basketball size clump of chaeto in my refugium and it hasn't grown a bit since they I introduced it, about six months ago.

Is the problem my NO3 level, which has remained at 5ppm since then or the lights. I have 12in NO flourescent light running about 8 hours a day in the refugium.

I also used RO water for my tank. Yesterday I added a powerhead into the refug since I learned that cheato love water current.

What is wrong? Any ideas? Is it the lack of PO4 and low NO3 levels? Not enough or too much lights?

Rohn

 

[1979camaro]

are you sure it hasn't grown? perhaps it is simply getting more dense rather than spreading. mine does that for a while if i trim it down small

 

[Joe Fish]

I have some growing with a small NO light I think it's 15 watts. I know I have nitrates at about 25ppm. It is growing, but pretty slow to what some other people have theirs grow. I do not know if PO4 causes anything, but I do not know for use.

 

[KahluaZzZ]

I use a cheap 20w pc from the hardware store, extra yellow 2700 bulb and i sell some every 2 weeks...grows like crazy...got like 1-2 ppm of n03.
The light is up for 2 hours.

 

[Joe Fish]

I think I need to switch to a pc light then!

 

[SALTY WATERS]

I have mine under a PC light for 12hrs reverse from main tank, it grows moderatly, but like Camaro I find that it gets dense before I notice it getting bigger looking. I have to harvest it only every few months... I also have mangroves and xenia in my refugium competing for nutrience, I'm sure if I took them out it would grow much faster.


If your not getting nusence algea in your main tank and as long as the Chaeto is not dying and rotting in the tank, then I wouldn't worry about it not growing much. The extra water movement should help the health of it.

 

[Joe Fish]

What does cheato look like when it's rotting? I am also growing a small frag of xenia in my fuge. I do have some other macro in there, but I do not know what it is. It's a lite brown color and is pretty fine. I know my coral beauty loves it. That stuff grows a lot faster than the rest of macro I have.