chaetomorpha question!!!!!!

tdog7879

Member
MY chaeto in my fuge seems to be really brittle. When i turn it around or shake it off there is a bunch of little pieces falling from it and it does not seem to be growing that much? It stills looks nice and green?
 
i have the same problem but i just remove the broken ones, i was told that is normal, its happens cus the top chaeto gives shade to the lower ones so the lower one does not get enough light.
 

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
It means that there is not enough nutrient or light for the chaeto to do well. If chaeto doesn't grow, you don't feed your fish enough. Chaeto needs to "tumble" in the refugium, I.E. Turn over every now and then, like it does in the wild.
 

jpa0741

Member
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33
http:///forum/post/2953294
It means that there is not enough nutrient or light for the chaeto to do well. If chaeto doesn't grow, you don't feed your fish enough. Chaeto needs to "tumble" in the refugium, I.E. Turn over every now and then, like it does in the wild.
I would not just start dumbing in a bunch of food to get your cheato to grow. It could be a number of reasons why it is not growing. The best supplement to get your macros to grow is Iron. I use the kent version. If it is not growing and your trates and phos are low I wouldn't worry about it. That is the goal of growing it anyways.
 

tdog7879

Member
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33
http:///forum/post/2953294
It means that there is not enough nutrient or light for the chaeto to do well. If chaeto doesn't grow, you don't feed your fish enough. Chaeto needs to "tumble" in the refugium, I.E. Turn over every now and then, like it does in the wild.
Thanks for the info ...I have been feeding evry other day plus i keep a filter sock on also i have change the light cycle in the fuge for 15 hrs a day to help with the growth. So what do you sugguest i do?? If there is lack of nutrient isnt that a good thing?
 

jpa0741

Member
Originally Posted by tdog7879
http:///forum/post/2953312
Thanks for the info ...I have been feeding evry other day plus i keep a filter sock on also i have change the light cycle in the fuge for 15 hrs a day to help with the growth. So what do you sugguest i do?? If there is lack of nutrient isnt that a good thing?
As long as you don't have excess algae in your display and out competing your macros, I would say it is a good thing.
 

tdog7879

Member
Originally Posted by jpa0741
http:///forum/post/2953326
As long as you don't have excess algae in your display and out competing your macros, I would say it is a good thing.
Thanks for the advise and i just check out some of your threads you have posted and let me no if need to get rid of any of sweet ass frags you got. PM me if you SHHHHHH
 

tdog7879

Member
Sorry about getting off the subject there............is there any problems with mixing cheato and grape culpra in the fuge?
 

pezenfuego

Active Member
Originally Posted by tdog7879
http:///forum/post/2954514
Sorry about getting off the subject there............is there any problems with mixing cheato and grape culpra in the fuge?
No. Just make sure you are running a 24/7 light in the refugium so it doesn't go sexual. Chances are the caulerpa will take over the chaeto. Good luck.
 

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33
http:///forum/post/2953294
It means that there is not enough nutrient or light for the chaeto to do well. If chaeto doesn't grow, you don't feed your fish enough. Chaeto needs to "tumble" in the refugium, I.E. Turn over every now and then, like it does in the wild.
If chaeto doesn't grow, you don't feed your fish enough. Snake my friend can you please elaborate on the correlation between Cheato and fish getting enough nutrition
 

florida joe

Well-Known Member
If chaeto doesn't grow, you don't feed your fish enough
Snake my friend can you please elaborate on the correlation between Cheato growth and fish getting enough nutrition
 

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/2954994
Snake my friend can you please elaborate on the correlation between Cheato growth and fish getting enough nutrition
I think I'd like to know that too...I am getting chaeto in a couple of days for my refuge and don't want it to be hungry...
 

spanko

Active Member
Chaetomorpha like any macro algae that is added to a tank for the removal of excess nutrient. Why would you put more nutrient into the water when what you are trying to accomplish is its removal. Seems a little counterproductive to me. Also remember photosynthesis from high school biology? Applies here too.....
Just sayin..............
 

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/2955046
Chaetomorpha like any macro algae that is added to a tank for the removal of excess nutrient. Why would you put more nutrient into the water when what you are trying to accomplish is its removal. Seems a little counterproductive to me. Also remember photosynthesis from high school biology? Applies here too.....
Just sayin..............
HIGH SCHOOL...I don't even remember that and I think I am a lot younger...LOL...
 

spanko

Active Member
HA! There you go picking on the old fart again!!!
Just remember you too will be old some day!
 

jackri

Active Member
Your cheato won't starve... but you don't want to feed your cheato by having high nitrates and phosphates --- because the whole reason of having cheato is to lower them. I was thinking I was doing something wrong as my cheato grows really slow and the lfs cheato grows like mad...... well take a look at the two tanks and see who has the algae problem and who doesn't.
Caution on the caulerpa.... if it gets into your main tank it can root in your live rock and REALLY REALLY REALLY be a pain to get it all out -- that's why I stick with cheato.
Again though -- don't feed your cheato to get it to grow if you have no nitrates or phospates --- thats a good thing to have. Your cheato won't die if you have a light on it.
 

meowzer

Moderator
You know the one problem I DO NOT have is nitrates...did in the beginning...a couple of water changes they went to 0, and have stayed at 0 ever since (crosses fingers)
So I have this tiny ball of chaeto (tennis maybe smaller in size) and I was told it would grow fast..it has never changed at all.....is the lack of nitrates why it doesn't grow? ANd I guess this is a good thing then.
 

spanko

Active Member
Even though you don't show nitrates, you do have some. The tests we use are not extremely accurate. Just the fact that you feed your fish and they poop put nitrates into the water column. Most if not all of us do not have the colonies of bacteria required to keep nitrate out of our system. algae use them, coral uses them etc. etc. As mentioned lighting is a large component to plant growth. What kind of bulb do you have over your Chaetomorpha. The lower kelvin bulbs tend to increase growth. The 6500 to 10000k range.
 

sly

Active Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/2955062
So I have this tiny ball of chaeto (tennis maybe smaller in size) and I was told it would grow fast..it has never changed at all.....is the lack of nitrates why it doesn't grow? ANd I guess this is a good thing then.
How much light do you have on it? I had the same tennis ball sized piece of chaeto for a long time and then one day I bought a 100 watt equivalent cfl bulb and put it in a fixture inches away from the chaeto... It started growing like mad.
 
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