Disappearing Cheto

[mr. limpid]

Added cheto back in november to my sump, 4 months in filled the chamber it was in so I removed a third of it. Since then it has slowly disappeared. Now I only have a very little left. Any ideas why this is happening.
Light: 65wat pig tail bulb, daylight on for 12hrs
nitrate in tank are 80 FOWLR

 

[snakeblitz33]

Replace your light bulb. After 3 months, the bulb looses its intensity but not its light. After the "burn in" phase, the bulb is no good.
Also, how often do you do water changes? Do you dose anything like iron? Chaeto sucks iron out of a tank. I have had very little success keeping it because of a few of those reasons. I prefer Caulerpa racemosa or C. mexicana over other macros. The problem with it going sexual is if it runs out of nutrients and doesnt get pruned back for a long time.
Describe the way i is dying back. Colors, texture, etc.

 

[mr. limpid]

The bulb is 2 or 3 months, I do 10% water change every 2 weeks w/ reef crystals just changed to Corallife last two changes (bought a year supply), do not dose iron (don't test for it). Has not lose any color and texture is the same. There are small stands come free from the main ball, more than normal, just disappearing.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Thats what always happens to mine. It does fine for a few months and then just disappears. I hope someone else can chime in cause id like to know as well.

 

[btldreef]

I had a lot of problems keeping chaeto in all my tanks except the 180.
Are you keeping the bulbs on constantly? I was always told that chaeto could/should have 24/7 lighting. Once I switched to only 12 hours, I had better results.
I think what salts you use also plays into the success. I had zero success until I started using AquaVitro Salinity. But I've had it fail in other tanks using this salt.
How's the flow?
My refugium on my 180 is a 55g tank. I've noticed that giving the chaeto that much open room vs just shoving into a chamber of a sump has offered me much more success.
A few people I've spoke with that have taken chaeto from me believe that it might be different strains. Mine does well for them in the same place that others fails. I don't know how much truth there is to "different strains" but it's a theory that I've heard more than once.
Edit:
What's your Ca readings?
My chaeto is under LEDs (blue and white) that are strong enough to also support two RBTA's and SPS frags when I run out of room on my main frag rack.
Moderate flow, again, enough to support SPS and anemones.
I feed on the heavier side, do weekly water changes of 25% and run a ca reactor.
I harvest ever 4-6 weeks or as people ask for it.
I have it growing intertwined with a species of grape caulerpa and also have a few varieties if caulerpa, mainly prolifera, growing with it.

 

[mr. limpid]

Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///t/395630/disappearing-cheto#post_3522762
I had a lot of problems keeping chaeto in all my tanks except the 180.
Are you keeping the bulbs on constantly? I was always told that chaeto could/should have 24/7 lighting. Once I switched to only 12 hours, I had better results. 12 hours only
I think what salts you use also plays into the success. I had zero success until I started using AquaVitro Salinity. But I've had it fail in other tanks using this salt.
How's the flow? first chamber of sump so the flow is good.
My refugium on my 180 is a 55g tank. I've noticed that giving the chaeto that much open room vs just shoving into a chamber of a sump has offered me much more success. chamber is small 6"x9"x12", the only place I have for it.
A few people I've spoke with that have taken chaeto from me believe that it might be different strains. Mine does well for them in the same place that others fails. I don't know how much truth there is to "different strains" but it's a theory that I've heard more than once.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/395630/disappearing-cheto#post_3522644
Thats what always happens to mine. It does fine for a few months and then just disappears. I hope someone else can chime in cause id like to know as well.
I'm pretty sure I mentioned this to you before, but you disagreed with me and said the macros will in fact grow using a GFO reactor...I'm pretty certain that without PO4 macros can't survive.
If your water conditions are very good, the cheato can't survive. Unless you have bad enough water no macros will survive for long. They are great if you have nasty wasteful seahorses...like I do.
Folks who already have pristine water conditions, and/or run GFO or have algae scrubbers won't be able to keep macros, and they don't need to. I personally hate Chaeto, when it dies, or decides to go sexual, it becomes little tiny pieces that clog power heads and everything else.

 

[btldreef]

I run a carbon and phosban reactor

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///t/395630/disappearing-cheto#post_3522779
I run a carbon and phosban reactor
Carbon wouldn't matter, and long as the macro has some PO4 it can survive, it just wouldn't grow as fast. I Think it was either Spanko or Bang Guy said they need PO4 for their DNA....unless I misunderstood, but I'm pretty sure that's what was said.
Macros help our systems by absorbing the PO4, NO3 and ammonia from the water to make it pristine, we remove the overgrowth (called harvesting) As we remove that overgrowth we remove the PO4, nitrates, and ammonia that it absorbed in order to grow...but if you leave it in too long without harvesting, it dies off, and all that stuff goes back into your water. It stands to reason that if macroalgae doesn't get enough nutrient to feed on, it dies off.
Some of that good nutrient is from the light as well, so bulbs that are no good would also cause a die off...but I have kept Caulerpa Prolifera alive with nothing but a regular desk lamp. Just like corals...some need more light, some need less. Water temp also plays a roll. Golf Coast Ecosystems offer a great variety of different macros, and they let you know what conditions it likes to grow in....reds, greens, and the golden browns. Some macros are really pretty, even as pretty as coral if aquascaped right.