Macro-algae dying need help!!!!

[trigger_guy]

Does anyone know why my macro algae would be dying. I just added my 60G refugium 2 month's ago and added a fist size piece of chaeto and a fist size piece of red caulerpa. I haven't seen any growth out of the Chaeto and the caulerpa is now half the size it was when I got it. I have been having a break-out of red slime and other micro algae's like some brown and green algae. Could the cyano be killing off my macro-algae? Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[andrew1113]

do u have light on the algae

 

[trigger_guy]

Yes I have a 24" Nova with a 6700k plant bulb made by coralife. I think it is 15W and I also have a 10,000K current bulb that is 24W. My LFS told me to remove the 24W actinic I had in there and replace it with the 6700k. Ever since I did that I seem to be having more problems with algae and with my macro dying off. I had the light on 24/7 for about a week but then I put it back on a timer and it is now on for about 11 hrs a day.

 

[tbcseod]

I'll knock this back to the top as I have had lousy luck growing my own Chet, I finally got some that didn't die right off but the person I got it from has had 2 harvests since I bought mine and its still the same size as when I bought it.........
I got 96 watts on it in the fudge - 14 hours a night, got some NO3 for it to suck up.........

 

[alexmir]

I would think that if it is dying, or not growing then there isnt anything to eat, which means you have a pretty healthy tank(no phosphates, nitrates etc.). So that is a good thing, the only reason you keep the macro algea is to keep those nutrients out of the tank. So if it is dying i would say just cut it back alot. With less algea, you shouldnt have any dying since it will be sucking up the little nutrients available.
Is the algea under the water dying, or the stuff on the surface dying? if its the surface then the algea is too dense, and some of it is sticking out of the water. SO if that is the case just cut it back also

 

[bang guy]

You need more light IMO. And don't use a plant bulb, use a standard daylight.
How much waterflow do you have feeding the algae?

 

[cranberry]

Is red grape being called red caulerpa? I agree you're going to need more light than that.

 

[trigger_guy]

I would say the flow rate is decent. I have a 125G megaflow w/2 1in drains rated fro 600gph each. My refugium is 60G and the chaeto gets fairly smooth water flow over it. How much light do I need? The nova that I have has (2) 24W bulbs 48W total (1 actinic & 1 10.000K) with the 10,000 removed and replaced with a 15W 6700K.

 

[trigger_guy]

My chaeto that is dying is on the bottom of my fuge because it is about the size of my hand. It is getting plenty of nutrients, my phospahtes are at the top of the chart on my test kit (1-2) and my nitrates are high as well (50 ppm). So I dont know why it would be dying off.
amonia=0
nitrites=0
nitrates=50
phosphates=1-2
ph=8.4
salinity=1.024
temp=76.5f
calc=480
alk=high

 

[trigger_guy]

Ok if everyone agrees I need more light, then exactly how many watts do I need and of what spectrum? Are you saying I need MH for my refugium?
Please clarify!

 

[bang guy]

OK, you say you have a 60 gallon refugium and 40 watts, 15 of which is a plant light (much light filtered out).
If ir were me and I wanted to grow Chaetomorpha I would get a 150 watt halogen that puts out heat + light to get the Chaeto growing fast.

 

[basile]

24/7 lighting is killing it! Like any other plant, macroalgae needs a rest period for respiration. It is in that period that it grows. If you deny this period by light the algae can't feed itself, it only transform Co2 into oxygen, but dies off doing it. So you need a 6-8 hours of darkness for it to rest. Simple biology.And most algae need low to moderate light anyway; good luck.Your light where ok, just your photoperiod was off track.

 

[salt life]

Originally Posted by Basile
http:///forum/post/3031498
24/7 lighting is killing it! Like any other plant, macroalgae needs a rest period for respiration. It is in that period that it grows. If you deny this period by light the algae can't feed itself, it only transform Co2 into oxygen, but dies off doing it. So you need a 6-8 hours of darkness for it to rest. Simple biology.And most algae need low to moderate light anyway; good luck.Your light where ok, just your photoperiod was off track.
I keep my fuge light on 24/7 and my chaeto has tripled in size since I got it.