Chaeto turning light green

[Kailua-Kona]

I've been using Chaeto to help control the nitrates/phosphates in my system. It has been a great success in eliminating all testable nitrates, but now it's starting to look unhealthy and growing hair algae. I use a 5000k 23w florescent that is only 2 months old. 11hours on 13 hours off. I do have some flow in the sump coming from a T in the return pump flow.

 

I took some of the Chaeto and tossed it into my 10gal quarantine tank that's only light source is filtered light from a west facing window, and has around 3ppm nitrate currently. The Chaeto turned to a nice dark green again within a week. The quarantine tank also uses the old water from my display tank, so the water isn't the problem. There is also not much flow in the quarantine tank either.

 

 

 

I've removed all but a small handful of Chaeto from my display tank sump to see if I can bring my nitrates back up to testable levels. I do not have a phosphate test kit.

 

Would you think my Cheato is being starved for nutrients in my display tank? Or is the light not right? I also don't understand why the hair algae is a problem in my sump but not in my Quarantine tank. Maybe the tail spot blenny that I'm quarantining.

[LASci]

Similar thing happened to me in my first tank. I used that dead Pukani rock from BRS that leaches a ton of phosphates. Had a huge green hair algae bloom in my tank and the chaeto did spectacular as well, growing like crazy. Once I got the nutrients under control, it just didn't grow anymore.

 

I don't really have a solution for you, as I never sorted it out myself. You could try upping your bio load, changing water less, or skimming less. Moreover, I probably wouldn't worry too much about Chaeto if the rest of your tank is doing great.

[Subsea]

It sounds as the chaeto is doing a good job.

The light is the biggest change. Does natural sunlight directly shine on tank and for how long? Most hair algae thrive at lower kelvin lighting, which would include 5K spectrum.

You need a PAR meter capable of measuring individual spectrum. Quantify direct sunlight and indirect sunlight PAR intensity, observe duration at that intensity.

If hair algae is an issue, increase blue spectrum of lighting, or remove the yellow & red spectrum.

Patrick

[Kailua-Kona]

Wish I had access to a par meter. The sun hardly ever shined directly on the tank though.

[Subsea]

Iron deficiency would turn macro yellow/green. Dosing with iron is win/win. By adding iron, mcro growth is increased thereby obsorbing more nitrate and phosphate from aquarium water.

Patrick

[Maniu]

More info on iron dosing pls

And what is the general census about those deep red led grow lights?

Thanks

[Kailua-Kona]

Iron deficiency would turn macro yellow/green. Dosing with iron is win/win. By adding iron, mcro growth is increased thereby obsorbing more nitrate and phosphate from aquarium water.

Patrick

I controlled for iron deficiency by using tank water from my display tank to run the quarantine tank. It has to be light or lack of nitrogen. I think the latter so I'm feeding more.

[Subsea]

I controlled for iron deficiency by using tank water from my display tank to run the quarantine tank. It has to be light or lack of nitrogen. I think the latter so I'm feeding more.

Feeding more will bring in nitrogen, phosphate and iron. All three are required for macro to thrive. I would assume your display tank would have sufficient of all three of these nutrients. I think light intensity is the reason for lack of growth.

More info on iron dosing pls

And what is the general census about those deep red led grow lights?

Thanks

Randy Holmes Fairly is a pHD chemist with much marine aquarium background. He has written many articles at Advanced Aquaria. He recommends iron dosing and sees little need for worry about overdosing. I see iron feeding both photosynthetic organisms and bacteria at the bottom of the food chain. Both of these food webs process nutrients and feed our reef tanks naturally.

Patrick

[Maniu]

Feeding more will bring in nitrogen, phosphate and iron. All three are required for macro to thrive. I would assume your display tank would have sufficient of all three of these nutrients. I think light intensity is the reason for lack of growth.

 

Randy Holmes Fairly is a pHD chemist with much marine aquarium background. He has written many articles at Advanced Aquaria. He recommends iron dosing and sees little need for worry about overdosing. I see iron feeding both photosynthetic organisms and bacteria at the bottom of the food chain. Both of these food webs process nutrients and feed our reef tanks naturally.

Patrick

 

Thanks a lot Patrick. I will read up on that out of curiosity.