cheato (1 Viewer)

[jeremy]

It seems as though my Cheato, located in my fuge, is possibly dying and I don't understand. I got it from a friend off of here and it was a nice softball size clump. right now it is still green, but much smaller and seems to fall apart when I touch it. Is it dying??? or is this normal. The light I have on it is a 75w 6500k floresent and it's light scheldule is on the same at the display tank. please help!!!

 

[curtisandrachel]

I would increase the light schedule to at least 14 hrs. and set it on an opposite schedule than the display tank.

Also, the info I found on this site helped me.

 

[doubletap4311]

My fuge light runs 24/7 and I am always thinning out my macro....

 

[Metzzen]

My fuge light runs 24/7 and I am always thinning out my macro....

My first guess would be TOO MUCH flow. When your flow is too high through the fuge the macros dont have a chance to absorb nutrients. The people i have seen with the best success growin cheato had a mag 5 on a 75 gal, or a mag 3 on a 50 gal. What size return pump do you have and how big is your sump?

 

[jeremy]

my refufium is a DIY 18 gallon, prob holding about 13 gallons of water. its gravity feeds from the diplay tank to the refugium. then is returned by the return pump (600 gph or so). ther e really isn't a lot of flow in the fuge though

 

[txmedic1]

i had the exact same problem. then i started dosing chelated iron, now it grows non stop. if you need some cheato, let me know. i can give you some.

 

[snookfish]

Ditto what txmedic said. I've kept dosing small amounts of iron and have not had a problem with the chaeto dying since.

 

[jeremy]

are there any side effects on the DT??? is iron something I can get at the LFS???

 

[jeremy]

I was also thinking about putting some grape caulerpa (spelling) in my fuge. anyone have any thoughts on that?

 

[tas5tas]

stay away from calerpa.....if it goes sexual, you're in trouble

 

[txmedic1]

no ill affects, you should be able to get it at any LFS.

if you have tangs, they love grape caulerpa. just be careful with it. it often breaks apart, becomes asexual, and spreads all over the tank, attaching to rockwork, clogging overflows and returnlines. if it does go asexual, it may cloud the tank.