What's up with my chaeto?

[ph33nyx]

My chaeto looks like it's fading away...almost rotting!
I'm running a 6500k CF bulb 10hr/day NH4 is 0, N02 is 0, N03 has been climbing from 20 (2 weeks ago) to 80 (today)!
What's going on?

[myjohnson]

How old is your tank?

How many fishes do you have?

How often do you feed your fishes?

What are your phosphate levels?

[Bakapuma]

2 things going on here. First, chaeto is like any other flora or fauna found in the water column. Sensitive to water quality. chaeto can remove some nutriets but they are used as a maintance between water changes. I would recommend a partial water change. 80 ppm is way to high for most aquatic life found in the reef environment. Second, spectrum creep is common with all bulbs as they are used. Your 6500 cf bulb may need to be replaced. I change mine every 6 monhts to be safe.

[ph33nyx]

How old is your tank?

How many fishes do you have?

How often do you feed your fishes?

What are your phosphate levels?

This tank has been up for about 2 wks now, but everything that was in was transferred from my other tank that cracked (that one was up for 5mo).
No fish....Only SPS, LPS, cuc, a cleaner shrimp, and my anemone (now 2 from from split). I only feed the anemone 2x/week.

PO4 is 0
The bulb is new. I just replaced it Wed.

[ph33nyx]

I would recommend a partial water change. 80 ppm is way to high for most aquatic life found in the reef environment.

I've been maintaining a 5g / week change since this has been up.

[Bakapuma]

I've been maintaining a 5g / week change since this has been up.

What size tank is it. A 5g water change is 25% in a 20g, only 5% in a 100.

[ph33nyx]

It's the 40g cube I picked up from Semper after the bottom cracked on my 37.
On another forum they stated that the dead\dying chaeto would also cause a nitrate spike, so I just cleaned it all out.

[rage]

My chaeto looks like it's fading away...almost rotting!
I'm running a 6500k CF bulb 10hr/day NH4 is 0, N02 is 0, N03 has been climbing from 20 (2 weeks ago) to 80 (today)!
What's going on?

What is the wattage of the bulb?

[ph33nyx]

it's a 75w.
i just set up a make shift turf scrubber this evening, so i'm going to see how that works out.

[ometh]

If you need more cheato I have plenty of healthy wads and some red gras. Algae.

[johnnymisty]

Is the red grass good stuff

[ometh]

Very if not better then cheato. Growth rate is a lil slow because not to often is it easy to grow but somehow I got it down right and it's growing nicely and whiting out like it should be when given the right amount of light.

[ometh]

Red gracilaria is actually the real name but I just say red gras. Because 9 times out of 100 I can't prenounce the name for the life of me.

[ph33nyx]

If you need more cheato I have plenty of healthy wads and some red gras. Algae.

Thanks Ometh. That would be great!

[rage]

it's a 75w.
i just set up a make shift turf scrubber this evening, so i'm going to see how that works out.

You probably mean a 15-20W CF == 75W Incandescent?

If it is then the light could be your problem, not strong enough.
My Chaeto didn't grow at all for 2 years under a 60W incan. bulb then I changed to this fixture:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_203213-1373-FL-300NPDQ12_4294857041__?productId=3122291&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=

You can use a 150W Incan bulb. I am using a 25W CF (I think) and my chaeto has been doing a lot better. I have chaeto in 2 chambers of my sump. The one right under the light doubled its size in a couple of months. The one next to it did not grow much in the same time period.