Cheato Dying?

Desert Aquarium · #1 08/25/2006, 11:06 PM

I got some cheato from a fellow reefer. It showed up very green, and dense.

After a week, it's now bleaching/lighter. It's losing it's green. I just went to move it under better light, but it started to fall apart.

I'm confused. I thought this stuff was "The Answer".

I put it under a CF 65W 3500K bulb. The closest thing I could find to the recommended bulb in the thread.

What now? Do I need to try and get that stuff out ASAP?

sir_dudeguy · #2 08/25/2006, 11:13 PM

are you running it on opposite schedules from the main tank light? the algae in the main tank lets nutrients out at night, so you want the chaeto to run when the main tank lights are off so that the chaeto can then consume the nutrients that are let out by the algae in the main tank.

I dont know what bulb you should try putting in there to replace it tho...i've always just used those regular spiral fluorescent bulbs that screw into any fixture. Just a regular house bulb, nothing meant for reef..but it works for me, so i cant really recomend any better lights

Desert Aquarium · #3 08/25/2006, 11:18 PM

Yes, the light runs from 9pm till 6am, opposite of my display tank.

Will the breakdown of the cheato cause problems with the water?

BurntOutReefer · #4 08/25/2006, 11:21 PM

yes...it'll pollute your tank with......Nitrates...

Desert Aquarium · #5 08/25/2006, 11:24 PM

Well, I guess I will pull out as much as I can, with out it disentigrating.

sir_dudeguy · #6 08/25/2006, 11:25 PM

ya i agree w/burnout...if anything it would prolly cause nitrates.

Desert Aquarium · #7 08/25/2006, 11:29 PM

Well, I pulled half of it out. I'm thinking that maybe I just added too much of it, with too little nitrates for it to feed on, and maybe it starved.

Does that sound like total BS?

Desert Aquarium · #8 08/25/2006, 11:52 PM

Current Water Params:

PH: 8.3
dKh: 9.6
NO3: 10

BurntOutReefer · #9 08/25/2006, 11:53 PM

"

oes that sound like total BS?"...

yeah it does :-) ....it'll live all day long on light aswell...it is after all, a plant.

Desert Aquarium · #10 08/25/2006, 11:57 PM

Hey, so I'm optimistic.

Should I pull the rest too then?

PatMayo · #11 08/26/2006, 12:47 AM

There is no need to run it on opposite light cycles. That really does nothing. No harm no foul. Most folks do it opposite for PH reasons.

As well that light you are using is not the best for growing cheato. I can give you a link that will show you the light to get.

I would get new cheato and a smaller ball of it. The water needs to flow through it fairly well. I use 2 of these lights on my tank and light the cheato 24/7. It grows like mad and I have to prune it at least every month.

Please note you do not need a reflector with these lights. The are floruescent and have the reflector built in. Melev did some tests on these and they worked great. I can confirm that because I use them and it grows like crazy.

http://www.melevsreef.com/fuge_bulb.html

You can buy them here.

http://www.lightbulbsdirect.com/page...ctors/1P381651

Regards,

Pat

Desert Aquarium · #12 08/26/2006, 02:17 PM

Pat, I have seen the link, thanks. I used that idea to decide on the setup I have. I am using one of the listed clamp sockets, but the HD here where I live doesn't have the bulb, and couldn't order it. I received the Cheato a few days before I was ready, so I have to pick the closest bulb to the ones he tested.

2639 · #13 08/26/2006, 11:18 PM

I'm using a 10K florescent. Is that bad?

meco65 · #14 08/26/2006, 11:51 PM

Try Wal-Mart they have a lights of america 6500k true day light bulb that works great. Its a CF.

Desert Aquarium · #15 08/27/2006, 12:11 PM

I will do that. It doesn't have the reflector though does it? I went to "Sprawl-Mart" and didn't see any CF's that had the "Flood Light" appearance.

xclan · #16 09/13/2006, 06:31 AM

I live in ridgecrest
I bought all the walmart lights that had 6500k in his town. they had 250 of them on pallets and I sold them on eBay I only have about 20 left. People are selling them for ridiculous prices up to 60$ each....scam. I was selling them 15 to 25$ each. I kinda stopped for a while but I sold over 200 of them. They work great for chaetomorpha. I recently gave away a 150 gallon tank last week. A 110 gallon corner tank, a Buncha lights. tommorrow am Giving away a Seaclone 150. I allready gave away a Redsea prizm, I basically gave away hundreds of dollars in stuff to clean my house. I have some Chaeto I can give you....it is in a refugium that isnt being used. It had tons of pods until a week ago....it still might...I tore that tank down. and just have small water flow in the refugium to keep stuff alive. I have Grape caluerpa and Chaeto....let me know I can give ya a handful. Lots of bristleworms.