Cheato

Hi,
I'm a new member mike gersch. This is my first post. Sorry if it's in wrong section. I enjoyed meeting everyone this weekend at the event.

Question: why can't I seem to keep cheatomorphia doing well?

I have a 40g saltwater tank with an in tank refugium ? 3gallons? The refugium area has a little 24watt flourescent light on 24/7. Had tank 6 mo. It's been 1 problem after the next the whole time.

Everything does seem to be doing better, but on 2 different occasions I have placed big chunks of cheato in the refugium only to find that after about a month they gave melted away.

The first time it happened I could blame it on any number of things, (high kH, bacterial bloom, pritein skimmer malfunction, heater malfunction) but those problems seem to be corrected now

Should I just get another chunk and put it in or am missing something?

-MG

 

Cheato is an algae. If you
are not growing it you shouldn’t be growing many other algae either. However, it
is a strange little plant that will only grow when nitrates are really present.
I have noticed that I can’t grow it worth a flip either and on occasion it will
even deteriorate. I have seen it though in member’s tanks that run high
nitrates and they can grow it enough to open a business.
 
I wouldn’t be worried if
you can’t grow it. At the same time though I would advise you to try another
form of growing matter such as the C. Racemosa or Grape Caulerpa. I have great
success with this form and it is also a form that is not really as invasive as C. crassifolia or Feather
Caulerpa. Try to steer away from the later; it can be nasty if things go down
hill with it.
 
All in all don’t worry
about Cheato if you can’t grow it. There are dozens of other forms of Algae
that work just as well that are easier to grow and will with stand fluctuations.

Have fun and research the different ones... It can be thrill to learn all the little things out there. Experiment and find what works for you and your tank.

Welcome and If there is anything else just ask

 

Can you describe your filtration a little more? Are you running g f o or carbon?

Or any other type of chemical filtration for that matter.

 

Kinda new to this forum so I may ne be answering your question correctly.
I've got probably 30-40 lbs of live rock
No real mechanical filtration in there actually. 
Using a protein skimmer
I have some carbon in a little mesh bag.
I have been adding 5cc of vodka to tank daily for the majority of the time its been running.
kH was out of wack but it now back to 12.
Where would you suggest getting other type of algae for refugium?
-MG

 

I'll start this out with a disclaimer, this is my opinion only.
 
I would stop the vodka dosing. Also, you water hardness is higher than I run my tank, I usually try to keep mine around 9-10.
 
As far as where to get algae, some members of the club have other types, I have the feather caulerpa reefmann said you shouldn't get. I agree, don't get it. If it gets stressed and goes sexual you have a world of problems on your hands. If no one in the club has what you want, check out [url2='http://www.reefcleaners.org':3h6kvo85]http://www.reefcleaners.org[/url2:3h6kvo85]

 

I'm sure u are 100% right about the vodka raising the kh, because, earlier my kh got dangerously high (like >18).
But why should vodka raise the kh? I thought it was to cause bacteria to eat up phos and then be removed by protein skimmer

 

Sorry, my comment was mis worded. If they have a correlation, I don't know about it. I was just saying I wouldn't vodka dose on a small system like that. And seperately my dkH is lower than that.

 

In my experience adding a carbon source such as vodka needs to be counter acted by adding amino acids, fatty acids, and vitamins.. If you are not balancing you willl never get it right... I would say to stop it too but just like before, I wouldnt worry with not being able to grow it.. If you have what it needs it will grow and be okay, if not.. they you shouldnt have other problem algaes either. One way or another a tank like the OPs should have regular waterchanges and that is about it to balance anything anyways...
 Good day.