Chaeto keeps dying... any help appreciated. I'm thinking it's my new setup.

[Ignitros]

I should have asked this from the beginning, how's your system doing besides the chaeto? Corals, fish, appearance, pests?

Fish are fine but corals are not happy at all and receding. Even the GSP and Xenia are not happy. I've started up weekly 20% water changes to keep Nitrates down.

For fish I have 2 maroon clowns, 6 line wrasse, yellow watchman goby, diamond watchman goby and a scopas tang. all fish are very small no more than 3" long. The tank is about 40 gallons total water volume

 

[Ignitros]

@AlgaeBarn ... Would carbon media in a media reactor have anything to do with chaeto die off? Could it be pulling too much of something out of the water? I am moving everything in my tank back to where it was while I was having success with growing chaeto but I was just wondering if maybe I am using too much carbon media. I am running the Triton method and I would assume that provides everything chaeto would need as far as supplements like iron? My nitrates and phosphates are pretty elevated currently so there should be enough nutrients for the chaeto to feed off and I just placed an order with you guys to drop into the fuge.

 

[Ignitros]

I finally got the new skimmer installed back in the old location and put everything back where it was and guess what? Several weeks later I still have chaeto and it's doubled in size, growing like crazy! I now have the marine pure blocks in the overflow chamber with a filter pad over them. Chaeto is in the second chamber still and the skimmer is back in the third chamber.
Nothing changed as far as dosing, livestock or corals and now the chaeto is thriving. I'm not sure what was causing it to die but switching back solved my provlem.

 

[Ignitros]

@AlgaeBarn ... What do you think could have been the cause? I can't believe that simply having the skimmer after the chaeto vs before the chaeto would make a huge difference but that's what the evidence is telling me. Any ideas based on this new info?

 

[AlgaeBarn]

@AlgaeBarn ... What do you think could have been the cause? I can't believe that simply having the skimmer after the chaeto vs before the chaeto would make a huge difference but that's what the evidence is telling me. Any ideas based on this new info?

Thanks for your patience. I've been off in coding land for the past month so we could get our new website launched!

Carbon shouldn't really affect the growth of the chaeto.

To clarify, the skimmer is now after the chaeto? That is what the Triton method recommends. It allows the chaeto to pull some nutrients/organics out of the water and the chaeto will trap some food waste, allowing it to decay and feed the chaeto. Are you running your skimmer on the wet side or dry side? The photos make it look like you skim pretty hard.

 

[Ignitros]

Thanks for your patience. I've been off in coding land for the past month so we could get our new website launched!

Carbon shouldn't really affect the growth of the chaeto.

To clarify, the skimmer is now after the chaeto? That is what the Triton method recommends. It allows the chaeto to pull some nutrients/organics out of the water and the chaeto will trap some food waste, allowing it to decay and feed the chaeto. Are you running your skimmer on the wet side or dry side? The photos make it look like you skim pretty hard.

Yes.... The skimmer is now after the chaeto. I skim slightly wet I empty the skimmer cup once a week or so. Still growing good. Looks like just moving the skimmer after the refugium solved the problem. It's crazy how that little thing makes a huge difference.

 

[Ignitros]

@AlgaeBarn ... I'm going to need to put in an order for some pods soon too now that this tank is stable again. Glad you reminded me.

 

[AlgaeBarn]

@AlgaeBarn ... I'm going to need to put in an order for some pods soon too now that this tank is stable again. Glad you reminded me.

How convenient :-D we are running a great deal right now to celebrate the new website. Buy 2x 5280 pods + 2x OceanMagik, get a free 16oz 5280 pods. ($100 total, free shipping)

https://www.algaebarn.com/coupons/?free5280

 

[Ignitros]

Sweet! Thanks @AlgaeBarn