Macro algae dying

[Ralph823]

Hi all,

does anyone else just have No luck with Chaeto in their refugium?

I have some caulepra in my refugium now but it doesn't seem to grow and chaeto just dies off, my nutrients are high and have just reached 90 Nitrate and 1.2 PO4 I like it at around 50/.5, I Feed a lot and often as I have a Moorish Idol and 5 anthias and my Bio Load is heavy with 6 tangs a CBB a Snowflake eel and some other smaller fish in a 200 gal tank. so water changes alone won't cut it. I dose 24 ML NOPOX daily and it has been coming dwn but I want to wean off of that ASAP and go the natural rout.

feed schedule
8am - 1 cube frozen gut loaded brine & 1 cube gut loaded Mysis
8:30am - 2 littleneck clams on the half shell
6:30 pm - one little neck clam
8:30 live black worms & PE Mysis

Nori on the clip 24/7

Right now I'm just using grow bulbs from ace hardware on an 18 hour cycle. should I play with lighting and get a real fuge light or is there something else I can try?

 

[TX_REEF]

Can you share some photos of your fuge setup? Do you have sufficient flow around the chaeto? You shouldn't NEED a specialized fuge light, although it can help, it shouldn't make or break macro growth.

 

[scotty333]

I use a 6500k 80w led on 16 hrs and my caluerpa runs wild