Refugium not working... should I create a DIY ATS

[JosephM]

I started my tank about 4-5 months ago. At the start chaeto was doing great. So great I was having to dose N03 but now it’s just always dying off on me. Same light same flow. Changed the flow to rotate it, dosed chaeto grow, and still dying. I’ve kind of given up. I don’t do water changes so I suspect some lack in trace elements. I ordered a couple ICP tests over a month ago but they haven’t even shipped them to me yet. My N03 is 10-20ppm and P04 is 0.07. I have one of those square waterproof grow lights off Amazon that I’ve seen people use to make ATS. I can def grow algae so I feel like that might be a smarter way then keep trying chaeto

 

[Saltyreef]

Have you tried any other macro algae?
I used ulva and it pulled my nitrate down from 50 to 2.5 in a week.
Run the light schedule during your tanks dark hours.
Chaeto is finniky ime unless youre soley using it as nutrient export and nothing else.

 

[JosephM]

Have you tried any other macro algae?
I used ulva and it pulled my nitrate down from 50 to 2.5 in a week.
Run the light schedule during your tanks dark hours.
Chaeto is finniky ime unless youre soley using it as nutrient export and nothing else.

I haven’t. I am wanting macro solely for nutrient export and I run the lights on opposite light schedule. I’ll have to see what other types my LFS carries. Are there any I should stay away from? Other then the obvious ones that are mainly for looks and don’t grow fast

 

[Brady4000]

How often have you been dosing cheato gro? Did you use chemi clean or something?

 

[Brady4000]

Is it dying by the light? Or is it so thick light isn’t getting to it, so the bottom is dying?

 

[ReefGeezer]

Just in case... make sure you harvest some of the Cheato in order to: 1) export nutrients; and 2) allow room for further growth. Nutrients are used best by growing, well lite Cheato. Growth slows as the mass of the Cheato starts to block light penetration.

If you have N & P in the system with adequate light, iron may be the limiting nutrient. Cheato needs some decent flow also.

 

[Saltyreef]

Well said ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I harvest as much as i need to keep nutrients slightly elevated.

 

[JosephM]

How often have you been dosing cheato gro? Did you use chemi clean or something?

Dose 12 drops daily, I haven’t used anything like that since I first started my tank.

Is it dying by the light? Or is it so thick light isn’t getting to it, so the bottom is dying?

It’s just melting. Turning white and then getting sucked into the return pump. I’m noticing some GHA growing amongst it as well (it’s always grown on the glass but now it’s growing in it)

Just in case... make sure you harvest some of the Cheato in order to: 1) export nutrients; and 2) allow room for further growth. Nutrients are used best by growing, well lite Cheato. Growth slows as the mass of the Cheato starts to block light penetration.

If you have N & P in the system with adequate light, iron may be the limiting nutrient. Cheato needs some decent flow also.

Well I had a friend that gave me a crap ton that filled almost my whole fuge (12x12x8) and now it’s done to the size of a baseball when compressed. So there isn’t anything to harvest, it’s just melting

 

[Brady4000]

Last thing I can personally think of maybe under lighting. Is the GHA growing on your submerged light?
What light are you using, can you post make and model? Or an Amazon link?
Was it growing well before?

 

[Brady4000]

Also how large is your tank?

 

[JosephM]

Last thing I can personally think of maybe under lighting. Is the GHA growing on your submerged light?
What light are you using, can you post make a model? Or an Amazon link?
Was it growing well before?

I don’t have the light submerged. When I first started I had it about 1” from surface and chaeto was growing super well and then everything went downhill when I got dinos. Tried new batch and raised light to about 6” because it looked like only top was dying but now it’s just a crap shoot.

here’s what I have:
COB LED Grow Light 150w Grow Lights for Indoor Plants Kolem Full Spectrum Plant Lights, Waterproof Grow Panel Light, Veg, Seedling for Plants Tent, Greenhouse, Garden, Hydroponic

 

[JosephM]

Also how large is your tank?

29gal DT with 20gal sump

 

[Brady4000]

I don’t have the light submerged. When I first started I had it about 1” from surface and chaeto was growing super well and then everything went downhill when I got dinos. Tried new batch and raised light to about 6” because it looked like only top was dying but now it’s just a crap shoot.

here’s what I have:
COB LED Grow Light 150w Grow Lights for Indoor Plants Kolem Full Spectrum Plant Lights, Waterproof Grow Panel Light, Veg, Seedling for Plants Tent, Greenhouse, Garden, Hydroponic

That’s a strong light, I have the same one. I keep it about a foot away from the cheato. You might be over lighting it.

 

[JosephM]

That’s a strong light, I have the same one. I keep it about a foot away from the cheato. You might be over lighting it.

I’ll try and raise it up. I’ve been neglecting my tank and today is big cleaning and testing day. You have any idea why it would have went from doing great to not so great? Because I had it even lower when it was growing very fast

 

[Brady4000]

29gal DT with 20gal sump

Ok so I went and took a look at what 12 drops is. Your not putting enough cheato gro in the tank. You should be putting in around 15ml - 20ml twice a week. Might be all out of nutrition. Since you don’t do water changes.

 

[JosephM]

I thought I was following the directions
But I’ll start on 15ml twice a week. That sounds a lot easier then 12 drops a day lol

 

[Brady4000]

I’ll add this photo to make sure we are talking about the right stuff.

 

[JosephM]

I’ll add this photo to make sure we are talking about the right stuff.

We are lol

 

[Brady4000]

I dose my cheato grow on Wednesdays and Sunday’s. If I were you, I would toss 20ml in now, (I always like to dump it right on the cheato), and raise the light a little bit.

best I got.

 

[JosephM]

I dose my cheato grow on Wednesdays and Sunday’s. If I were you, I would toss 20ml in now, (I always like to dump it right on the cheato), and raise the light a little bit.

best I got.

Sounds good. I’ll get it raised up and get on that dosing regimen. They make it so hard to raise those lights, only thing I hate about it
Thank you for all the help!