Who's macros do/did not grow?

[derek_s]

I hear people mention that their macros (cheato, gracialara, etc) do not grow well or at all. I am in that boat. Mine use to grow very well, now noe at all it seems.

I was wondering if anyone else has ever had this problem, and resolved it?

I have tried adding iron, and I know my cheato has plenty of light under 2 100W 6500k lights. Nothing I see is eating it. It gets about 14 hours of light on the reverse cycle of my tank. In the day, it might get a little ambinet light, but it quit really growing before it I moved it.

Any ideas? I feel like it should grow since I still have a littel hair algae, cyano, and other small nuisances.

 

[glxtrix]

How about you turn that ridiculously large skimmer off for a few days to a week and then see what happens

 

[derek_s]

I thought about that, but darn, how does the hair algae grow? I thought cheato outcompeted it?

BTW, I have many mangroves which seem to be growing well, but they were added after teh cheato quit growing...?

 

[ralph atl]

your hair algae is getting nutrients from the water column directly when you feed & as your fish poop.

cheato will absorb some nutrients, but depending how big it is, it can only absorb/use so much at a time.

I have a low nutrient system, so my cheato grows for a month or 2, maybe 3, then I replace it. I add iron & some live phyto every other day or so on alternate days. I can get 6 months out of it. It's not all that bad if it's not growing, however. You also want it to tumble in your fuge if u can.

 

[darren24]

Mine "maintains" but does not grow a lot.

 

[derek_s]

Darren, I think I am similar to you. I do not seem to be loosing cheato, it is just not thriving.

I am gonna try to get a good phos and nitrate test today to see where I'm at, but I'm not sure that my system is as low nutrient I would like. BTW, the only place my hair algae grows is in the overflow boxes. I have turbos in there that take care of it, but I know it is there in at least limited amounts.

 

[derek_s]

Ralph, do you test for iron to ensure the water has the right amount? Or just ball park?

 

[chemically_balanced]

I have a real problem with it over growing. I think my rocks are dumping phosphates in the tank or something. I'm running phosban and skimming wert but this stuff still grow like a weed. i gave out about a gallon at the meeting and I think I'm about to take out two more tomorrow. That will leave me with a little over a gallon left in the fuge. I just hate to throw it away since it's packed with pods and other goodies.

 

[derek_s]

I'm telling you, LFS's will buy it up.

 

[sailfish]

I had the same problem with my 75 . I had this nuisance red Cotton like algae that grew sometimes out of control but my cheato would not grow. Now in the new tank the stupid stuff grows pretty good for me. I don't get it.

For my new tank I have 3 different types of macro algae and all seem to be doing well. I did add some miracle mud which could have some nutrients that the algae likes and I have no mangroves in the new tank. I have no clue!

Joe

 

[shromy]

Mine hasnt grown either, hasnt gotten smaller or anything, still has nice dark green color. Same amount has been in the fuge for over 2 months now. I am also having small algae problems like you stated.

 

[gwhiz]

I can't seem to grow the green stuff either. My last ball of Cheato withered away. The current one hasn't done anything yet. I just started dosing Iron per Jin's suggestion, so we'll see...