chaeto algae supplements

[crankbait09]

Those of you that grow your own chaeto algae..........do you add supplements to your sump in order to do so? (i.e. magnesium, trace elements, or iron)

How do I know if I need them?
Do I have to buy test kits for magnesium and iron if I'm adding these supplements?

Is there anything I need to know before adding these supplements.

Of course this all depends on the question, do I need them

Am I overthinking this chaeto process? Why yes, of course. I overthink everything.
I was looking up all the information about it on liveaquaria, and the site mentions it needs those three supplements in order for it to survive. Which makes me second guess the process I'm doing now. Right now, it's in the sump, grow light on for roughly 12 hours on/off. done........

[thelawnwrangler]

Sorry unsure what you need to grow chaeto. I will follow thread it is a good question. I have seen pretty good advice. If you dose it or supplement you should be testing. Aka don't add it if you don't have a test for it.

[pyithar]

you'll need test kits for whatever you're dosing. you'll need the magnesium test kit along with calcium and alkalinity kits if it's a reef tank.

my chaeto grew well without any supplements. you should let it grow first before dosing anything. you don't wanna mess up the tank's parameters just for the sake of growing chaeto.

@thelawnwrangler:
algae like chaeto use nitrates and phosphates to grow. then when you harvest them, those nutrients are exported out of your system.

[Norman123]

Well...I have three tanks going. One with issues in places with tufts of algae, the other with some sort of diatoms and one into which I threw a ball of chaeto - this tank is pristine, no algae and the chaeto has done so well it takes up half the tank now. I am convinced that refugiums can work very well. I don't supplement and my water changes are sporadic... The bicolour blenny lounges on top of the chaeto bad and eats when he is hungry. Very happy guy. :)

[azcrazy]

To grow cheato you only phosphates,nitrates and a light (growing plant light will be enough)

[Dkuhlmann]

My chaeto grows very fast in my sump and I leave on the lights 24/7 in my sump. Yes you're over thinking it. If you have nitrates and phosphates in your system (and I'm sure you do) then it will grow as long as it has light. By my letting anything grow in the sump with the lights on all the time it's keeping the bad stuff out of my DT. I've also got large amounts of GHA growing in my sump but the emerald green crab that got banned to the sump along with the blue legged hermits have something to eat. I also have black sailfin mollies in the sump so they can produce live food for my tank. They too eat the algae.

I agree with the others, no additives are needed for chaeto to grow and don't add something unless you have a test for it.

[thelawnwrangler]

What creates Phosphates(assuming your RO/DI water is free of it)? Is it similar to the production of Nitrates- decaying food and fish waste? It seems that those two are related, but I can't really quite grasp the chemistry of the phosphate piece.

I really think I want to do Chaeto in my all in one back sump. I guess I can just order online.

[pyithar]

What creates Phosphates(assuming your RO/DI water is free of it)?

fish food.

[crankbait09]

What creates Phosphates(assuming your RO/DI water is free of it)? Is it similar to the production of Nitrates- decaying food and fish waste? It seems that those two are related, but I can't really quite grasp the chemistry of the phosphate piece.

I really think I want to do Chaeto in my all in one back sump. I guess I can just order online.

or if you know any fellow reefers in your area or that you have made friends with, they might just give you a hand full for free. That's how I got mine.

[Coelli]

or if you know any fellow reefers in your area or that you have made friends with, they might just give you a hand full for free. That's how I got mine.

Yes, definitely don't buy it, someone will give it to you. Sometimes I have so much and no one to take it so it just gets thrown away.

[tzylak]

I got $5 worth at LFS. -That was enough to get it going.
LEDs consume less power, I keep mine on 16/24.
I keep chaeto in a black container in the sump.
-Light makes things grow and I did not want my sump all covered with growth.
-Return pump sucks water out of it (thru a mosquito screen) and holes around the perimeter let water in.