Phosban effecting Chaeto in sump

[Bori]

Hello everyone. I just recently started using a Phosban reactor and I had a healthy supply of chaeto in my sump. Had to trim it every 5-6 weeks. I thought the phosban would not effect the nutrients that the chaeto needed to thrive but since adding the phosban the chaeto in my sump has really dwindled to the point that I had to replenish it recently when I used to give it away. Anyone else have this experience. My phosphate levels still read <.3 so I know some of it has leached back into the system. I have 2 small pc lights over a 29 gal sump that are around 3 months old. What gives?

 

[bad coffee]

What else has changed? Unless your cheato was depending solely on the phosphate (which is hard to believe) then it shouldn't be effected (that much) by the phosban.

B

 

[Bori]

Hello bad coffee. All the changes I made are in the main tank. Upgraded to 250w MH, added more flow. Brought my Ca to 480. Oh I did banish my Maroon Clown to the sump, but he doesn't touch it. Ph is on the high side 8.6. I did add add Kent marine nitrate sponge in a sock at around the same time. Nh3 is <2. The tank is running well over 8 yrs so I don't think Nh3 is out of bounds for it's age. Maybe I'm wrong. That still shouldn't effect the Chaeto die-off. Right?

 

[fritz]

Cheato and any plant can only grow to the limit of the lowest available nutrient. That means on a scale of 1-10 whereby light, gasses, nitrate and phosphate are all available at say a 6 you will see growth of 6 with the plant. If everything is available at a level of 9 but phosphate is now available at a level of 2 you will only see a growth of 2. Extra light or extra nitrate can't make up for a lower level of phosphate.

What has happened is your phosban is now competing with the cheato. The phosban is winning. IME use of phosban and large skimmers has always kept me from growing cheato.

 

[bad coffee]

your ca and higher ph probably have something to do with it as well. your reef is getting a bit 'healthier' which is a good thing.

b

 

[Bori]

Thanks for the imput fellas. I am trying to go to lps soon from fowlr. Which is why I made the upgrades. I hardly had any coraline algae in the past but since the chaeto started to thin, the coraline has dotted and spread to many rocks. So hopefully all is good.