Chaeto - too much flow?

[SkinnyPete]

I think I went a little overboard when trimming back my chaeto a few weeks ago. It has always grown well in my fuge, but since my last trimming almost a month ago - it hasn't grown at all. Lighting is the same, but now that it is a smaller size, it is spinning in the current. I'm dosing with Iron every week but it doesn't seem to help. Is the spinning limitting its growth? It's the only thing that has changed. I'm thinking of anchoring it on the other side of the spray bar so that it stays in one space and the current runs through it. Any advice or thoughts?

- Skins

 

[Hara]

first off...I would be concerned about dosing iron every week. Do you test the iron levels? My chaeto is in heavy current, it doesnt slow the growth any. How old are the bulbs in the fuge? do you have noticeable nitrates? If the trates are negligible, the growth would be slowed down.

 

[SkinnyPete]

I'm using the Kent Iron Supplement and the directions say to dose once a week. I'm not dosing a full amount, it's a little less than suggested. Although, I have to be honest, I have not tested Iron and I probably should. I figured I was okay since I was "only using as directed". I'm not sure how old the lights are on the fuge since I bought used, although the growth stopped quite suddenly. I DO have some nitrates right now that I'm doing water changes to lower but they were not outragous. They were 10 when I got back from a 2 week vacation. I did about a 30% water change and they are at about 5 right now. I plan on doing frequent water changes until they are at 0. I'm mixing a new batch of water as we speak.

I guess the next thing to do would be to test Iron, keep doing water changes, maybe change the bulb and see what happens. I just wanted to make sure the quick spinning didn't slow growth.

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

liveaquaria.com states that this is the prefered method. http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=2401

 

[MarineFlake]

..Seems like that would be a great sign of low to no trates or phos!