Chaetomorpha and Nitrate Spike

[KarenH]

About two weeks ago I bought some Marine Chaetomorpha (Spaghetti Algae) from a seller on Ebay. It arrived Green and healthy looking. I emptied the water that was in the bag it came it and placed the Chaeto into my refugium. Since then I've had a big Nitrate spike from undetectable before adding Chaeto to 80 ppm now; Current Ammonia is Undetectabe. This is the first time I've used this Algae and need your experienced advice on wheather this spike will harm my Soft corals.

I have a 72 Gallon Bow Front and do small weekly water changes (two gallons). MY Aquarium log is posted if you need complete info.

[Zoanuts]

Do you have lights on the refugium all the time? Has the Macro turned yellow and dying thus releasing No3 back into you system
Macro is one of the best ways to remove No3 from you tank also. You soft corals are safter that sps when there are spikes in NO3. Continue your water changing regiment also. Keep us up to date.

[charlie]

It would seem to me that the nitrate spike was in the process of happening at just around the same time you added the chaeto. I use chaeto also, and have found it to be very effective in competing with other bad algaes in my reef tanks. If it were me, I would increase the amount of water that you are changing weekly, it wouldn't hurt anything. Even a 10% chnage would be 7-8 gallons would be beneficial. As long as you are mixing your salt properly and matching parameters you aren't gonna have any problems, and it will help fight those nitrates.
Are you running a skimmer?

[KarenH]

Yes, I do run a skimmer. The only thing I can think of that could have raised the nitrates is the Chaeto. All other Parameters check out fine. At first I did have a slight ammonia hike but it went down within a day or so. Hopefully this is the tail end of whatever cycle it's going through

[Zoanuts]

Karen,

Keep us updated please. I am interested if not only it raised you NO3 but will it help reduce it also. I guess that is a good question.

[charlie]

Karen, how old is your tank?

Could you give us a breakdown on your system, just for grins. Maybe a total understanding of what you have will help us figure this thing out.

[KarenH]

I started my tank In November 2006. You can click on my Aquarium log. So far everything seems to be doing fine. None of my corals are showing any signs of distress and my fish still eat like pigs so they're doing fine as well. I do my water changes on Thursdays so I'll post again on if the Nitrates have gone down.

[Zoanuts]

Karen,

Thanks for the update. I am just curious if some of the food got trapped in the Chato and caused your NO3's to go up? Just trying to work it out with you and the others that may have the same issues with introduction of Macro to their systems.

Dustin

[KarenH]

When I first opened the bag the Chato came in it was pretty stinky, but I think most algae would. I emptied the bag of its water but didn't rinse it, maybe I should have. It was only a couple days later that I noticed the spike, then the next week the Nitrate was even higher. Another thing I noticed, is that most of the Chaeto is gone, when I put it in my tank it sort of separated and I had lots of little grasslike pieces floating in my tank that were eventually skimmed out. I sure hope what's left in the refugium will grow.

[Samper]

When chaeto starts to look brown and break off into little pieces as you described those brown/broken clumps need to be pulled out. When it dies it releases what it has taken in back into the water column. I don't know others experiences but I have to thin mine about once every two weeks. It comes back in a fury after pruning.