How does Chaeto grow?

[Uslanja]

I all! I placed a clump of chaeto in my three week old fuge hoping to remove some nitrates as well as a place to grow some copepods and such. The chaeto is getting darker green in colour and becoming very compact and tight. Is this normal? For lighting I'm using a Coralife Colormax bulb and one of those twisted compact fluorescents that folks use in their homes. I would estimate the flow to be medium in intensity. Anything I should change up, or is that how chaeto grows?

Thanks
Dave

 

[glampka]

That's pretty much how it grows - like a pad of steelwool.

 

[BigAl07]

Darker Green IMHO is better. Is it "tumbling"?

The NO3 export from Chaeto is very minimal at best IMHO. To have a large effect you're going to need a LOT of Chaeto to say the least. I would consider it as a NO3 stabilizer in a mature system rather than an NO3 sponge in a system with NO3 issues.

 

[fishhead]

Sounds like healthy Chaeto. Let me know when you need more like this?

 

[Uslanja]

The chaeto is just like a big green ball of very stiff steel wool. It's not tumbling because we are trying to keep the flow low enough to allow the growing of copepods and such. It was set up as a refuge. We have live sand, some live rock a couple of emerald crabs and some astrea snails in there. The lights are running 18 hour a day opposite of the main tank. And, we spend as much time looking in the refuge with magnifiers as we do in the main tank. Some of the coolest things we have discovered are several different types of barnacles and a bi-valve of some type that is attached to one of the rocks. We also have other types of macro growing in there but I’m not sure what they are. We just picked out live rock that had macro growth and placed them in there. So, in essence we added a refuge with the potential to remove a little nitrate (at least that’s the story we convinced ourselves with) and enjoy that as much as our main tank. If the chaeto and other macros can grow on their own, then we will consider it a success.
Dave

 

[BigAl07]

Oh I'm in total agreement.... I LOVE my fuge and wont even start to tell you how many hours I've been down with my nose stuck to the glass watching "Critters" crawl, squirm. dig, wiggle, waggle, swim, dart, ooze, bury, float, sink (get the picture?).

Chaeto tends to grow better if you can cause it to Tumble. I had a small piece I put into my Sump (I may do it again this evening) and it literally rolled with the flow coming off of a baffle and I'd say it grew about 500% faster than non-tumbling Chaeto. I may do that as soon as I get home....

 

[fishhead]

Now wait a minute,. Didn't you say not to put anything in the sump...not even live rock, because it can trap debris? I just took all my live rock out of my sump last week. Maybe I will throw some chaeto in there?

 

[BigAl07]

Now wait a minute,. Didn't you say not to put anything in the sump...not even live rock, because it can trap debris? I just took all my live rock out of my sump last week. Maybe I will throw some chaeto in there?

Yes I sure did but . . . .

I like to keep the sump "mechanical" (heaters, skimmer etc) but my skimmer is being repaired so I'm looking for "temporary" increased nitrate and detritus reduction. That's part of the reason I'm running Chaeto. It's exporting some degree of nutrients as it's growing and when I prune it (a lot actually) I'm removing them from the system. This is only until my skimmer is back online again which should be soon.

I'm sort of speaking out of both sides of my mouth but for a reason and for a short period of time. Also I say "Don't run filter socks".... but on occasion I'll run one but for a short period of time and for a specific reason.

Man that probably made no sense what-so-ever LOL

 

[fishhead]

Bummer. What happened to yer skimmer?
And, about those filter socks...I have been running a pair, one from the dt and one from the fuge. I have been changing them every 3 days or so (I have 4 pair). Is your main objection here the nitrate factory effect? Because when changed regularly like this, it is a pain in the ^$#!
I have been toying with the idea of pulling them, but I have seen how much stuff gets filtered out there, I have to wonder about the wisdom of removing them. What do you think? Laziness or diligence...which is best?

 

[Uslanja]

I'm wondering about "socks" as well. I have run with socks and they caught lots of debris and then I've run without socks and the debris settled into my refugium inlet compartment that I then siphoned out. The socks make catching and cleaning debris real fast and easy! Wouldn't the debris in the tank become a nitrate factory regardless of where it is? Or does the water flow going through the debris compound the problem?

 

[BigAl07]

Bummer. What happened to yer skimmer?

I had it totally re-vamped (wow talk about performance) but was suffering a leak in the skimmer collection cup (from a shattering even last year). I applied some EXTRA super glue to the cracks and accidentally glued the skimmer collection cup LID onto the unit. I'm having a new cup manufactured LOL!

And, about those filter socks...I have been running a pair, one from the dt and one from the fuge. I have been changing them every 3 days or so (I have 4 pair). Is your main objection here the nitrate factory effect? Because when changed regularly like this, it is a pain in the ^$#!

Honestly I'm not against Socks really.. or any filter media. The problem is it's introducing one more "thing" that must be done or water quality goes down-hill majorly. Forget about the sock/sponge/pad for 1 week not bad.. but then next week you're out of town... 2 weeks down.. then next week aunt-flow is in town and you don't wanna "Deal" with the mess.. week 3... next thing you know NO3 through the roof. If maintained I think filter media are a good thing. I just don't use them routinely because I like to simplify my systems as much as possible.

I'm wondering about "socks" as well. I have run with socks and they caught lots of debris and then I've run without socks and the debris settled into my refugium inlet compartment that I then siphoned out. The socks make catching and cleaning debris real fast and easy! Wouldn't the debris in the tank become a nitrate factory regardless of where it is? Or does the water flow going through the debris compound the problem?

One way or another you must "Deal" with the detritus. Socks are a mechanical way and as noted above not bad in and of themselves. I use organic means which is a heavy and always changing Clean Up Crew. I have one in my Display Tank as well as one in my Fuge (slow flow area). This is what works well in my current set-up but keep in mind that what works for M may or may NOT work in your system. It's trial and error baby . . .

 

[BigAl07]

Here's a picture of my Chaeto (key toe) tumbling in my sump

 

[cindyp]

Here's a picture of my Chaeto (key toe) tumbling in my sump

:laughroll :laughroll :laughroll :laughroll :laughroll I cant believe you filmed that!! you are a riot!

 

[BigAl07]

:LOL: I had several people ask me about my "Tumbling Chaeto" so I thought I'd record it.

 

[cindyp]

nothin wrong with that it was very amusing

 

[Uslanja]

Great movie! Albeit a little short! Yup, thats what my cheato looks like, a real tight dark green ball, very stiff. So when I see a nice big fluffy clump of cheato somewhere, is that because it was pulled apart to loosen it up?