chaeto supposed to be in tight ball?

[bhb1034]

i just got in some chaeto for my 30g refugium and i got two softball sized balls of it. theyre pretty tightly packed together, but theyre full of pods, feather dusters, and mini stars. i got them from floridapets.com. anyway i was wondering if they were might to be kept in such a tight ball? i know ive read that they are typically in this form, but i wasnt sure if the shippers packed them extra tight or not. ive thought about loosening them up a bit and spreading them out but wasnt sure if this was a good idea?
thanks
brandon

 

[blmeier7]

Chaeto tends to grow in a ball. I flatten mine out every week or two to get as much area exposed to light and I figured it would grow faster this way. My chaeto is only in a 12'X12" area in my sump and I throw out a big handfull every two weeks so it seems to be working. I have heard of others letting their chaeto tumble in their fuge but I don't have enough flow going through there and didn't want to add a powerhead just for that reason. Hope that helps

 

[bhb1034]

thanks for the reply, ive got about 500gph going through a 30g (20Lx16Wx20H) refugium. its slow flow though, not much tumbling. ive also got gracillaria in there so i think i might have to add a powerhead. there is alot of detrius accumulating on the algae. ive also got about 110w of 10k/8k PC lighting and i plan to add a 85w floodlight aimed at the side of the tank. im hoping all works and ill try and flatten some of the chaeto out.

 

[sundance1]

I just pull mine apart every so often.My tangs love to eat the stuff too!