Cheto care?

wondermidget

New member
Ok, I've read that it's good to have cheato in your sump/fuge, so I put some in but now I can't find any info on how to take care of it. Is it ok to take it out and rinse it in some saltwater, I ask because it seems to me that it has collected a lot of gunck on it. It looks like part of it may have died too because I'm seeing a few strands that look white. The first few days that I had it, it did a great job of helping clear up the algae in the DT but now the algae is comeing back. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
What type of light are you using on it? Plus chaeto likes a little flow. So I put a small powerhead in my sump with a homemade sponge filter over the intake.
 
Here are a couple of pics. Does it need to be trimed or anything, if so how often. In the first pic you can see the white strands towards the middle of the ball (I swirled it around some, the white was at the top) is that part dieing or is it new growth?

<a href="http://s733.photobucket.com/albums/ww340/wondermidget/?action=view&current=cheto1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww340/wondermidget/cheto1.jpg" border="0" alt="closeup cheto"></a>

<a href="http://s733.photobucket.com/albums/ww340/wondermidget/?action=view&current=cheto2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww340/wondermidget/cheto2.jpg" border="0" alt="cheto"></a>
 
hmmmm. It kinda looks like youve got cyano in your fuge. Its good to have a decent daylight bulb. I have a 15w coil flourescent on mine. I got it at home depot and it has a 6200kelvin rating...or something like that. it grows to a basketball about every 6 weeks, I rip it in half and trade it for credit with my LFS. I have no extra flow in my fuge. My return pump is about 400gph.

It seems to me that once you have the right conditons (light and some flow) it doesnt take any care at all. Its just algae. you do need to prune it to maximize the benefits of the chaeto.

If that is cyano, it is harmful to everything and I dont think chaeto is exempt to the list.
 
jbird, thanks. I had a cyano problem in my DT and got all but a little out, I noticed it starting in the sump myself but didn't know that it would harm things from there too. Do you think I should try cleaning my sump or would that just spread it back to the DT?
 
You also have to remember cheato absorbs nutrients, if your nitrates are low and almost undectable then your cheato growth will be slower.
 
I'd say tear that sucker in half and try to take most of the gunk with the part you remove. If you have some old salt water sitting around, give it a good rinse in that before trimming. I always keep a bucket of old salt water from my last change for cleaning/rinsing stuff in between water changes.
 
I would definitly address the cyano. If you got rid of it and its coming back, you may need to address the cause rather than just the bacteria.

I had a small outbreak in my sump some time ago. I isolated the sump from my DT and treated it alone. I had to move my heater into my DT but that was about it. I shut down my return pump, turned off the skimmer and dosed chemi-clean. it was gone overnight.

If you do this I would do a substantial water change after the treatment. And follow that with another one. Youve got to lower your nutrients to beat the cyano.

Are you using RO/DI water?

Your chaeto will consume nutrients but youve got to start with decent water conditions to allow the chaeto to take hold. once it starts flourishing, it should continue and will become a vital part of your nutrient export.

A lot of folks seem to struggle with finding just the right light to grow their chaeto. Tho I think a lot of them are adding chaeto to a dirty system to try to "fix it". I believe your better off if your tank is fairly well under control when you start chaeto or it may die just like everything else.
check out the link posted by mfinn. I would choose the light on the right in the pictures. My LFS tried to sell me a $200 "refugium fixture" Bahh! I have chaeto growing out my ears :)

Kill your cyano and things will be easier.
 
Mike3, thanks I will try rinsing and tearing it in half. jbird, yes, I am using RO/DI water and I thought the cyano was gone before I put the cheto in and I will get a better light asap. I thought the cyano was caused from to much nutrients, that's why I put the cheato in after cleaning out the cyano, I thought it would keep it form coming back. Thanks for the info everybody.
 
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