Is Chaeto really this effective????

[reefbroao]

Recently I have been clocking some Nitrate and Phosphate, I had my results recorded but I lost the card. They were coming in with numbers, not extraordinarily high but high enough to want to deal with.

SO I decided to throw some Chaeto in a modded aquaclear 70 because why not (along with some poly filter)

It has been 2 days and I'm at 0 for both phosphate and nitrate. I'm blown away, is it really this effective?????

 

[CafeReef]

I threw chaeto in my tank in a basket inside the display for holding until I could take it to my office tank. Within 24 hours I noticed a significant drop in algea growth on the glass. I'm a believer now

 

[reefbroao]

me too, I've been battling with nitrate and phosphate for so long because my tanks pretty new, and it's just gone now.

 

[adambom]

Are you lighting the chaeto at all?

 

[Deftones2015]

Chaeto can be very effective given the right conditions AND in conjunction with other means of nutrient export. Just make sure to cut some off once in a while as it grows, other wise parts of it that are not getting sufficient lighting will die off and release nutrients back into the tank.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

I grow my Chaeto in my sump and leave the lights on 24/7. It's got excellent health and growth as well as GHA growing in there as well. I also don't have any GHA growing in my tank, I believe the way I'm doing my sump keeps the nasty algae away from my DT. If it works, don't fix it.

 

[ScienceRulez]

I was battling very high nitrates and phosphates and installed a refugium tank, while not overnight, it has greatly dropped the levels. The GHA that was all over the display tank that I was cleaning every day is much better (today was the first time I didn't have to clean the glass).

It's an amazing plant.

 

[reefbroao]

I dont have direct light over it but its within inches of my led which should be more than enough. I cant put any corals at the top of my tank because its too strong for even a lot of sps I have.

 

[g8rorchid]

Sorry to hijack, but I used to have a refugium, but had zero luck growing chaeto. I had PLENTY of nutrients and had tried a regular CFL light (6500K) as well as 18w power compacts (5700k, I think). I have decided to give it another go and would love to know what you all are using.

I have a hang on fuge (size L) and therefore need a clamp on light or one that would be ok resting on top of the fuge (no cover). I have been looking at 3 options:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-75-Watt-Incandescent-Clamp-Light-HD-200PDQ/205139241

and

http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Deluxe-Porcelain-5-5-Inch/dp/B0002AQCX2/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1449073191&sr=8-6&keywords=reptile+light

and

http://www.amazon.com/Gold-Wing-Reptile-Light-Holder/dp/B011BE637C/ref=sr_1_42?ie=UTF8&qid=1449073287&sr=8-42&keywords=reptile+light

Obviously I would not be using heat lamps with the last two.

Thanks and again I apologize for the hijack and look forward to some opinions!

 

[danil]

I think someone on the web was doing quantitative calculation on it. The answer is it is not really effective. You have to have a huge amount of it compare to main DT tank to make it effective. Combine with other methods (skimmer, reactors, WC etc) it might have positive effect on the system.
I think it's close to be true statement. I've run few tanks with it and It was OK. I've run tanks without it and it was also fine but I never was able to run a tank using it as main nutrient extractor.
Bottom line... If it works for you - keep it this way .

 

[skp]

I ran chaeto for several years and it grew like crazy so it must have been taking a lot of nitrates and phosphates out. I don't use it in my new system but my nitrates and phosphates are still at zero now after the 5 month mark. I think that the presence or absence of chaeto will dictate how much denitrifying bacteria will be present.

 

[reefbroao]

well I run my overflow to my remora skimmer, and from my overflow, the pump to my media reactor and then the reactor outflow into the fuge with chaeto so the flow is slower. so it's really a 3 stage system I rigged up. I run rowaphos and carbon and then the chaeto pulls whatever is left.

 

[outy]

I think someone on the web was doing quantitative calculation on it. The answer is it is not really effective. .

Non sequitur.

We all know it factually works to remove N and P from our loops.


Its not a cure all, nor meant to be.

But it does keep our water cleaner