On Switching to Chaeto....

[Mr.Yuk]

I have a ecosystem refugium setup and I'm looking to switch away from caelurpa because of fears of going sexual. I am going to get some chaeto and I'm planning on just yanking out all the old plants and tossing in the new ones.

Are there any contraindications to doing this that I should be aware of, i.e. any reason to to the switch piecemeal?

Thanks

 

[taco]

chaeto

chaeto

I just added some today. I removed some, but not all of my caulerpa. I'm not sure if I should have removed it all. I plan on removing a little at a time over the next 2 weeks.

Pic attched:

 

[Mr.Yuk]

nice fuge! Please tell me you had to scrape the glass to get it that clean...mine is covered with agal crud

 

[taco]

It's only been up for about a month! I am starting to get the crud, for sure.

 

[billsreef]

Crud is good for a refugium, though it is certainly lousy for good pictures

The only reason I can think of for making a piecemeal switch is in case the chaet doesn't take off and grow well for some reason. My inclination would be to prune back the caulerpa, add the chaet and when the chaet starts showing some serious growt, remove the rest of the caulerpa.

 

[taco]

Great. That is my plan. Thanks.

 

[taco]

Bill- what do you think of the mystery grass in my fuge? It's growing on bare rock. I have more pics in another thread....

 

[DensityMan]

that 'grass' is coming in on invoices as "Turtle Weed" around here, but is a stiff, balloon-type of macro algae in reality. Haven't seen a definitive species name associated with it yet.

 

[billsreef]

taco,

That's a nice looking macro. Those hair like greens can be tough to properly ID, generally invovles microscopic inspection.

 

[prezioso73]

ANyone know where I can get some cheat?

 

[DensityMan]

Cheat... uh... that might not be the same stuff...

I'm low at the moment and it's in the 20's here today or I'd offer up some of mine. In a month of two I should have some ready for export again though... Good luck!

 

[prezioso73]

That is "The Cheet"...good one.

 

[Mr.Yuk]

Well I have some chaeto now, and it's kind of floating all over the refugium. Are you supposed to secure it or plant it somehow?

 

[DensityMan]

it is not a rooting plant... it will wrap itself around rock if it has the chance, but it seems to do just as well floating... /shrug

 

[Mr.Yuk]

My concern is it floating over to the overflow and into the return pump to the main tank!

 

[DensityMan]

That should only be a problem if you have cut the Chaeto into over-flow sized niblets or you have a very large overflow...

If a fragment were to get into the main tank it is very easily removed as it does not root; it only clings by wrapping aroung things over time.

Hope that helps,

 

[chinmo]

Hi, is 2 x 55 watts pl, 6000k lightings enough for growing chaeto?

 

[billsreef]

Chaet doensn't attach, so just just let it float

To prevent it from going into overflows and pumps, you can cut a piece of egg crate to block off the overflow or pump area.

chinmo,

Those lights should grow chaet like gangbusters

 

[chinmo]

Thanks billsreef.

 

[hubris007]

It doesn't attach at all? I have some that has cemented itself to the handle of a flow valve in one of my fuges. AS for wrapping around stuff, i thought i lost my first RIO the other day. Took it apart and it has bound itself up with chaeto. Works great now, though.