I have Chaeto growing in a space in my sump. I guess a loose piece ended up in my display tank and from there entered my overflow where it got stuck pretty much in the overflow grate. I noticed that I have a pretty healthy amount of chaeto starting to grow down the side of my overflow near the top, which must have started from a just a couple of little strands (if not a single little strand). Yet the chaeto in my sump hasn't grown since it was placed in there, although it appears to be living. So now I'm trying to guess what it is getting in the overflow to help it grow so fast that it isn't getting in my sump. The water in my overflow drops about three inches through the grates before it reaches the actual water line in the overflow. The chaeto is growing down the side where it actually isn't growing 'in the water', water is only thinly trickling over it. I wonder if chaeto grows best the closer it is to the surface of the water, perhaps due to oxygen content? In my sump it is about 5-7" underwater. Perhaps it receives more nutrients in the overflow since my refugium is using water that has already gone past my protien skimmer? But I don't think my skimmer could be cycling that much of the water that comes through? To place the chaeto ahead of the skimmer in my setup would require some major changes that I really don't want to do again, especially with the problems I had with microbubbles and quieting down the return water. Perhaps it is just simply getting more light in my overflow since it isn't really underwater? I need to play around with my setup at least a little bit to try to figure this out. Any ideas?
overflow- growing chaeto
- Thread starter yakfishin
- Start date
Ismellikefish
New member
It likes Nitrates and lights ( special growth lights work great but not 100% nessecary )
Some people run the lights over there fuge 24/7 and some do it reverse of the display lights >
What kind of lighting do you have over yours?
What kind in the display?
Some people run the lights over there fuge 24/7 and some do it reverse of the display lights >
What kind of lighting do you have over yours?
What kind in the display?
Ismellikefish
New member
*****When I said Special lights I ment lights with a certain K rating to encourage plant growth*****
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
What's the flow like where the chaeto is in your sump?
Based on how you have described the problem, my guess is low (or imbalanced) nutrients plus poor gas exchange in the sump. Any chance of aerating or otherwise disturbing the water in your chaeto compartment?
Based on how you have described the problem, my guess is low (or imbalanced) nutrients plus poor gas exchange in the sump. Any chance of aerating or otherwise disturbing the water in your chaeto compartment?
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
What sorta flow do you have in your sump?
If it's not growing, that usually means that there isn't enough of a nutrient load to support wild growth. That's a good thing. . .
If it's not growing, that usually means that there isn't enough of a nutrient load to support wild growth. That's a good thing. . .
Flow should be good, refugium is right after the protien skimmer so water should be well aereated. Actually went home last night and ran a few test on my water parameters. Phosphate was 0 and nitrate was 0, which was kind of suprising as I have always had some low levels of both. Test were done with high end test kits so they should be accurate. So perhaps that is it, nutrients aren't available for growth. I have PC's on the main display and a small PC light over the refugium.
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
FWIW, I'd pull the chaeto out of the overflow if you haven't yet. It could come loose and get lodged in the drainpipe.
O yeah, it's already pulled. Not sure how long it had been growing in there, but I know for sure it must have started out as just a really small piece, as I have never placed a clump in the main display and it is pretty well contained in the sump. I actually placed the clump from the overflow onto an eggcrate shelf that I created in the sump, that sits just 1 1/2" or so underwater, to see if it takes off any better in the shallow water. It sure grew with water just barely spilling over it in the overflow. Will keep you posted as to how my expirement turns out.
