Small amount of chaeto

[jkrohn00]

Is it worth it to run a small amount of Chaeto?

I have a JBJ 28 Nanocube and currently have a small amount (maybe softball size) in the middle compartment. Is there value in keeping this there or should I just get rid of it?

It does seem to be growing (I trimmed it down to 50% once) so perhaps it is doing something..

 

[jayball]

Is it worth it to run a small amount of Chaeto?

I have a JBJ 28 Nanocube and currently have a small amount (maybe softball size) in the middle compartment. Is there value in keeping this there or should I just get rid of it?

It does seem to be growing (I trimmed it down to 50% once) so perhaps it is doing something..

if you have nothing else to do with that section and it is growing than it is not hurting anything. Just make sure to keep it trimmed.

 

[nereefpat]

if it's growing, then it's exporting nutrients. it's also a good place for pods and others to live and reproduce.

I would keep it.

 

[mcgyvr]

if it's growing, and you are trimming it and removing some from the tank occasionally then it's exporting nutrients. it's also a good place for pods and others to live and reproduce.

I would keep it.

"slight correction" in bold

 

[AlSimmons]

Other than being a pod hotel I don't think it's really doing all that much in terms of nutrient uptake/removal. Chaeto needs quite a bit of room to grow to really be effective IME.

 

[nereefpat]

"slight correction" in bold

Ha. Yes, N and P are removed from the water, but not technically from the system until algae is discarded.

Clarity is always good:thumbsup:

 

[Sk8r]

And pod-eating fish require a much larger tank, so yes, it's nice for the layered ecosystem, but it's not doing a huge amount of good given the scale of things.

 

[JC Slater]

Ive been running some cheato in a fuge basket in the second chamber of my biocube 29 for about 8 months or so. Here's what I have found:

Before installing the chaeto, nitrates were consistently 10-20+ sometimes higher

2 weeks after dropping in about a tennis ball size, nitrates were > 5. I had been using API kit, and there is no hint of orange its definitely yellow even looking through the top of the tube. I know I had/have phosphates as I had very small amount of cyano on a rock. Its also growing in the second chamber, but not a lot. I suck it out during weekend water changes

Every nitrate test I have run, I get undetectable levels, its very bright yellow.

I had a second baby and didnt do any water changes for about 6 weeks. Surprisingly enough, tank didnt do to bad. Cheato was still growing and I would trim half or so every two weeks. That ball ended up getting really thick with cyano growing on it. Yuck. So I threw it out and bought a new cup.

Threw that ball in there and things got better. I trimmed way too much of it and just left a small about alittle smaller than golf ball size. It died out and wouldnt hold its shape and just became a mess. So I pulled it.

Bought a new cup and threw it back there about 3 weeks ago. Its growing but I havent trimmed it yet. I tested nitrates and phosphates with my new hanna and API nitrate test showed bright yellow. Phosphate test on the hanna showed 0.00. I thought that cant be right and tested with API and it also came up as undetectable. The cyano is basically gone and doesnt nearly grow as fast as it did in the back chamber as it was when I didnt do WC for 6 weeks.

Im running a Aquatic Life 115 skimmer now. Its been 3 weeks since last water change. I have no pest algae except for tiny bit of cyano. I keep my big 3 stable with dosing 2 part and mag. I do need to do a WC, I havent done one recently due to being sick and my babies are sick also. Sucks! But the tank looks great and I only have to clean the glass every 3-4 days or so.

Final thoughts: IT WORKS FOR ME!!! BUT, it does have to be as much as you can stuff in there and still keep in tumbling a little bit. Trim lightly when you do. I have pods galore back there. Oh and I run the fuge light for about 12 hours opposite of regular light schedule. At first I ran it 24x7 for a month and it grew like made then after awhile lots of cyano would grow back there so I cut the light schedule down and that has helped.

I dont have 10k posts on here so I guess take my data with a grain of salt since all systems are different and I dont have 10k posts so what do I know. I did take marine bio class 20 years ago in highschool and had salt tanks back then but never a reef tank.

Hope this helps!

 

[Tanthaitrung]

JC Slater, what light are you using for chaeto? How long does it work daily?

 

[JC Slater]

JC Slater, what light are you using for chaeto? How long does it work daily?

Im using the JBJ nano refugium light. It seems to be good enough the chaeto grows well. I have the light on from about 8:00pm till 8:00 am I think, its on a timer. When I first set it up I had it going 24/7 but after the initial grow out and life happened and didnt do any WC for 6 weeks it got infested with cyano and the refuge basket had it growing all over. So I cut the light schedule back, threw it out and bought more and started using phosban to suck up phosphates which is doing a pretty good job of not growing cyano back there but i still do see some back there but I suck it out with weekly WC and its under control. Its not in the display so it doesnt worry me too much. I dont want to be void of phosphates so having some back there is an indicator of a small level while I get 0.00 tests (unless i messed up the test on the hanna I just got).

Anyways, its a nice light and pretty bright. I could have sworn mine has 6 LEDs but I could be wrong. Hope that helps, Good luck!

 

[rjjr1963]

if it's growing, then it's exporting nutrients. it's also a good place for pods and others to live and reproduce.

I would keep it.

Do pods eat chaeto? I have a new tank and dosed pods and in a short period of time I have a bazillion pods in my sump.

 

[vilenarios]

Do you guys think LED strip lights would work well enough for chaeto to grow in a sump? I have these on the underside of my cabinet and was hoping to just put them on a timer at night.... I havent measured the PAR under them yet.

Sylvania LED RGBW Color Leds

 

[Ztous]

I had a bio cube for a bit. The chaeto was beneficial for introducing pods and other micro fauna but it doesn't have enough space to grow in the back chambers to have any measurable effect on nitrates or phosphates. In my opinion anyway.

 

[JC Slater]

I had a bio cube for a bit. The chaeto was beneficial for introducing pods and other micro fauna but it doesn't have enough space to grow in the back chambers to have any measurable effect on nitrates or phosphates. In my opinion anyway.

that seems to be what a lot of people say. But from my own personal data, I couldnt get nitrates under 20 for the most part until I added the chaeto. several months into it and using the API test kit they are unmesurable but then again, consensus on those test is that they are not the most accurate. I think Im going to pick up the salifert test this weekend and check that out. It wouldnt surprise me if it detects them, I want it to. Would love to shoot for about 5ppm.

I'd really love to set up an external refugium down in the cabinet, that would be sweet. Then again want a larger tank with a real sump but the wife wont let me, she complains I spend too much time on the tank as it is (which is hardly any at all). LOL

 

[JC Slater]

Do pods eat chaeto? I have a new tank and dosed pods and in a short period of time I have a bazillion pods in my sump.

I dont know really, I havent read anything pertaining what they eat so not sure.

I've always wondered if my valentini puffer eats them as well since he looks like he's always hunting for stuff on the rocks.

Would be awesome to set up a fully sustainable system from bottom to top of food chain with little to no human intervention.

 

[Asnyder]

I had chaeto in my sump, did a break down and moved to Wichita Falls, Tx the local LFS does not have Chaeto. This type of macro grows fast and is great way to export nutrients from you main display. Lost of great ideas on tube for diy reactor for chaeto. Im actually going to use my two fishy reactor and small sump light to make my own algae reactor. Ill post pics when its down and show the two week growth and harvest as soon as I get a source for chaeto . Going to see if I can find someone local to buy from. Ugh sucks the lfs doesn't know have this.

 

[Asnyder]

Slater,
You should check out diy king's post on youtube for making a aglea reactor 15$ material takes up no space and like I said im using my two fishies reactor so it can hang on the back. you can get a rope lead that they make for sumps to grow the algae. And plenty of other post on youtube to support that this works great. Marine depot even made a vid showing how to diy with a reactor. Cant wait to get mine going.

 

[JC Slater]

Slater,
You should check out diy king's post on youtube for making a aglea reactor 15$ material takes up no space and like I said im using my two fishies reactor so it can hang on the back. you can get a rope lead that they make for sumps to grow the algae. And plenty of other post on youtube to support that this works great. Marine depot even made a vid showing how to diy with a reactor. Cant wait to get mine going.

You know now that you mention the reactor, that is a great idea. There is a guy on the local FB reef club that made one and has been updating with pics every so often and its doing a good job. Im contemplating that. Thanks!

 

[Tanthaitrung]

Im using the JBJ nano refugium light. It seems to be good enough the chaeto grows well. I have the light on from about 8:00pm till 8:00 am I think, its on a timer. When I first set it up I had it going 24/7 but after the initial grow out and life happened and didnt do any WC for 6 weeks it got infested with cyano and the refuge basket had it growing all over. So I cut the light schedule back, threw it out and bought more and started using phosban to suck up phosphates which is doing a pretty good job of not growing cyano back there but i still do see some back there but I suck it out with weekly WC and its under control. Its not in the display so it doesnt worry me too much. I dont want to be void of phosphates so having some back there is an indicator of a small level while I get 0.00 tests (unless i messed up the test on the hanna I just got).

Anyways, its a nice light and pretty bright. I could have sworn mine has 6 LEDs but I could be wrong. Hope that helps, Good luck!

Thanks for your sharing :thumbsup:

I used to have a chaeto, but it died due to hair algae. I will try again but worry about parasite, bacteria ... may hitchhike. So I'm planning to dip chaeto in fresh water or medicine in few hours. Is that ok?

Thanks again

 

[Fizzman]

I have jbj 24gal. I have both cheato and an upflow ATS in the second chamber. Cheato is growing but not crazy, the ATS is the main export. I am purposely overfeeding to get nutrients in the water. Zero "outbreaks" of pest algae. A few 1/4" patches of hair algae here and there(~5). When my air bubbler was pinched for a week hair algae in the DT really grew. Not "out break" perportion but noticeable. Anyways, if u want the cheato to grow better, put an air stone in there. Tie it to the air stone if u don't have anything to cover it.