Does chaeto really do anything?

[pweissma]

How much chaeto do you really need to make a dent in Nitrates? My nitrates were around 3-5 several months ago when I first got chaeto in my Solana and it's still around 3-5. The chaeto grows reasonably, meaning that the growth is noticeable and I trim it down a bit every few weeks. I also never saw any impact on pH even thought I light it from 8pm-8am.

 

[tosiek]

It helps a bit. It doesn't make a HUGE impact unless its growing reasonably and at a sizable amount. Its the growth of the cheato that removes the nutrients. Its not a big nitrate fixer but it does export nutrients from your tank. If you were removing half of your cheato or more every few days to a week thats good growth on it. and it should be like 5-10% your tank at a minimum to see a big difference.

 

[basiab]

You probably have a nitrate factory in there somewhere. Do you use bio balls? That can cause it if not cleaned often.

 

[ZANYMASTER]

Those back Chambers can be troublesome in those nanos.Like my RSM,Crud gets in the back and constantly cleaning it.

 

[prattreef]

For it to have any real, significant impact on nutrient reduction you need quite a large amount. I run 2 of my systems skimmerless with Huge chaeto loads as the primary export mechanism. Of course any amount that is growing is helping, but to see major results I'd triple what you think you need.

 

[mk4fan]

For it to have any real, significant impact on nutrient reduction you need quite a large amount. I run 2 of my systems skimmerless with Huge chaeto loads as the primary export mechanism. Of course any amount that is growing is helping, but to see major results I'd triple what you think you need.

Can you go into a little detail regarding the setups, main tank gallons, and refugium gallons? Is this a mixed reef, heavy fish load? I always thought that having a refugium with cheato is very beneficial.

 

[prattreef]

For example my 180g. Anemone /clam tank is run with the sump totally filled with Cheato lit 24/7 a carbon reactor and nothing else. That is a chaeto mat that is roughly 2' x2' and 3-4" thick. The mat is turned a few times a week to clear detritus and ensure illumination through out.

My main system a 240g. heavily stocked SPS reef is also run on chaeto and carbon exclusively ( almost 4 yrs. now) but I'm running it in an experimental fashion that I'm not at liberty to talk too much about..sorry... suffice it to say it requires more than a crammed full 5g. bucket of chaeto and that say 1/4 that much is harvested every 3 weeks or so.

Smaller refugium setups are beneficial for a variety of reason, but i wouldn't expect to se dramatic nutrient reduction because of them which is what the OP seems to be looking for.

 

[noelskii]

So basically, people like us who keep chaeto in our back chambers are just doing it to serve as a pod pad? My chaeto in the back of my solana is still alive but I never had to trim it...

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[pweissma]

For it to have any real, significant impact on nutrient reduction you need quite a large amount. I run 2 of my systems skimmerless with Huge chaeto loads as the primary export mechanism. Of course any amount that is growing is helping, but to see major results I'd triple what you think you need.

Thanks, that's pretty much what I thought (and I was hoping you might comment). Don't think there's enough room in a Solana for chaeto to have any real impact. I'm getting rid of it and filling up the chamber with live rock.

 

[prattreef]

So basically, people like us who keep chaeto in our back chambers are just doing it to serve as a pod pad? My chaeto in the back of my solana is still alive but I never had to trim it...

Sent from my HTC EVO using Reefs

More or less. If it is growing, it is obviously using up nutrients so I'm not saying there is no benefit in this regard.

 

[ming]

Thanks, that's pretty much what I thought (and I was hoping you might comment). Don't think there's enough room in a Solana for enought chaeto to have any real impact. I'm getting rid of it and filling up the chamber with live rock.

Considering you said your nitrates has been 3-5 a few months ago and the same now, and you also said its growing, its probably keeping your tank at status quo. Without it, your nitrates might actually be going up due to fish feeding/waste.

 

[pweissma]

Considering you said your nitrates has been 3-5 a few months ago and the same now, and you also said its growing, its probably keeping your tank at status quo. Without it, your nitrates might actually be going up due to fish feeding/waste.

But they were at the same level before I had chaeto. I'm also switching over from running GFO to bio media.

 

[prattreef]

But they were at the same level before I had chaeto. I'm also switching over from running GFO to bio media.

By bio media you mean carbon dosing pellets? I'd question this move personally as GFO is solely concerned with PO4 removal which is far more important than NO3 removal IMO. The pellets might help with PO4 as well, but they are primarily effective in NO3 removal from my understanding. 3 PPM NO3 or even higher is trivial and even beneficial in a reef IME as long as PO4 is very low. If the PO4 creeps up, the combo is not a good thing at all.

 

[pweissma]

By bio media you mean carbon dosing pellets? I'd question this move personally as GFO is solely concerned with PO4 removal which is far more important than NO3 removal IMO. The pellets might help with PO4 as well, but they are primarily effective in NO3 removal from my understanding. 3 PPM NO3 or even higher is trivial and even beneficial in a reef IME as long as PO4 is very low. If the PO4 creeps up, the combo is not a good thing at all.

Ok, thanks I'll hold off. My PO4 has been flat 0 (hanna checker) for a long time. Maybe I'll build a separate reactor so I can maintain running the GFO.

 

[JavyJaverson]

a little info about macro algae export in general http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php#12

 

[pweissma]

a little info about macro algae export in general http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php#12

Good read, thanks.
But it does support my initial reason for this thread which is that the small amount of chaeto that can be grown in a Solana isn't worth the space.

My other reef tank is 7.5 gal bowfront where nitrates are 0, or at least close to 0. I'm not totally sure why. I have an aquaclear 70 fuge mod with chaeto and I also use special blend in this tank.

 

[Arati]

My tank 65g my sump 33g , cheato ball removed and replace with a couple of larg pieces of LR, no lights, no problems. no nitrate shows up when i test. no gfo no testable po3 but i dont have a hannah. only other filtration is a good ati 200g skimmer and weakly 10g water change.

I would consider my system moderatle - heavy on stock , large anenome, 6x 3" fish.

all my cheato ball ever did was trap dirt like a sponge, it grew fast but it was a ball of dirt.

 

[pweissma]

Chaeto is coming out of my Solana. If it proves to be a mistake I'll take some back from my 7.5g office tank. PM me if you want it.

 

[fishman1069]

I have a 75 gal and a 20 lng sump that had a small 6 gal fuge in it. It really didnt do much. A couple of months ago, I added a 30 lng to my system and set it up as a display fuge with different types of macros and my phosphates and nitrates came way down. I also run GFO and carbon. I think it definitely makes a difference when you can hold a decent amount of macros instead of a little ball.

 

[pweissma]

I have a 75 gal and a 20 lng sump that had a small 6 gal fuge in it. It really didnt do much. A couple of months ago, I added a 30 lng to my system and set it up as a display fuge with different types of macros and my phosphates and nitrates came way down. I also run GFO and carbon. I think it definitely makes a difference when you can hold a decent amount of macros instead of a little ball.

Thanks for posting. I think this info is really important for people like me who have been in the hobby for a year or so. So many of us in the nano crowd are hearing about the benefits of chaeto, adding a relatively small amount to their tanks, and then just assuming it's helping. Surely it's doing something but the space can be better used. Also someone posted that it's a detritus trap. I find this to be absolutely true.