chaeto issues

[Picasso]

I don't think I'm doing this right. My chaeto bucket is one stop in my sump/fuge. the water falls into a 30 gallon garbage can. In this garbage can is about 2 inches of live sand, some caulerpa, my skimmer (pump is busted, it's not running right now) and a bulk head which overflows into the next step of the system. My chaeto sinks. I just tried to convince it to float by stirring it up, it mucked up the water with detritus. I drained the water out and refilled it. The chaeto is still sinking. What is the best way I can use my chaeto? Am I supposed to remove it and rinse that crap outta it every now and then? Why is it sinking? Should the water flow THROUGH the chaeto, right now it doesn't.

Thanks again for all your help!

C

 

[Bifferwine]

Mine doesn't float... I'm not quite sure what the problem is?

 

[wontonflip]

Mine sinks when I first shake off excess red algae on it, but after a while, floats back up...is it supposed to sink or float? Or does it even matter?

 

[dcantucson]

Could it be detritus or reef dust building up on it or sticking to it and making it sink?

 

[VAreef]

I don't understand why your cheato is sinking. Mine always floats. I mix it up a few times a week though as hair algae and some red algae with grow on it. I don't worry about the cloudy water it makes as it clears up after a bit. When I mix it up I mean I really mix it up. I pull it all apart and spread it all apart. Take the insides and pull em to the outside etc.

Cheato is a high flow algae so I have been considering setting up another sump just to grow cheato. Was thinking a 30 gal tupperware container with a powerhead in it spraying right on the cheato and that sump being the first one my DT drains to then drain from there to the other sump. If I ever get around to doing it I will post the results.

 

[sen5241b]

I don't understand why your cheato is sinking. Mine always floats. I mix it up a few times a week though as hair algae and some red algae with grow on it. I don't worry about the cloudy water it makes as it clears up after a bit. When I mix it up I mean I really mix it up. I pull it all apart and spread it all apart. Take the insides and pull em to the outside etc.

Cheato is a high flow algae so I have been considering setting up another sump just to grow cheato. Was thinking a 30 gal tupperware container with a powerhead in it spraying right on the cheato and that sump being the first one my DT drains to then drain from there to the other sump. If I ever get around to doing it I will post the results.

Putting a powerhead right on the cheato will probably not help. The key is to get a high flow rate through the fuge itself.

 

[lilyicu]

Mine does not float either. It is a big ball of green mess that just sits in the middle of my fuge. It is resting on some LR but it is so big that I don't think it matters, but it has never floated.

 

[Picasso]

I'm going to move my chaeto to a different spot in my fuge, a place where the water is really churning. When I do that, any suggestions on how to keep my powerhead from killing my pods?

C