How do you guys achieve the tumbling motion in your sump for chaeto?

[wabio]

I've been messing with the flow in my old sump for the past few days. I cut a couple of pieces of acrylic (width sized) and have been trying to manually move them around to create tumbling between the bubble baffles. No real success thus far. How are you guys doing it? I'd prefer to not use an added powerhead. Any tricks for tips?

[wabio]

Anyone?

[mudskipper1]

I just turn my cheato over every week or so. I dont know if that is the correct thig to do, but it is what I do, it seems to be working so far.
JMO

[vanmo92]

I have not touched my cheato in over 1 year (besides harvesting) and It seems to be doing very well, and growing very fast. I personally don't see the need to have it tumbling.

[Pmolan]

I also never touch mine until I harvest. It doesnt tumble. I just pull it apart for light penetration.

[snorvich]

I rotate mine once a week. But I keep it thin for light penetration.

[wabio]

Judging from the responses.....looks like tumbling is just another myth in reefkeeping.

[mille239]

in my opinion, the tumbling is not so much for the chaeto to grow, as it is to prevent detritus from building up in it.

[Pmolan]

Originally posted by mille239
in my opinion, the tumbling is not so much for the chaeto to grow, as it is to prevent detritus from building up in it.

That sounds like myth busted to me!!

[fambrough]

Yeah, I disagreed with someone in another thread about this. Until I see some empirical data, I gonna say 'myth" also. Mine gets really thick and acts like a physical filter in the sump. If it's tumbling around, that means you got room to grow it out! Which means, in turn, more to harvest and greater nutrient export.

[GreshamH]

Seeing where it grows in the wild is a clue as to what it needs in our aquaria. While I haven't seen the tropical ones in the wild, I have seen temperate cheato growing. The lagoons I saw it in had no tumbling action.

[wabio]

Has anyone ever shown that Chaeto needs to tumble in the wild? If not, I don't see why it would need to in captivity. The detritus and light penetration arguments seem like valid arguments though.

[wabio]

Wow. Geniuses think alike!!!!