I am in love with Chaetomorpha

lancer99 · #1 12/23/2007, 06:11 PM

I stopped reefkeeping about five years ago due to apartment living, etc.,...just back into it, and astounded at how much has changed in five years. Some bad (overpriced/overhyped/overcolored corals) and some very, very good....Chaetomorpha!

Back in the day, we had three choices for nutrient-exporting macros: Caulerpa, Caulerpa, and..... Caulerpa.

And all the attendant problems, like sporulation.

Now I have Chaeto in my Bakpaks, a HOB filter, and fuge. Can't kill it with a stick...I accidentally rinsed some in RO water (note to self: label trash cans), and that didn't stop it.

The most fun is doing my weekly harvest, and shaking it carefully to remove hitchhikers....baby snails, Stomatella, mini brittle stars, ginormous (1/2"+) pods, and....probably lots of other things I can't see.

So you can see why I love Chaeto. Yeah, I know, get a room

-R

Sk8r · #2 12/23/2007, 06:17 PM

I don't blame you. I come from the era BEFORE fuges, and I am also in love with these little jewels.

Aquabucket · #3 12/23/2007, 07:44 PM

Chaeto rocks! I could not run my tank with-out it.

Snowboarda42 · #4 12/23/2007, 07:47 PM

I love my chaeto too, its great for keeping 'trates and 'phates down

mg426 · #5 12/23/2007, 09:02 PM

It is one of the best additiopns to my system also.

lancer99 · #6 12/23/2007, 09:35 PM

Can I put in a plug for Ochtodes (blue ball algae) as well?

I got some from a fellow reefer...it has turned more brown than blue in my tank (more light I think), grows more slowly, and less of a detritus trap than Chaeto. My snails and hermits are always on it, and it's pod heaven.

-R

fambrough · #7 12/24/2007, 10:27 AM

I like the ochtodes as well. But for nutirent export the Chaetomorpha wins hands down, ditto for pod habitat. I have some of the blue algae in my tank and chaeto in the sump. Wouldn't ever run a tank without it.

Adding a sump with chaeto was the single most wonderful thing I have done so far for my tank.

reefkeeper135 · #8 12/24/2007, 10:42 AM

OK, so are there any down sides to using chaeto? anything to be careful about or to watch for?

AquaKnight407 · #9 12/24/2007, 11:00 AM

I love Chaeto too, if only my tank could keep it alive. Oh well, guess it's strickly caulerpa for me (which grows great and not sexual problems yet, including 72hrs of no light and 75% die off).

lancer99 · #10 12/25/2007, 12:39 AM

Reefkeeper, there is one downside....Chaeto can be invasive. I'm trying to starve out the Dictyota in my 40G QT tank, so have some Chaeto growing in there, behind some eggcrating + fiberglass window screening. The Chaeto grows out and attaches to the LR....plus when I prune it back, there are invariably some little frags that get out...more stuff to pick off the LR.

But that's a minor nit to pick....well worth it for the increased bio-diversity it adds to my tank...I love the stuff!

-R

reefkeeper135 · #11 12/25/2007, 01:29 PM

Cool, I will look into getting some as I have been fighting nitrates of about 10ppm and would like to see if it will help

reefCrawler · #12 12/25/2007, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lancer99
Reefkeeper, there is one downside....Chaeto can be invasive. I'm trying to starve out the Dictyota in my 40G QT tank, so have some Chaeto growing in there, behind some eggcrating + fiberglass window screening. The Chaeto grows out and attaches to the LR....plus when I prune it back, there are invariably some little frags that get out...more stuff to pick off the LR.

But that's a minor nit to pick....well worth it for the increased bio-diversity it adds to my tank...I love the stuff!

-R

I'll get a tang to eat the grow out, happy you, happy fish, problem solved.