To soon for Chaeto?

[HDE2008]

I'm in the process of setting up a new reef tank and I'm curious if it's ever to soon to put chaeto in the refugium? I have a 210g oceanic tank with a 45g sump and a 15 gallon refugium. Any suggestions would be helpful.

[aquawolf]

I don't think there is such a thing as too early. I figure you may as well start the system the way you are going to want it to run and let the Chaeto get a head start on any phosphates as they build up in the system.

Good luck!

[stevelkaneval]

im with aquawolf. i wuld do a test and throw a little in first just so you dont get a huge die off. and when you do this make sure to harvesy some of it periodicly.

[nmbeg]

Well, I am new to this whole hobby as well, but i think i threw in my Chaeto too early.

I am setting up a 125g with a 50g sump/refugium. I don't have a stand built yet (it's gonna be in-wall), but I have my sump/refugium up and running with some mud, a skimmer, and a coulpe of powerheads. I also have about 45lb live rock, curing, and 70lbs "dead" rock (from www.rockquatics.com), also curing.

Anyway, I threw in my chaeto at the start of the curing process, and it's not doing so hot, getting kinda crusty, losing color, and starting to die. Pods are still seen occasionally though. I run my lights 4 hours per day. I've got a hude diatom bloom. I think the main problem is not enough wastes for my chaeto to feed off of yet.

any ideas?

[nmbeg]

let me clarify... the sump is not connected to the display tank yet, as tank is still sitting on the floor waiting for a stand :(

so my whole system so far is only the sump/fuge.

[demonsp]

If its running through the main tank i would hpld off on any life. add your substrate and some LR and let your system cycle. Whene cycle over add a little cheato and keep it trimmed back a little as the more stock you get the bigger you should keep it. But cheato is just another tool we use for water quality control and not made to be the main source of control