just pulled about 6-7 lbs of cheato out of my fuge...

[Sk8r]

One of the nice things about fuges is that I can trade in my old phosphate and get store credit.

Gotta replace the lights, so it won't make a big dent, but it'll buy fish food...thus supplying new phosphate for the cheato that's left.

[lpapagno]

So when you pull out cheato it retains the phosphates it absorbs?Is that why your suppose to keep it pruned?

[barbra]

I regularly trade snails and chaeto for livestock I really want. It doesn't cover the bills, but it makes me feel like less of a drain on the family budget :)

[Sk8r]

lpapagno---yes. It's part of the algae. That's why it never tests as 'present' when you test for phosphate: only 'free' phosphate shows up on the usual tests.
So when you prune it, it, and some nitrate, and other junk, just---goes away.

Unfortunately it's also 'present' when you add algae-based fish food for your rabbitfish or tang, so it's a never-ending battle. ;)