Chaeto Maintenance

[themolt]

Is there any maintenance required other than harvesting it? Does that mean trimming it down so that it is not out of control?

Should I occasionally rinse it with RO/DI water or new saltwater? Or let be and just trim?

[t11t5]

Just trim it when needed.

[teamdulski]

Giving it a quick swish in some old tank water when doing a water change will help remove detritus matter from it also.

[cdbias2]

Fresh water will kill anything that lives in salt water including algae.

[tygger]

No maintenance required, other than the occasional harvesting.

[suzimcmullen]

When you say harvesting... What do you do with it when it's cut? Is it edible?

Suzi

[tygger]

Trash it, give it way, or sell it... whatever you want, but just don't eat it. ;)

[indydog1]

will your fish eat it so it won't go to waste? like angels and tangs.

[rjsilvers]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11914482#post11914482 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by indydog1
will your fish eat it so it won't go to waste? like angels and tangs.

Chaeto pulls nitrates and phosphorus out of the water.. You want to export the nitrate and phosphorus out of your tank, not recycle it within the tank.

[Radioheadx14]

BTW, i don't think anything eats it besides a certain type of urchin. And if they did eat it, it would be the same as adding fish food... where do you think the nitrate and phosphate source comes from? It would be good if they ate it... it would be free and less taxing on the environment.

There have been studies that show removal of fish from the ocean to make fish meal for aquaculture fisheries really mess up the ecosystems because the fish that depend on those fish have nothing to eat.

[indydog1]

got it

[Hendersonracing]

all my tangs eat it...

[suzimcmullen]

Well it sounds like it would be great for my garden as I keep a lot of waste type products to burry in my garden when I plant.

Suzi

[Aquarist007]

the chaeto increases in a ball and as it does the ball gets denser and denser so light can't get to the bottom of it
Once a week I reach in there (with gloves) and rotate the ball 180 degress so the other side can get the light.

I have also found that the chaeto can trap alot of debris also so once a week I crank up the flow for 24 hours and send that stuff back eventually through the fillter sock and skimmer

Occassionly because of the debris I find cyano on the top of the chaeto I skimm off what I can and then not run the light for 2 days--it dissapears

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11914750#post11914750 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Hendersonracing
all my tangs eat it...

I've heard they will eat it but I've also read a number of posts where it has caused the tanks intestinal problems :eek2: