When to add cheato?

[Lynnmw1208]

So my tank is still cycling at the moment and I was wondering when it would be beneficial to add cheato. I plan on running a dual reactor from BRS with carbon and GFO in it so do I even need cheato? I would basically like it to get my pod population started as my live rock didn't seem to come with any. This is week 2 of cycling.

[almostazoo]

I put cheato in on day one of cycle but I don't run any reators.

[Korrine]

Whenever you get your tank running is fine to add cheato.

[Lynnmw1208]

won't the pods die from the nitrites, amm and nitrates from cycling?

[Korrine]

you asked about cheato. A lot of people add cheato right away.

[Sk8r]

I'm thinking about this one. I think I'd wait until the hair algae starts. That's when the HA is taking advantage of the phosphate now leaching from rock and sand and any nitrate that gets past the denitrifying bacteria of the infant sandbed [which is why you let the snails and hermits take care of the tank for a few weeks before putting a fish in: fish poo is a little higher up the food chain]---ie, let the bacteria-driven ammonia --->nitrate--->nitrite---->nitrogen-gas cycle get a little more robust before adding cheato, because it will also sop up nitrate as a fertilizer, and that might impact the bacteria a bit by taking some of their food. I'd like to ask a biochemist on that one---but it's a question, at least.
Once the hair algae is going, it's going to do that anyway, so more algae will only scarf up what otherwise the HA would get. And it's a farm for copepods, which also eat algae...or at least film---so at that point, it could go in.

[AmberL]

Do you have to have a refugium to have cheato? My sump doesn't have one.

[jeff@zina.com]

Do you have to have a refugium to have cheato? My sump doesn't have one.

No, though it's best. Cheato will grow right in the display. Or a quiet section of the sump, it it's lit.

Jeff

[Lynnmw1208]

Thanks for the replies everyone! And once again Sk8er you make so much sense! I was thinking about that plus I do want the cheato for the pods as well. I don't have a refugium just due to lack of space, but I do have a quiet area of the sump. I was thinking about putting the cheato in a plastic basket of some sorts to keep it to itself away from the protein skimmer.

I'm starting to see a little hair algae, but not a whole lot. A couple of patches here and there. Still waiting for my nitrites to go down they're .5 right now and nitrates are showing 0- 2.5so I think whatever HA I have is eating the little bit of nitrate. When these numbers hit 0 I'll be adding a CUC consisting of only 6 hermits (scarlet) and the rest snails.

[Korrine]

I have seen people use those plastic soap holders to hold their cheato in place. May be something to look into :)

[AmberL]

I have seen people use those plastic soap holders to hold their cheato in place. May be something to look into :)

:) I'll look into it