PDA

View Full Version : lots of cheato.. when do I remove some?


doox00
06/19/2006, 12:54 PM
My fuge started about 5 or so months ago when I put together my 90g with 30g sump, the fuge started with a softball size ball of cheato, now its completely packed full of cheato.. very nice and green growing like a weed obviously.. should I remove some now? If so how much would you recommend removing?

thanks

rustybucket145
06/19/2006, 01:29 PM
I would remove all except for a little bigger than a softball size. That is ALOT of nutrient export. Then 5 months later do the same!

Rekonn
06/19/2006, 02:16 PM
Wouldn't you only want to remove some at a time? If you took most of it out, wouldn't you get a spike in nitrates since a clump the size of softball won't be able to take nutrients out at the same rate as a fuge full?

six.line
06/19/2006, 02:46 PM
Nitrates are eaten up as the algae grows, so removing most all of it won't induce a nitrate spike.

doox00
06/19/2006, 02:52 PM
thanks for the help, I called a lfs, they said they would give me 2 bux a sandwich bag full, so gunna go get a box of baggies and start packing! :)

Rekonn
06/19/2006, 03:32 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7589289#post7589289 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chris.rogers
Nitrates are eaten up as the algae grows, so removing most all of it won't induce a nitrate spike.

Nitrates aren't the sole limiting factor of chaeto growth. At some point chaeto just can't grow any faster regardless of the amount of nitrates in the water. At that point nitrates will remain and build up because a softball sized chunk may not be able to remove the nitrate as fast as it's produced. If the mass of chaeto doesn't matter, why stop at softball size, why not go down to marble size?

Now I don't know what doox00 has in his 90g. It could have a light bio load in which case he'd be ok with removing a lot of chaeto at once. But, what if he's added a bunch of things to his tank in the past 5 months? I think it would be a lot safer to sell off small amounts at a time.

doox00
06/19/2006, 03:37 PM
all I have is about 120ish lbs of live rock, a single true perc clown, 50 or so snails and 50 or so blue/red legged hermit crabs.. ohh and a small emerald crab. using an asm g1-x skimmer in the sump as well.

last time I checked nitrites/trates they were 0, about a week or two ago.