Chaetomorpha and Surface Area

[Dom]

So I was looking at a big tank of Chaetomorpha I have growing. I began to wonder; does nitrifying bacteria populate the Chaetomorpha in the same way that it populates live rock?

 

[Flippers4pups]

So I was looking at a big tank of Chaetomorpha I have growing. I began to wonder; does nitrifying bacteria populate the Chaetomorpha in the same way that it populates live rock?

Not sure.

 

[CindyKz]

It is an interesting question though.

 

[Roosterjack]

I don’t know about bacteria but I shake the heck out of any I am tossing out in a bucket of tank water to get the pods out.

 

[Rjramos]

I will say this; Some hobbyist tumble, others flip it occasionally, some use chaetosandwich idea, and right now I am growing it into bricks that the water has to flow through. Uneaten food and display tank waste is gonna flow through it. So normally it loads up with organics that get trapped. Then, pods and worms make home to enjoy a trapped meal. Works as a mechanical and biological filter, with the chartomorpha benefit. Pictured here is one of my refugiums loaded with chaeto. To the left is a chaeto sandwich. And right side has a huge clump, surface to bottom, that I am soon to remove half of and get credit.