Chaetomorpha question

[Jayson Ledbetter]

just set up my first refugium with chaetomorpha, I've seen a lot of videos with it tumbling, is this something it needs to do thrive or just a preference for some people?

 

[Orm Embar]

I've read that tumbling is helpful to get light to all of the chaeto mass (as opposed to not reaching the underside of the clump), but for my refugium I don't have a powerhead to do that so it doesn't tumble at all. It still grows quite a bit (and my nitrate/phosphate is barely detectable), so I'm happy with leaving things the way they are.

 

[oceanfreak09]

I would say "no" because in one of my refugiums ,which is a 40 breeder, it is packed solid that light does not reach half of the chaeto and it's not tumbling yet all the chaeto is green and healthy. (I do have a circulation pump in the lower part of the tank only to stop stagnant areas at the bottom from happening also keep in mind that this particular fuge is only supplied by my 3 screen ATS which hangs above. )