Cheato in sump

[Nstocks]

I have created a section in my sump (actually an aquarium with no baffles) to grow cheato etc. and one problems is the gaps at the bottom and sides of the divider which allow water to pass, also allow cheato to pass too. (the gaps are like 5mm)

I was looking at pond plant baskets to hold the cheato in, but they are likely going to leach junk.

Next idea was supergluing 7 count plastic mesh with excess around the edges t catch any cheato strands but sadly the mesh just fell off!

Any other ideas?677479

 

[mjlash22]

You could always opt for a reactor. Like the skimz.

 

[Nstocks]

I wish I had done this but I've already spend £80 of DIY LED lights (on aluminium heatsinks)!

 

[mjlash22]

If possible, drain it out and make your own fuge section out of cut glass/acrylic (depending on what your sump is made out of).

 

[Nstocks]

If I put baffles in I can't remove the Rollermat, due to the bracing at the top of the tank, all glass. The rollermat needs to rotate 90 degrees into the Refugiums section in order to clear those brace bars

Those EPDM sealing strips would make the baffles removable but they could also give way and I'd still need acrylic to block out the light spill

 

[Nstocks]

I had some 7 count plastic mesh that I've tie wrapped onto one of the dividers.

It kinda works, most of the cheato strands don't pass through. I think part of the problems also comes from having too high flow which is causing the cheato to break apart.

I'm looking at DIY removable baffles, I think Reef octopus make them too.

 

[foxt]

I use lifeguard aquatics aqua mesh as divider in my sump to hold Cheeto in place. It can be cut to a size so that friction holds it on place. Bought it on amazon. Got the idea from this brstv episode, at about 19 mins in.https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/vide...ts-for-a-ulm-reef-tank-brstv-tank-trials-ep4/

 

[Nstocks]

I looked at pond filter pads and they all seemed very dense and spongey as opposed to the lifeguard aquatics one which is coarse and semi rigid. Do you need to clean yours often?

Perhaps if I can source that in the UK (or similar) it would work, depending on size.

How do you find this with light spill? Ideally I'd want a 500mm x 500mm sheet so the entire refugium chamber is enclosed, top to bottom

 

[lion king]

Goggle eggcrate basket for chaeto, maybe that may work for your application.

 

[foxt]

I looked at pond filter pads and they all seemed very dense and spongey as opposed to the lifeguard aquatics one which is coarse and semi rigid. Do you need to clean yours often?

I have only had it in place for a couple of months, and I have not had to clean it yet. The chaeto is holding together pretty well, and the pieces that do break off just laying on the surface of the material. At this rate, I will probably not be cleaning this screen material more than a couple of times a year, if at all.

How do you find this with light spill? Ideally I'd want a 500mm x 500mm sheet so the entire refugium chamber is enclosed, top to bottom

Not sure I understand what you have in mind. As far as light spill, I have it positioned vertically in the sump to contain the chaeto, so I can't really tell if it would let light through. That said, the material is constructed in a way that I do not think that much light would get through. It's a dense web of thick plastic mesh that has lots of space to let water through, but not much of a direct path for light to get through.