Cheato or not?

[botheboss]

At the moment I have cheato in my sump and have been dosing potassium nitrate to keep my nitrates detectable. I was just wondering if I should just remove it all instead of pull wads out every couple weeks. I think it would be easier to manage my nutrients that way but I’m on the fence about it. I was just wondering how many of y’all use cheato vs the latter. And your experiences with it. Anyway feed back would be greatly appreciated thanks in advance.

 

[Crabs McJones]

I choose chaeto, but if its depleting your nutrients, pull out more so that a little is left. Less chaeto, less nutrient uptake I have to trim mine back pretty far to almost nothing to get it growing again as it tanks my nutrients.

At the moment I have cheato in my sump and have been dosing potassium nitrate to keep my nitrates detectable. I was just wondering if I should just remove it all instead of pull wads out every couple weeks. I think it would be easier to manage my nutrients that way but I’m on the fence about it. I was just wondering how many of y’all use cheato vs the latter. And your experiences with it. Anyway feed back would be greatly appreciated thanks in advance.

 

[botheboss]

I choose chaeto, but if its depleting your nutrients, pull out more so that a little is left. Less chaeto, less nutrient uptake I have to trim mine back pretty far to almost nothing to get it growing again as it tanks my nutrients.

That’s pretty much what I’ve been doing to this point. Thanks for the input.

 

[miPapareef]

In stead of removing it, I just reduce the photo period. I have about 4 gallons of Cheato in my sump on a 75 gallon DT, with a 5 hour photo period and nitrate is 0.5 to 0.25.

Nitrate was 3-5 ppm until my Cheato completely filled the sump and then caused nitrate to dropped to undetectable so that’s when I cut the light from 11 to 8 and now 5 hours. Nitrate is back up to 0.5 and I haven’t had to remove any Cheato.

 

[botheboss]

In stead of removing it, I just reduce the photo period. I have about 4 gallons of Cheato in my sump on a 75 gallon DT, with a 5 hour photo period and nitrate is 0.5 to 0.25.

Nitrate was 3-5 ppm until my Cheato completely filled the sump and then caused nitrate to dropped to undetectable so that’s when I cut the light from 11 to 8 and now 5 hours. Nitrate is back up to 0.5 and I haven’t had to remove any Cheato.

Wow, that’s awesome. I have been playing around with the light but I was skipping days completely. Makes much more sense to shorten photo period more consistency. Thanks

 

[botheboss]

I do have a crap ton off pods in my cheato that’s another reason I’m apprehensive about taking it out.

 

[PedroYoung]

Wow, that’s awesome. I have been playing around with the light but I was skipping days completely. Makes much more sense to shorten photo period more consistency. Thanks

Have you noticed any change in the pH at night when you don't run the Fuge lighting vs when you do?

 

[Rakie]

throwing out chaeto was the best thing I ever did for my system.

There's this absolutely silly rumor floating around that corals hate nutrients (aka, food). Not only is that not substantiated, but every single aquariast of the year, every single large growing facility (WWC for example), all disagree. It's just something old reefers believe -- An old reefers tale.

 

[Bdrake]

throwing out chaeto was the best thing I ever did for my system.

There's this absolutely silly rumor floating around that corals hate nutrients (aka, food). Not only is that not substantiated, but every single aquariast of the year, every single large growing facility (WWC for example), all disagree. It's just something old reefers believe -- And old reefers tale.

We have much more accurate test kits and better methods of nutrient export now.

 

[botheboss]

Have you noticed any change in the pH at night when you don't run the Fuge lighting vs when you do?

Yes there is a slight till tank lights come back on.

 

[botheboss]

throwing out chaeto was the best thing I ever did for my system.

There's this absolutely silly rumor floating around that corals hate nutrients (aka, food). Not only is that not substantiated, but every single aquariast of the year, every single large growing facility (WWC for example), all disagree. It's just something old reefers believe -- An old reefers tale.

Thanks I was waiting to hear something from the other side. How did your tank react when you first removed it?

 

[Rakie]

We have much more accurate test kits and better methods of nutrient export now.

That doesn't have anything to do with anything. Zero is Zero. Salifert is and has been the best test kits for decades. Furthermore all the same stuff is available it just gets rehashed to new reefers. That BRS filter sock thing they can't shut up about is circa 1980's, it's just come full circle. Bacteria has been in bottles for at least 20 years now. Many people argue the best skimmers were invented in europe in the late 90s, they still walk all over what we use today -- the cost of electricity is just staggering in america, so they aren't used here. To this day there's 30 year old life-reef skimmers that kick the crap out of everything out there.

So TLDR; I disagree.

And I've had this conversation too many times -- take it or leave it, I will not respond

Thanks I was waiting to hear something from the other side. How did your tank react when you first removed it?

Color and growth. My corals were paling out and I kept dosing nitrates and it wouldn't help. Got my no3 just shy of 50 and it still wasn't helping, so I did what everyone said was the cardinal sin. I dosed po4. Everyone said everything would die. My water would catch on fire. A dark door to the 9th layer of hell would open in the heart of every acro.

They were all wrong.

SPS like po4. Too many people have colorless pale corals. po4 is almost always the answer. Just see how many beige brown Fox Flames are out there. People question if it can even be red -- dose some po4 and watch it turn red.

 

[botheboss]

That doesn't have anything to do with anything. Zero is Zero. Salifert is and has been the best test kits for decades. Furthermore all the same stuff is available it just gets rehashed to new reefers. That BRS filter sock thing they can't shut up about is circa 1980's, it's just come full circle. Bacteria has been in bottles for at least 20 years now. Many people argue the best skimmers were invented in europe in the late 90s, they still walk all over what we use today -- the cost of electricity is just staggering in america. To this day there's 30 year old life-reef skimmers that kick the crap out of everything out there.

So TLDR; I disagree.

And I've had this conversation too many times -- take it or leave it, I will not respond



Color and growth. My corals were paling out and I kept dosing nitrates and it wouldn't help. Got my no3 just shy of 50 and it still wasn't helping, so I did what everyone said was the cardinal sin. I dosed po4. Everyone said everything would die. My water would catch on fire. A dark door to the 9th layer of hell would open in the heart of every acro.

They were all wrong.

SPS like po4. Too many people have colorless pale corals. po4 is almost always the answer. Just see how many beige brown Fox Flames are out there. People question if it can even be red -- dose some po4 and watch it turn red.

Cool! Thanks I really appreciate the feedback

 

[Rakie]

Cool! Thanks I really appreciate the feedback

No problem.

My caveat in this hobby is that everything can work -- and there are no 'right' answers. Like everyone, I have opinions and methods I prefer, and have positive and negative experiences with most every method. But it can all work, you just need to work with, or around, your methodology.

Often the ULNS style tanks that work are HUGE systems with lots of big fish. You don't see many 40g ULNS that are fish-sparse. You see 200g+ systems with several tangs, wrasse, smaller fish, heavy feeding schedule, etc etc. So while they test as "low nutrient" they actually are pretty nutrient dense, and have a small amount of consistent nutrients available through fish waste.

In my experience it doesn't seem to workout that well in smaller tanks with the same philosophy. I honestly think tang poop is magical lol.

 

[botheboss]

No problem.

My caveat in this hobby is that everything can work -- and there are no 'right' answers. Like everyone, I have opinions and methods I prefer, and have positive and negative experiences with most every method. But it can all work, you just need to work with, or around, your methodology.

Often the ULNS style tanks that work are HUGE systems with lots of big fish. You don't see many 40g ULNS that are fish-sparse. You see 200g+ systems with several tangs, wrasse, smaller fish, heavy feeding schedule, etc etc. So while they test as "low nutrient" they actually are pretty nutrient dense, and have a small amount of consistent nutrients available through fish waste.

In my experience it doesn't seem to workout that well in smaller tanks with the same philosophy. I honestly think tang poop is magical lol.

My tank is 180 with a 55g home maid sump. I do have about 11 fish in it and 3 are tangs but they are in the 4-5 inch range. But they definitely don’t go hungry lol.

 

[Katrina71]

Chaeto chaeto chaeto

 

[jda]

Throughput with heavy import and export is better than a number on a test kit.

 

[DesertReefT4r]

I choose chaeto, but if its depleting your nutrients, pull out more so that a little is left. Less chaeto, less nutrient uptake I have to trim mine back pretty far to almost nothing to get it growing again as it tanks my nutrients.

Same issue here so far. My no3 dropped from 20ppm to undetectable on API. Been feeding more to get a slight sign of no3 amd I pull out 90% of my chaeto every 3 weeks.

 

[htownguy]

I actually just removed my cheato. Was always screwing with my ato and water level in the sump. upgraded the skimmer and haven't noticed a big swing in nitrates yet. This was 3 weeks ago. Now I have a nice clean flowing sump

 

[Grsfish]

I thing it is a great more natural way of reducing nutrients. It is also great for growing pods. From reading on here and watching videos there are million different ways that work though...