Poll: Chaeto/macroalgae - To tumble or not to tumble?

[MnFish1]

I've read where many people say the chaeto/macroalgae needs to tumble and others say it's not necessary. I harvest mine every 2-3 weeks (and a lot of it) and I personally do not have my chaeto tumble in the fuge. So I'm curious to see the comparison between tumblers and non-tumblers.

Curious it’s all about water flow right. If enough water is flowing past the chaeto why would tumbling matter. I wonder how does chaeto grow naturally. Is it tumbling?

 

[MnFish1]

Removing chaeto was the best decision I've ever made for my reef. Implementing chaeto was my largest error.

SPS like nutrients.

This seems like something good for you that might not be good for everyone depending on nutrient levels feeding number of fish etc

 

[MnFish1]

Wrong question or a different question? I understand your point and actually changed the poll title. "Does yours tumble" and "Does it (tumbling algae) increase growth" are two different questions in my opinion, and I was simply looking for the former in this poll.

I think he has a point. It’s like asking is your side glass clear. Who cares. I’m not trying to goad you but maybe statements about the goal of the poll up front would be helpful. If you’re not asking whether tumbling chaeto improves something in your tank why would anyone care

 

[Maritimer]

My Chaetomorpha died.

I have about three leaves of Caulerpa straggling in my sump, though . . .

~Bruce

 

[Clownfish2]

My chaetomorpha sits in a clear one gallon container next to a 5000kelvin. I believe the wattage is only 3 Watts. I started this experiment last summer...wanted to see what happens to PH and if tumbling was necessary. It grows well with no circulation and also raised the PH from 7.0 to 8.3 in that container.

 

[Syntax1235]

I grow about a gallon a week and it never tumbles. I use an led flood light from Home Depot and never have die of at the bottom of the clump. The chaeto ends up growing out of the water in about two weeks if I don't cut it. The clump you see the about the size of a basketball.

Notice all the Amphipods... I've seen some over 1/2 inch long a the bottom.

 

[drblakjak55]

Does not tumble. Simple two part sump. Growing under a clip on Home Depot 7K halogen light at 54 watts for 15$. Throw away softball clump every two weeks, mostly from the bottom.

 

[Mandelstam]

I think he has a point. It’s like asking is your side glass clear. Who cares. I’m not trying to goad you but maybe statements about the goal of the poll up front would be helpful. If you’re not asking whether tumbling chaeto improves something in your tank why would anyone care

I think the question is good and interesting enough. And just by reading the answers at least I got the feeling that it doesn't need to tumble to work pretty well.

Asking if it improves growth would just make people guess or do assumptions that they don't have any real comparative data on as most don't do both at the same time under the same light/water/etc. I think there's enough of pure personal anecdotal evidence taken as gospel in this hobby.

 

[robert teseo]

when it tumbles, tiny pieces break off and clog the overflow!

 

[JacklePappy]

I think tumbling is cool. Glad I got mine to work. That said, I didn't pay enough attention to those saying that the algae ends up clogging all the things. It does. It will.

Going to have to rethink my current design, again, to fully contain the bits that break off so that it doesn't clog return pump, skimmer, power heads, foreign trade, legislation and New Jersey bridges

 

[Streetcred]

I have chaeto in two different compartments of my sump ... one tumbles and the other is sedentary. The sedentary clump is dark green and very wiry whereas the tumbling clump is more pale and soft.

 

[JacklePappy]

I have chaeto in two different compartments of my sump ... one tumbles and the other is sedentary. The sedentary clump is dark green and very wiry whereas the tumbling clump is more pale and soft.

Same light for both compartments? Any guess as to which is most dense and/or grows fastest?

I figure I'll let mine tumble until the clump gets big enough that it catches on the sides.

 

[Lousybreed]

I do not tumble my cheato. I do have circulation that “up wells” through the cheato. This ensures that there is not a nutrient poor layer of water around the cheato. When I started the circulation system my nitrates dropped even more. Now I can run a short photoperiod and get the same growth. I run HPS bulbs abov my fuge, not LED’s. Watt per watt, PAR for PAR its more effective!! Plus the spectrum of HPS is better suited for cheato growth.

 

[Mandelstam]

I do not tumble my cheato. I do have circulation that “up wells” through the cheato. This ensures that there is not a nutrient poor layer of water around the cheato. When I started the circulation system my nitrates dropped even more. Now I can run a short photoperiod and get the same growth. I run HPS bulbs abov my fuge, not LED’s. Watt per watt, PAR for PAR its more effective!! Plus the spectrum of HPS is better suited for cheato growth.

How is your circulation setup? With an under baffle before the chaeto or something else?

 

[Mick1of10]

I have a smallish Refugio’s and am running Triton, so I added a cheating reactor. My answer is “both”. One tumbles for a while the other is just like me — sedentary.

 

[quicksil328]

I dont tumble mine. Just have it in a large basket resting with decent flow through it. Fills in the whole basket..... very thick.

 

[LagunaGlide]

Well I am glad to know that tumbling is "necessary" I just got my clump of chaeto yesterday! It immediately sank straight to the bottom. I have it set up that it's close to my emergency overflow just a little flow is near it. It sinks and gets stuck on a rock.... Why would it sink? I was confused at first thought maybe it was just small and all of peoples I see that it's at top is just a large amount. Now I'm not so sure.

 

[jacksonpt]

have a refugium and simply allow cheato to rest peacefully (not tumble) and it grows rapidly.

That's me. I have no idea if it's "better" or not, but looking bigger picture at my system, I'd say it's good enough for me.

Frankly, I think chasing "better" is recipe for insanity. Or poverty. Or both.

 

[stevieduk]

mine does not tumble due to the amount, but i have wondered about buying the waterproof l e ds and lighting it from the bottom as well to help reduce the die off where it gets no light. Ive been struggling with nitrates just lately and am wondering if it is the cheato dying and causing it

 

[lbacha]

I don't tumble mine but I do have lights above it and on the sides of the fuge so it gets good coverage. My overflow also discharges into the center of my ball so there is a lot of gas exchange adding CO2.

It grows like a weed