cheato in a sump

[Rosco's Reefs]

How do you guys deploy\attach\use cheato in your sumps?  My buddy wants to hang a few lites and use cheato in his new HUGE sump.  The sump is subdivided into LARGE chambers but I have hoping to contain it in some way and not just do free-float.  Let us know your thoughts.

 

Thx

 

Roscoe

[flooddc]

I use a 5 gallon bucket placed inside the sump for my chaeto. Drill a few 1.5" toward the bottom side of the bucket. 

I have 2 sumps, water flow from 1st sump through two 1.5" pipes into the chaeto bucket and exit out the bottom of the drilled holes. clip-on lamp pointed into the bucket.

 

Chaeto used to grow quickly for me, but now just slowly melted away. I think because of lack of nutrient since my skimmer performed well. 

[jon_703]

I use a 5 gallon bucket placed inside the sump for my chaeto. Drill a few 1.5" toward the bottom side of the bucket. 

I have 2 sumps, water flow from 1st sump through two 1.5" pipes into the chaeto bucket and exit out the bottom of the drilled holes. clip-on lamp pointed into the bucket.

 

Chaeto used to grow quickly for me, but now just slowly melted away. I think because of lack of nutrient since my skimmer performed well. 

Here's a stupid question, what is chaeto used for/good for?

[flooddc]

Here's a stupid question, what is chaeto used for/good for?

to export excess nutrient.

[22bfan]

Chaeto is a macro algae that feed on excess nutrients in your tank.  I think i read somewhere that it absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen just like green house plants.  May people run a reverse light cycle compared to their display tank which allows their macro algae to produce oxygen at night and help offset the PH drop we all seem to experience at night.  Depending on the nutrient amounts in your tank macro algae's like chaeto and caulerpa could grow fairly quickly.  Once it grows significantly it helps to grab a handful and yank it out so the rest can continue to grow and absorb excess nutrients etc.