Is there such a thing as too much chaeto?

[coral keeper]

I was just wondering, Is there such a thing as too much chaeto?

 

[renogaw]

yes, it starts growing out of the water and smells really bad as it dies from exposure to lights. either that or it starts filling in the pump section and clogging up your pump.

 

[coral keeper]

No, I meant that if the fuge is going to be as big as the tank or 2 times bigger. Will it just keep on growing no matter how much bigger the fuge is than the DT?

 

[stdreb27]

It will grow as long as it has food. The real reason for trimming it is as stated previously. It starts sticking out of the water and dies or gets into your pumps or something.

 

[coral keeper]

Oh, ok. Thanks for the help!!

 

[reefmate75]

by cutting it back and removeing it you are takeing the toxins out that it has sucked up, i would say if you have a fuge the size of your DT full of chaeto that it might be hard to keep that from crashing at some point and mybe killing off your hole tank (i have never heard of this befor though)

 

[chilwil84]

thining it out will allow more light to get to other parts of the mass thus makin it able to remove more waste

 

[aquaknight]

Yea, chaeto is pretty self controlling to a point. It will need to be trimmed if it grows out of the water. But it will not continue to grow if the nutrients aren't there to support it. My 29 couldn't grow chaeto and my 125's ball is the same size as when I got it 2 months ago.

 

[flricordia]

I find that the best way to control it is pass some on from time to time. At first when I started cheato fuge I was a bit worried about giving it away at the local reef clubs and so on. Now I yank out a bunch and in a week or two do it again. Think it grows faster by culling it from time to time.