Chaeto Question/Setup

Ok my sump is a wet/dry with bio balls and I was considering removing the bio balls and adding Chaeto in place of the old bio ball location. Does that sound like a reasonable idea?

 

It would work, but you probably wouldn't get much use out of the chaeto unless you modded it and slowed the flow through the sump alot.

 

do you have a light over that section?

 

I was planning on putting a light on the door in front of it.

 

then as long as this area is under water, i don't see why it wouldn't work.

 

The only problem is if the flow is too strong through that area in the filter then the chaeto won't have a chance to take up any of the nitrates/phosphates and would basically be useless. If you do do it then get a low flow pump like 150gph and use that.

 

i have never tried chaeto in a main flow area on my tank but i do use 250gph and 350gph pumps going to my refugiums and the chaeto does well (actually too well). However, i assume that your main pump is much larger than this. i guess that if the heavy flow keeps the chaeto from eating, it will die. like i said, i don't have any experience with chaeto in heavy flows.

 

The return pump is a RIO2100. It is rated at 375gph at the current head height.

The tank is a 55 and i was previously using a Mag7 but it was creating to many microbubbles because of the high flow through the sump.

 

With that flow it should do fine, i just said 150gph as an example. Just make sure it is submerged and that it is getting light.

 

Not sure how flow would effect chaeto. I would assume any flow works as long as it's wet, phosphates and other nutrients aren't rendered useless because of the speed they are moving. Give it a try and let us know, I'm curious. Mine is basically in a swamp right now.