Cheato in Chamber 1 Biocube?

so i got a ball of cheato from the LFS tonight. I have a DIY media rack in chamber one that i built with a top section that could hold filter floss. I was thinking that because i am still using my bioballs in chamber two, that i could just put a chunk of cheato in the top of this rack and call it good. Any thoughts on this??? I think it would get enough light through to slits in the top overflow to grow???

 

i put my bioballs in the third compartment and chaeto in the second compartment, more light comes through the second compartment

 

I did a similar thing with my 65gal - I have the cheato in the overflow and it grows well (I didn't have room in my sump)

 

There is a way to mod one of the chambers to make a proper refugium. Check out JakeH24's biocube thread, he did it with his. If I remember it's pretty simple.

 

oh yeah i know you can modify the second chamber to make a refugium, but that means getting rid of the bio balls, which i know is a good way to go. But i want to find a way to incorporate cheato into my system without removing to bio balls. At least for now anyway?

 

like i said! put the bioballs in the third compartment, did you miss what i said or something? just fill the back compartments, you can fit most into the third COMPARTMENT

 

i thought the bioballs had to have some surface exposed to air, hence the drip tray on top of the second chamber. This way the water drips down over some of the bioballs and then some are completely submerged. Will they still work in the system if all of them are submerged or partly dry???? Seems like it wouldnt be affective>

 

so its been a month and my cheato is still alive and growing (weirdly). It seems to get denser in certain areas! I also have lower nitrates now! So heads up to all biocubers that want to use cheato in there system without removing the bioballs. Top of 1st chamber! I rinse it out with water change water weekly!