High flow + Chaeto?

[jezzeaepi]

Chaetomorphia is a popular macro-algae used for removing nutrients in reef tanks. It is known that in order to maintain the best nutirent removal, you want to feed your chaeto fairly high water flow. This keeps detritus from building up, and encourages the chaeto to grow quickly. This all works great in theory, but in practice I am having problems.

How on earth do you maintain high flow in a chaeto refugium??? In practice I can not make this happen. The only way I can think of increasing flow is to add a powerhead, but powerheads quickly become clogged with small pieces of chaeto that break off...
So whats the secret? Help please, zomg....

Peace,
Jesse

 

[dirtyd206]

you could put a power head in a filter sock. like the kind you use in a sump. only thing is you got to stretch it really tight and some how still mount it but it gets clogged to after weeks.

 

[returnofsid]

There's some information about building a "shelf" an inch or so, below the water line, on the last baffle before the refugium. This forces the water, that's coming into the refugium, to shoot across the surface, where it hits the next set of baffles, which forces the water down, creating a "circle." I've read quite a few threads about this DIY remedy. Seems to work for some people. I'm going to be rebuilding my sump/fuge soon and will experiment with this a lil'.

 

[mfinn]

I put a maxi-jet in my refugium and to help keep it from getting clogged I made a small sponge filter that slips over the intake. I pull it off and clean it when I do water changes.

 

[Myteemouse]

cool I have a power head in mine also but have the clogging deal , I'll have to add a little sponge over mine this weekend..

 

[roscoe]

I put a maxi-jet in my refugium and to help keep it from getting clogged I made a small sponge filter that slips over the intake. I pull it off and clean it when I do water changes.

That is using your head Fin! I've always thought you want a slower flow through going through your refugium but just have good water flow and circulation in the fuge itself. Am I off on my research here?

 

[jezzeaepi]

That is using your head Fin! I've always thought you want a slower flow through going through your refugium but just have good water flow and circulation in the fuge itself. Am I off on my research here?

For most macro algaes that is true, but for chaeto specifically, its supposed to grow much faster if you can put it in a turbulent environment. Supposedly, you want enough flow to make the whole ball of chaeto "tumble" in the fuge. Its less of a refugium, and more of a nutrient remover.

 

[Allenfamily]

We have the pump for our uv sterilizer in the return section of the sump and the outflow from it going back into the fuge, that creates more flow in there.. The same thing could be accomplished with a powerhead and a little plumbing, then there is no cheato with the pump to clog it. I don't know if it's the right way but it works for us.

 

[burning2nd]

i small pump in a diffrent section of the sump with the outlet thur a hose in to the section where the cheto is...

upstream from the chaeto

 

[jag3534]

Good thread jezz, I'm glad to hear we're not the only ones having trouble with this issue. I like the idea of the shelf lower on the baffle idea. :idea:

 

[jezzeaepi]

Good thread jezz, I'm glad to hear we're not the only ones having trouble with this issue. I like the idea of the shelf lower on the baffle idea. :idea:

Aye, thanks all for the great suggestions. Ill try to incorporate as many of them as I can and then Ill share my results.

Peace,
Jesse

 

[trido]

I use a very oversized pump that pulls water through the mess despite how badly the intake is clogged. Seio 1100 will give you lots of flow :shock:

 

[burning2nd]

also lighting

ive found that it does better under low or no light..

i have a ball that i have in a tank that has nothing in it.. its just for keeping bacteria alive. and my chaeto does great... no light just ambent light from the room and tanks.

 

[johnmaloney]

chaeto doesn't need high flow though. always found in low flow environments in the wild, and it does pretty goof this way. Besides, I would rather have the detritus in the chaeto I am going to prune than in the tank I want clean. If it can double as a prefilter than all the better!