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George
02-06-2007, 11:14 AM
My refugium I set up last month in a 15g tank with a 5" sand bed is going like gangbusters with all kinds of critters and tons of cheato. I almost wish I'd used my other 25g for it instead, but now I don't want to muck up the sand bed.

Now I have an ever thickening mass of cheato, but was wondering if there are any critters that will eat it? It seems such a shame to have to pitch it eventually.

Rob
02-06-2007, 02:26 PM
dont pitch it.. prune it, and take it to the LFS for credit.
for a LFS getting macros is a pain, its so expensive to ship, they will love to get it from you

George
02-06-2007, 05:17 PM
Good point.

Still, I was hoping it could be a food source for some interesting denizen. Not that watching the little bugs crawl around isn't fun, too. I almost find that more fun than watching my tank.

Ocelot199
02-06-2007, 11:50 PM
Aren't we suppose to keep chaeto and other macros in a refugium to avoid having them eaten by livestock in display tanks? Or was that specifically for the copepods and stuff that live in the algae?

Its not like it would hurt anything to put some of your prunings in there and see if anything is interested in eating them.

Rob
02-06-2007, 11:58 PM
not thats is very true, however you will be hard pressed to find something in your tank that will eat it, and if you do it wont eat it fast enough to be your primary control

that and spread the love... as i mentioned LFS pay ALOT for this stuff.. if you can supply it to them they may be able to sell it to other hobbyists cheaper.. or heck, sell it or give it away to other hobbyists... personally, i give mine to my LFS.. sometimes i get credits, sometimes not. but its all good with me.. :)

Ocelot199
02-07-2007, 12:19 AM
I'm wondering...

I've had my little ball of chaeto hanging out in my fuge for almost 3 months now, and it hasn't grown as fast as other people say theirs does. It's maybe doubled in size, but thats it. I've just got it under a crappy flourescent bulb... is that why its not overrunning my fuge?

Rob
02-07-2007, 12:21 AM
not likely..
mine doest grow that fast either, but my caulpra does...
i prune my caulepra 2- times for every 1 pruning of my cheato.

i cant say its normal, just what i see.. :)

for you it could be not enough food (not always a bad thing, means your tank is fairly clean) or not enough water current (i think this is contributing to mine.. :) )

NeO
02-08-2007, 01:35 PM
Well, you can use a Pincushion Urchin to eat your cheato, but remember the urchin will eat faster then the cheato will grow, and all the wast from the urchin will be in your fuge.

I ban one of my urchins to my fuge, and he eat all may cheato and made a mess in the sump, I had to take almost everything out to clean the sand and rocks and put everything back together.