Fess-up: Do you keep Chaeto in your sump/fuge and never trim it?

[pbnj]

....if so, you're not exporting any excess nutrients, i.e., you're defeating the whole purpose.

[Tat2demon]

At the risk of replying to something that I think is the result of hard drinking, not everyone uses it for nutrient export. Some use it just for pods. That being said, Im pretty sure you would have to trim it eventually. If not I would guess eventually it would completely fill and clog up your fuge.

[aleonn]

Besides the nutrient export issue, there's also a small chance that chaeto can turn sexual and pollute the tank. It's not nearly as bad as other macroalgae. At least from what I remember reading.

[jeff@zina.com]

If I didn't trim it, I'd eventually need to use a machete to get to the kitchen...

Jeff

[JTL]

Originally Posted by pbnj

....if so, you're not exporting any excess nutrients, i.e., you're defeating the whole purpose.

As long as it is present it is taking up excess nutrients, assuming there are any. You only trim it to keep it under control and make room for growth.

[goldmaniac]

as long as the chaeto doesn't break down itself, you still have nutrient export if you never/rarely trim chaeto. the nutrient export is out of the water, and in this case, into macroalgae.

if the chaeto would decay, you'd be defeating the whole purpose with re-importing nutrients into the water. if the chaeto is healthy, it's still exporting out of the water column.

sure, you have to pull it out eventually, but not removing it every 2 weeks isn't defeating the whole purpose.

\ I pull chaeto, I don't trim it.

[that0neguy1126]

The only time I trim it is when it starts to outgrow the tank. The only problem with not trimming it is if it starts to release those nutrients back into the tank. If it does that, regardless of if you trimmed it or not, you have problems.

[sslak]

I usually pull out a few big handfulls whenever I notice it's completely filled the fuge section and there isn't much more room for it to grow.

If I removed half my chaeto it may take 3-4 months for it to grow back (maybe loaf of bread sized?).

Removing just a big handfull at a time every week or two I probably grow twice that bread loaf size in the same amount of time. Trimming it way back IMO is a bad idea, just remove what you absolutely have to in order to provide room for more growth.