Cheato Scrubber and yes it works!

Jyetman · 12/30/2012, 07:14 PM

Battling a bad hair algae outbreak I originally tried building an Algae Scrubber over a year ago and it didn't work very well until a small string of Cheato grew into this. Using two 150&100 Watt CFLs I harvest four to five LARGE handfuls of cheato every week off the screen and tub. The screen is one sided and fixed in place. I just pull the cheato off the screen no hair algae mess to scrape off! My last water change was in August with occasion of 5 gallons every other month when selling the cheato. The hair algae has been gone for a year now. 75 Gallon reef with lg kole tang, lg flame hawk, bi color blenny, coralbeauty angel, perc clown, firefish and jawfish. I do have a small bubblemagis protien skimmer that helped very little before adding this scrubber. My Readings are 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates.

Terrance · 12/31/2012, 02:45 AM

cool i never heard of a chaeto scrubber. do you set it differently than the traditional algae scrubbers?

Sharkey18 · 12/31/2012, 08:12 AM

That doesn't look like chaeto. Looks like turf.

BigAl2007 · 12/31/2012, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharkey18

That doesn't look like chaeto. Looks like turf.

I have to agree with Sharkey here.

Here are some close-up pics of Chaeto

Also Chaeto doesn't grow very well "that" exposed to air. Chaeto grows best in a fully submerged environment and really well when "tumbled" to light gets on all sides.

Regardless what the ID on the algae is it's working for you and seems to be working VERY well.

wildman926 · 12/31/2012, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigal2007

regardless what the id on the algae is it's working for you and seems to be working very well.

x2!

It looks like a combination of turf and cheato.

reeferlover · 12/31/2012, 09:16 AM

does look like chaeto. i like it though and the idea of no water changes!!post more info please

Terrance · 12/31/2012, 11:57 AM

Water changes must still be done even with any kind of turf scrubbers. Corals and fish would thank you for changing some water if they could talk.

TylerHaworth · 12/31/2012, 01:04 PM

I'm confused, I don't see any Chaeto...

Jyetman · 01/02/2013, 11:26 AM

Yes it is cheato with some hair algae mixed in nothing like what's on a true algae scrubber though this is mostly cheato. I've gone almost two weeks without havest and the cheato grows bulk thick and becomes exposed to air. I figure it must be the high humidity from the top closure that keeps it alive. The bulb on the left is a 150 Watt (2700k) and on right is 100 Watt (6500k) the flow rate is low compared to scrubber specs as you can see in pics.

mess7777 · 01/02/2013, 11:43 AM

This happens on mine too, I have a few strands of chaeto in there. I never get that kind of quantity though, turf or chaeto.

Seems like it's doing it's job. If your nutrients are down and animals are happy, I see no reason not to let it go like this.

igadget56 · 01/02/2013, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigAl2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharkey18

That doesn't look like chaeto. Looks like turf.

I have to agree with Sharkey here.

Here are some close-up pics of Chaeto
IMAGE#1
IMAGE#2
IMAGE#3

Also Chaeto doesn't grow very well "that" exposed to air. Chaeto grows best in a fully submerged environment and really well when "tumbled" to light gets on all sides.

Regardless what the ID on the algae is it's working for you and seems to be working VERY well.

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Jyetman · 01/22/2013, 10:57 AM

It is curious that no one is taking this more serious why remove a screen every week when it can be placed pertinently into place and every two weeks just grab pull the wads of cheato off the screen? The system is far more easier to maintain in my opinion then a algae scrubber. No water changes since August 2012 and My parameters are clean with a substantial bio-load!

12/31/2012, 11:57 AM	#7
Terrance Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Seattle Posts: 352	Water changes must still be done even with any kind of turf scrubbers. Corals and fish would thank you for changing some water if they could talk. __________________ Kind regards, Terrance Current Tank Info: None

12/30/2012, 07:14 PM	#1
Jyetman Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,712	Cheato Scrubber and yes it works! Battling a bad hair algae outbreak I originally tried building an Algae Scrubber over a year ago and it didn't work very well until a small string of Cheato grew into this. Using two 150&100 Watt CFLs I harvest four to five LARGE handfuls of cheato every week off the screen and tub. The screen is one sided and fixed in place. I just pull the cheato off the screen no hair algae mess to scrape off! My last water change was in August with occasion of 5 gallons every other month when selling the cheato. The hair algae has been gone for a year now. 75 Gallon reef with lg kole tang, lg flame hawk, bi color blenny, coralbeauty angel, perc clown, firefish and jawfish. I do have a small bubblemagis protien skimmer that helped very little before adding this scrubber. My Readings are 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates.

12/31/2012, 02:45 AM	#2
Terrance Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Seattle Posts: 352	cool i never heard of a chaeto scrubber. do you set it differently than the traditional algae scrubbers? __________________ Kind regards, Terrance Current Tank Info: None

12/31/2012, 08:12 AM	#3
Sharkey18 Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 39	That doesn't look like chaeto. Looks like turf.

12/31/2012, 09:16 AM	#6
reeferlover Moved On Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Urbana, rockford Posts: 647	does look like chaeto. i like it though and the idea of no water changes!!post more info please

12/31/2012, 01:04 PM	#8
TylerHaworth Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Barboursville, WV Posts: 628	I'm confused, I don't see any Chaeto...

01/02/2013, 11:26 AM	#9
Jyetman Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,712	Yes it is cheato with some hair algae mixed in nothing like what's on a true algae scrubber though this is mostly cheato. I've gone almost two weeks without havest and the cheato grows bulk thick and becomes exposed to air. I figure it must be the high humidity from the top closure that keeps it alive. The bulb on the left is a 150 Watt (2700k) and on right is 100 Watt (6500k) the flow rate is low compared to scrubber specs as you can see in pics.

01/02/2013, 11:43 AM	#10
mess7777 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: QC,QC Posts: 987	This happens on mine too, I have a few strands of chaeto in there. I never get that kind of quantity though, turf or chaeto. Seems like it's doing it's job. If your nutrients are down and animals are happy, I see no reason not to let it go like this.

01/22/2013, 10:57 AM	#12
Jyetman Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,712	It is curious that no one is taking this more serious why remove a screen every week when it can be placed pertinently into place and every two weeks just grab pull the wads of cheato off the screen? The system is far more easier to maintain in my opinion then a algae scrubber. No water changes since August 2012 and My parameters are clean with a substantial bio-load!