Would Chaeto work in a scrubber-style setup?

[pygo1]

I ran a DIY GHA scrubber for the better part of a year and it worked pretty well, until the GHA ended up spreading back to the DT due to my own laziness. Now the GHA scrubber can't keep up. I'm currently dosing fluconazole to get a fresh start, then I intend to get some macros to handle some of the nutrients. I have an AIO tank, so a full scale fuge isn't possible, but I could probably make chaeto or ulva work in a rear chamber of the tank. Alternatively, I can get my DIY scrubber going again. But, I think I would like to use a more desirable algae. That way, if it decides to spread, the tank isn't already seeded with nuisance algae.

My current "scrubber" is basically a spray bar made of PVC. The outflow trickles down some plastic mesh that is raised out of the water and I can pretty easily pull the GHA off every week or two for export. It's a decent setup, worked great for a long while, but again, I would like to have more desirable algae as the dominant species for export. I figure chaeto wouldn't attach to the current setup, but I could maybe sandwich it between two acrylic plates or just throw some ulva into the rear chamber to do its thing(ulva grows locally, very abundant, but gets very large very quickly when warm).

If you havent checked my build thread, I have an IM 30 long AIO. I'm open to a variety of reactor/fuge options that are relatively space conscious

 

[AlgaeBarn]

I ran a DIY GHA scrubber for the better part of a year and it worked pretty well, until the GHA ended up spreading back to the DT due to my own laziness. Now the GHA scrubber can't keep up. I'm currently dosing fluconazole to get a fresh start, then I intend to get some macros to handle some of the nutrients. I have an AIO tank, so a full scale fuge isn't possible, but I could probably make chaeto or ulva work in a rear chamber of the tank. Alternatively, I can get my DIY scrubber going again. But, I think I would like to use a more desirable algae. That way, if it decides to spread, the tank isn't already seeded with nuisance algae.

My current "scrubber" is basically a spray bar made of PVC. The outflow trickles down some plastic mesh that is raised out of the water and I can pretty easily pull the GHA off every week or two for export. It's a decent setup, worked great for a long while, but again, I would like to have more desirable algae as the dominant species for export. I figure chaeto wouldn't attach to the current setup, but I could maybe sandwich it between two acrylic plates or just throw some ulva into the rear chamber to do its thing(ulva grows locally, very abundant, but gets very large very quickly when warm).

If you havent checked my build thread, I have an IM 30 long AIO. I'm open to a variety of reactor/fuge options that are relatively space conscious

This sounds pretty interesting and I think you would have more luck trying this with ulva vs chaeto (as I think it would be a bit more forgiving and hardy with the spray bar set up). Curious to see if anyone else chimes in that has tried it and will be following along for the new potential scrubber build. -Raven

 

[TokenReefer]

I mean ReefOctopus markets the LR-200 as a cheato reactor. I think tunze does too. Designed to tumble the macro

 

[afrokobe]

This sounds pretty interesting and I think you would have more luck trying this with ulva vs chaeto (as I think it would be a bit more forgiving and hardy in this set up). Curious to see if anyone else chimes in that has tried it and will be following along for the new potential scrubber build. -Raven

Is ulva easier to grow than chaeto? I always have issues growing ulva, but never chaeto. The times I've gotten a mix macro pack, the chaeto has outcompeted the ulva, which usually just melts.

 

[pygo1]

I mean ReefOctopus markets the LR-200 as a cheato reactor. I think tunze does too. Designed to tumble the macro

I'm sure those products are great and all but a) I'm only rocking a 30 gal tank, and I think those are relatively large in comparison to my space.

b) for those with fancy setups, I envy you. But I wouldn't currently spend $600 for an algae reactor that can be DIY'd for a fraction of the cost.

Ideally I'd have something small/low profile to fit in the back chamber of my tank, or maybe something hanging off the side that is plumbed in

 

[pygo1]

This sounds pretty interesting and I think you would have more luck trying this with ulva vs chaeto (as I think it would be a bit more forgiving and hardy with the spray bar set up). Curious to see if anyone else chimes in that has tried it and will be following along for the new potential scrubber build. -Raven

I was considering just tossing ulva in the chamber and skipping the reactor setup, but now that I think of it, ulva may be a good contender for the spray bar... I often see if growing on the side of docks, on the edge of the waterline. So it probably handles not being fully submerged very well. I believe the species in my area is U. lactuca. The individual "leaves" get very large but it might work out with regular trimming

 

[TokenReefer]

Lol I can't afford that crap. I guess I thought you were asking if cheato would work in a reactor and just pointed to a few products specifically for it to possibly implicate that it does. Maybe I misunderstood your question /post

 

[pygo1]

Lol I can't afford that crap. I guess I thought you were asking if cheato would work in a reactor and just pointed to a few products specifically for it to possibly implicate that it does. Maybe I misunderstood your question /post

Lol all good! I wasn’t thinking standard algae reactor. I was thinking wet/dry trickle filter style

 

[TokenReefer]

Ahh I just re-read your post. I gotcha. Got a picture of the setup? Sounds interesting. So the gha grows with a trickle flowing over it... Will cheato? Good question

 

[taricha]

There are types of chaeto that anchor to surfaces instead of just the free floating ball. I wonder if that type could be a good scrubber algae. I don't recall seeing it in the hobby though.

 

[xCry0x]

You can diy a chaeto reactor with a phosban reactor, a small pump, and some cheap led strip lights.

That said, ATS generally work better because it grows faster.

 

[pygo1]

You can diy a chaeto reactor with a phosban reactor, a small pump, and some cheap led strip lights.

That said, ATS generally work better because it grows faster.

I have tried something similar with the IM media reacor, it ended up growing film algae that shaded the chaeto out. But, that was early in my tank's life, so it could probably be done better now

I run biopellets with it now. I'm more interested in a trickle filter type situation currently, but am strongly considering just going DIY chaeto reactor route

 

[pygo1]

There are types of chaeto that anchor to surfaces instead of just the free floating ball. I wonder if that type could be a good scrubber algae. I don't recall seeing it in the hobby though.

That would be rad to get a hold of! That reminds me though, on top of the big leafy ulva nearby, we also get U. intestinalis, which is similar-ish to chaeto as far as looks go. It anchors and makes lil hollow noodles which would be quite easy to maintain. Thanks for the reminder, might go algae hunting tomorrow!

 

[pygo1]

Ahh I just re-read your post. I gotcha. Got a picture of the setup? Sounds interesting. So the gha grows with a trickle flowing over it... Will cheato? Good question

Simple, ugly, but pretty efficient. My tank has limited space, so it’s relatively small, but this can be massively scaled up for larger setups. Not shown is a 3-D printed connector that attaches to a pump which is suction cupped to the wall of the chamber. It could’ve been done much cleaner, but I was going for ultra cheap and function over form. I’ll probably start with a fresh build that looks a little nicer next time. Currently doing a fluconazole treatment, so this thing is on standby for a while.

For chaeto, I would probably redo the setup with thinner pipe/tubing and essentially create a thin box for the chaeto to live in, since it doesn’t really anchor. But someone reminded me of another type of Ulva that grows nearby that would be well suited to the task, so I may try that route.

 

[AlgaeBarn]

Is ulva easier to grow than chaeto? I always have issues growing ulva, but never chaeto. The times I've gotten a mix macro pack, the chaeto has outcompeted the ulva, which usually just melts.

I would say that it is just as easy as chaeto can be if not easier- What the chaeto blocking the ulva from getting light?

 

[afrokobe]

I would say that it is just as easy as chaeto can be if not easier- What the chaeto blocking the ulva from getting light?

thats definitely possible. The two times I've added mixed macros, I usually added more chaeto. The chaeto could just be growing faster and shading the ulva.

 

[AlgaeBarn]

thats definitely possible. The two times I've added mixed macros, I usually added more chaeto. The chaeto could just be growing faster and shading the ulva.

With two macros that grow that fast it can be difficult to prevent them from shading one another or outcompeting the other for nutrients.

 

[TokenReefer]

Oh awesome. Idk what I was picturing.. That looks professional

 

[pygo1]

Oh awesome. Idk what I was picturing.. That looks professional

hah thanks! Just $4 or so at Home depot

I just collected some Ulva this morning so I'll see if it takes off and maybe try it with the trickle filter once i'm sure it'll establish in the tank!

 

[zpete3323]

I had been pondering different algae reactors but couldn't justify the prices every brand was asking for. Ended up taking a piece of 1.5" pvc pipe and zip tied a thin mat of chaeto to it. Then took a piece of 1/2" pvc and slid it down the middle of the chaeto pvc and wedged it between the front and back glass of the sump. Basically a rod for the bigger chaeto pvc to spin on. Threw a light on it and spin the thing half a turn every night. It has exploded with growth and was free!