Question Regarding Cheato

[Clink51]

simple enough... should i let it float around all willy nilly or do i need to anchor it down? i do have LR rubble in there (i honostly dont know why, ive just read everywhere it should be there), but no sand.

 

[reefs4life]

No need to anchor it down, just let it grow. The best thing to do with it would be to have it tumble/roll in the flow so it gets proper circulation all throughout the ball of algae.

 

[oh207]

Better to left it free and let it tumble. That way the entire ball gets exposure to light. If or when it grows too big and doesn't tumble anymore, then you might have to give it a turn every couple of days.
Sometimes when I get lazy and don't turn mine the bottom portion gets white. Thats very bad.

 

[Clink51]

Cools beans. thanks guys!!

 

[acolaojr]

When it turns white is that bad for the tank? What happens? I've seen mine do that before.

 

[LBC]

when i bought mine it was like a bright green brillo pad.

now its gotten a dull dark grey green color and softer tendrils. also i notice when i let it free in my DT it tends to end up in the dark behind the LR so i had to rubberband it a bit to upper live rock... with tiny skinny rubberbands that dont show much

 

[PhoenixOne]

I used to get cheato strands caught up in my skimmer intake and return pump. So I made a baggie made out of pond netting with enough room so the cheato can grow. No more clogs.

 

[MIKE NY]

Better to left it free and let it tumble. That way the entire ball gets exposure to light. If or when it grows too big and doesn't tumble anymore, then you might have to give it a turn every couple of days.
Sometimes when I get lazy and don't turn mine the bottom portion gets white. Thats very bad.

x2...chaeto is a free floating algae that does better tumbling..when I was in Hawaii I saw chaeto as large as a sofa just tumbling in the currents with all little fish hiding in it...the white is dying and should be removed or face up towards the light to try and revive it before its starts to decay.....