Interesting observations after drastically increasing bioload

[thepudge]

So I have a 46 gallon reef tank now mainly containing LPS and a large clam, with a remora skimmer and a large hang-on fuge. For awhile now my only fish have been a small sixline and a small false perc, and skimmate has been minimal and my cheeto has been rather sparse.

So for reasons of insanity I decided to get a second tank (FOWLR), and now have it set up. As part of a deal to buy live rock at a good price, I had to take four fish as well which were in the tank that was to be broken down. Two of these fish, a flame angel and a small damsel, were fine for the bowfront, but two others, which are small but of a species I will not divulge due to fear of persecution :shhh: really are not fine for the bowfront.

Regardless, they are all now living in the bowfront (the nameless fish will be transferred to the FOWLR as soon as it is safe) and actually seem to be doing fine for now. The interesting thing is that for the last two weeks since Ive added the fish I've actually seen a reduction in skimmate, almost none at all. However I just noticed that the cheeto in my fuge has exploded, almost to the point of creeping out of the fuge. Nitrates have remained steady and I have not yet seen an increase in nuisance algae.

Is the cheeto removing waste more efficiently than the protein skimmer? Just found it interesting.

 

[inline6]

Alot of people keep reef tanks skimmerless, I myself being one (on my 26g).
My cheeto usually needed pruning back every other day.

 

[fritz]

The problem I find with cheato is that it also can trap detritus thus adding to the problem. If you prune it as often as above it shouldn't be an issue but if you don't, it will.

The other problem I have with cheato is it's alive. What I mean is it fluctuates. It grows, it dies, it grows more. Every minute of every day my skimmer will skim X amount from the water. That is guaranteed. Your cheato will not pull the same amount out everyday. Some days more, some day less. It also will fluctuate based on how much you pruned and your lowest available nutrient.

 

[tosiek]

Interesting find on the chaeto growth spurt.

Have your changed anything else in your tank? Also remember that the flame angel and the damsel (pending which and its behavior) might be picking at your rockwork (pretty sure there is some relevancy to that :fishhit. Have your added more rockwork to the tank you added the fish to? I Don't think that added more fish and increasing your bioload alone would have caused that to happen but you never know.