Should Cheato be constantly suspended?

[bleedingthought]

The water that is fed to my fuge does not contain much pressure so I had to add a powerhead in there to add the circulation when I first set it up. My chaeto was constantly suspended in the water, at the top, tumbling around. It didn't grow much until a month or so ago. It was harder for it to stay at the top. Keep in mind that while suspended, I never saw any "pods" in it, which is why I wanted a fuge anyways (for the "pods").

A week ago my powerhead inside the fuge stopped working, likely clogged. I hadn't had a chance to fix it until now and when I picked up the ball of chaeto I noticed that it was crowded with "pods."

My question is, does the chaeto need to be constantly suspended, tumbling, or can it just sit at the bottom of the fuge as a "pod station"? I remember the chaeto balls at the LFS being at the bottom...

TIA

 

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't expect cheato to float. Mine doesn't.

Louey

 

[Meloco14]

AFAIK it can be wherever you want. My ball of chaeto was in a very low flow HOB refugium and it floated on its own. It grew pretty well, but was cramped in that little fuge. When my tank started leaking and I had to lower the water level I had to remove all my HOB equipment. So I just put the chaeto in the main tank and it still floated. Once in the main tank it grew like crazy, probably because it had more room to grow. I can see how being on or near the bottom would make it easier for pods to get into it, so if that's what you're after go for it.

 

[Anonymous]

my chaeto went from a baseball sized clump to literally fill a 20gallon container (yes its a cube of chaeto) so I don't think you can get it suspended in the long term even if you wanted.

 

[bleedingthought]

Should I only "clip" it when it's too big?

 

[Anonymous]

Mine floats. It grows. It has pods. No issues.

 

[Anonymous]

Mine floats as well, and definitly is loaded with all sorts of "pods".

 

[Anonymous]

Yep - baseball thats now almost a basketball 4 months later.. (Gotta trim it soon..)

I wedged mine into a corner by stacking some rock against and on top of it.