Why do ppl prune their cheato?? Doesn't pruning reduce the amount of chaeto which would in turn reduce the nutrient absorbing "power"/ capacity?

the cheato takes up the phos and nitrate and keeps it in the cells they produce. pruning is the only wayy to export it.

Because it grows and over takes your fuge area

Cheato goes through a semi-regular natural process known as Goofc (Growing Out Of Freaking Control). Goofc, is a scientific term for when a life form grows so fast that it eventually takes over its surrounding environment. (or it just clogs your pump)

But if it's in the chaeto uses the phos and nitrates, they're still not in the water... so who cares where it goes as long as it's not in the water.



So as long it doesn't "over take the fuge area" it's ok? i mean it's pretty filled up but i'm not sure if it's "overtaken"

well then your fuge will get to cramped for it to grow...so how will it takeup phos and nitrate then?

+1

Plus Cheato grows better/faster when it is allowed to free float instead of cramp up in small spaces.

+2

Assuming a BAC ( Big Ass Cheato) consumes P amount of Phos and N amounts of Nitrate then to sustain the BAC status it will still consume P phos and N Nitrates. However if you prune it to some smaller size it will consume p + some delta p to grow and the same for nitrates, where p is some value smaller than P.

I guess what people are saying is that growing chaeto consumes more phos and nitrates than an already BAC, which i can believe.

I hope that made sense but i'll try pruning see if i notice anything different.

that really didnt... because uptake doesnt occur in (anything for that matter) cheato unless it makes more cells.

for example if uptake of calcium didnt occur in our bodies our bones wouldnt grow.

ohhh ok so it needs to grow in order to uptrake!! gotcha thanks!

there ya go!

Best Wishes!

If you fertilize a plant, it will grow as it takes up the fertilizer. If you fertilize a root-bound plant, it will not grow because it has nowhere to grow. If it is not capable of growing it will only take in what it needs to survive.

Another perspective: A teenager can and does eat loads of food. Why? so that the teen can grow into adulthood. Once it reaches adulthood, its metabolism slows, its appetite weakens. Why? because the adult only needs enough food to keep itself alive.

Those Ns and Ps are the fertilizer/food of the cheato. The growing cheato will eat large amounts so that it can grow. The cheato that isn't growing, only eats what it needs to survive.


Oh, I see you get it now... oh well...

what he said^

Pruned today

Just like any bush it has to be kept clean and trimmed to look it's best. My chaeto bush started out as a small golf ball and now it takes up my entire 5.5 gallon fuge, i had to break it into like 10 pieces and stick some into a rubbermaid container until i can get rid of it.

Smaller bushes will be easier to clean out when it's water change time since Chaeto is like a natural detritus trap.