Chaeto Clogging Sump Bubbletrap

Hugh Mann · Feb 14, 2023

For reference, I built a DIY sump by adding glass baffles to an old 150 gallon aquarium. Maybe I made the trap too wide (1.5” spacing between the baffles, 1.5” gap space at the bottom), but I’ve been finding as of late the chaeto has been getting pulled into the bubble trap and getting compacted in there. This restricts the water flow and screws with the ATO. Just two days ago I filled a 5 gallon bucket up halfway with what I pulled out of just the trap, and what I left is already starting to plug it up again.

Anyone else face this problem? Solutions? Or should I just be more diligent and pull it out every couple days?

Subsea · Feb 15, 2023

How long have you operated your macro algae refugium? In my experiences with Chaetomorphy, it should not be breaking up. Consider you may have a limiting nutrient and use ChaetoGrow to supplement trace minerals.

Hugh Mann · Feb 15, 2023

Subsea said:
How long have you operated your macro algae refugium? In my experiences with Chaetomorphy, it should not be breaking up. Consider you may have a limiting nutrient and use ChaetoGrow to supplement trace minerals.

About 10 months, give or take. It’s not so much that it’s breaking up as the algae itself is floating in large mats and being pulled into the trap by the flow of water. There’s certainly no lack of nutrients in the system, judging by all the nuisance algae still growing.

Drewbacca · Mar 9, 2023

Try using some egg crate as the main structure/ support and use the smallest size zip ties to attatch the white plastic craft mesh... theres two sizes of that too.. i think walmart carries just the normal size which is still a small mesh.. and micheals usually has both. You can do it staight accross the gap, or make it at an angle in front of it like a ramp so there is some space behind it before your bottom trap gap. Lol, That just sounds funny, you might need to tell someone to shut their trap gap if you have to go to walmart.
I dont have the same cheato problem because mine us in the chamber before that, but i use the same things as a baffle 'wier' to keep it from going over the scenic blurple lit.."Cheato Falls".