Create your own natural nutrient control! How do you grow Chaeto?

[Peace River]

Create your own natural nutrient control! How do you grow Chaeto?

Chaetomorpha, often referred to as Chaeto, is macroalgae that is commonly grown by saltwater hobbyists for natural nutrient control. There are also other uses of this algae such as a “home” for pods to grow, and as a food for some marine herbivores. Although success is not guaranteed, many reef keepers have found Chaeto to be an easy and fast-growing macroalgae. Whether you use a stand-alone refugium, an algae reactor, a chamber in your sump, or you have added it to your display tank, please let us know how you grow Chaeto. Also, feel free to share any tips or suggestions on growing Chaeto.

Photo by @Reef Pro

Also feel free to share how you pronounce Chaeto – is it Cheet-o, Kay-to, Key-to, or something else? Not really looking for what is technically right and wrong, but rather how you say the word. Let us know in the comments!


This QOTD is sponsored by: www.topshelfaquatics.com

“Top Shelf Aquatics helps you feel confident in the quality, reliability, and consistency of getting everything you need for a perfect saltwater aquarium. From corals and fish to inverts and aquarium supplies, you can count on us to provide you with a seamless reefing experience.” @TopShelfAquatics

 

[Doctorgori]

I have low pH so I got one of those Tunze macro reactor gizmo’s ….it doesn’t “Gyrate” (spin) like its supposed to but not sure if that even matters…
pH isn’t rising and chaeto isn’t really growing…

…BTW I pronounce it CHEAT -OH

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

It took mine a while to have an affect on reducing the PH drop at night.

Mine grew fairly slow for a while, and then shrank from trace element decline.

After Ivstarted regularly dosing traces it turned around, grew faster than ever, and my PH drops have reduced fairly significantly. Instead of dropping by .2 within 2 hours of lights out, it now only drops .2 over the entire night.

Edit: fuge in sump, i flip it over once a day or every 2 days, give it a good shake when I do. $30 amazon grow light 7" above it

 

[BanZI29]

I have an AIO tank and I have a rack that I USED to have chaeto in. For some reason, even though I have enough nutrients in my water for it and the same light I used for chaeto in my last tank, I can not keep it alive.

 

[Bushman]

I have an AIO now, and keep a mess of it in the back chamber. I goose-necked the light right over top of it.

 

[i cant think]

Create your own natural nutrient control! How do you grow Chaeto?

Chaetomorpha, often referred to as Chaeto, is macroalgae that is commonly grown by saltwater hobbyists for natural nutrient control. There are also other uses of this algae such as a “home” for pods to grow, and as a food for some marine herbivores. Although success is not guaranteed, many reef keepers have found Chaeto to be an easy and fast-growing macroalgae. Whether you use a stand-alone refugium, an algae reactor, a chamber in your sump, or you have added it to your display tank, please let us know how you grow Chaeto. Also, feel free to share any tips or suggestions on growing Chaeto.

Photo by @Reef Pro

Also feel free to share how you pronounce Chaeto – is it Cheet-o, Kay-to, Key-to, or something else? Not really looking for what is technically right and wrong, but rather how you say the word. Let us know in the comments!


This QOTD is sponsored by: www.topshelfaquatics.com

“Top Shelf Aquatics helps you feel confident in the quality, reliability, and consistency of getting everything you need for a perfect saltwater aquarium. From corals and fish to inverts and aquarium supplies, you can count on us to provide you with a seamless reefing experience.” @TopShelfAquatics

I plan to grow it in a bucket outside with pods. With maybe a small bit in my 4’ tank’s sump as nitrate remover.

 

[shakacuz]

sump chamber!

 

[exnisstech]

I have chaeto in the sumps on 3 systems. I like to put some rock rubble in the bottom under the chaeto. I roll it by hand when ever I think about it. I don't think it really helps with nutrient reduction and am not sure about it helping with pH because I rarely test pH. The chaeto rock rubble combo does create a great place for small creatures to grow. I don't harvest my chaeto as often as I should because I can never get all the micro brittle stars out so I feel bad when I do harvest.

 

[RedReefer]

Algae reactor. Grows like crazy. I throw away a large zip lock bag weekly.

 

[GARRIGA]

Focused on testing a hybrid refugium/ATS based on GHA. Best of both worlds. GHA is unfortunately abundant and chaeto along with other macro algae are often in low supply or outright unavailable. Although at some point I'd like to test using Dragon's Breath which is less efficient than chaeto and GHA requiring a larger Fuge but being edible can be cycled back to the inhabitants or sold.

Main focus being the elimination of tank co2 and why an ATS not an option. There efficiency is gained by accessing most of it's co2 needs from room air.

 

[paragrouper]

Fijicube HOB refugium. It works like a champ.

 

[Seansea]

Dont know if this thread just for chaeto as nutrient control but i use an algae turf scrubber which i find to be much more effecient at nutrient control. Have to keep up on trace elements tho cuz it steips alot of em as well. But i have NEVER had any nuisance algae in my display tank. Have had cyano in some patches here in there but not too bad

 

[MoshJosh]

I grow Chaeto and other macros in the sump of my “big” tank. I grow macros in the display of my AIO.

 

[KrisReef]

Otherwise, you're talking about a snack food

It's a sump chamber thing. It's for managing nutrients, not "creating nutrient control."

Only a dictator would claim to have created nutrient controls, imo.

 

[Mperry622]

I I have a nitrate problem so I set up a 55 gallon acrylic tank I no longer use and just plumbed it into the sump. I use the output of my UV to supply water to the refugium and it just drains back into the sump. The macro algea is like three different kinds and all grown together.. Should I be worried about the brown foamy stuff on the surface?

 

[formallydehyde]

I originally put it in my main tank when I was starting as a little refuge area and to keep nutrients stable. I have some regret about this. It appears randomly throughout the tank and weaves itself through my other macro algae, creating algae katamaris that I have to untangle.

 

[Jeroen1975]

I have chaeto in the sumps on 3 systems. I like to put some rock rubble in the bottom under the chaeto. I roll it by hand when ever I think about it. I don't think it really helps with nutrient reduction and am not sure about it helping with pH because I rarely test pH. The chaeto rock rubble combo does create a great place for small creatures to grow. I don't harvest my chaeto as often as I should because I can never get all the micro brittle stars out so I feel bad when I do harvest.

Ahh those micro brittle stars... If only I could have those in my tank again.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I utilize an algae scrubber which produces algae quickly and my numbers indicates its very effective.

 

[sghera64]

I have a 200 gallon system with two 20 gallon tanks piped in series for my sump. One of the 20 gallon tanks has about 16 gallons of water in it and is about 1/2 full of cheato. I have not removed any chaeto in 2 months.

I can’t keep enough PO4 in my system. Phosphates were at 0.015 ppm-PO4 measured with a Hanna ULR Pi checker. I feed reef roids heavily and even dumped some TSP (Tri sodium phosphate) into the tank. I used to add a little molasses to promote bacteria and thought it was plummeting my phosphate.

I too have a lot of worms, mini-stars, and pods in the chaeto. I hate throwing these out. I also keep ruble rock in my chaeto tank.

My thinking now is that I have too much chaeto and the lights may be on too long (10hrs). My nitrates are also much lower than I would like (10 ppm). I used to think chaeto was not very goo as taking out Phosphate. Then again if the trace elements are present, and CO2 is available maybe it does suck up a lot. My CO2 reactor effluent dumps into the sump with the chaeto.

 

[kdx7214]

I can't seem to keep the stuff alive. I grow other types in the DT, but the chaeto just keeps shrinking. Anybody have any ideas why that would be?