How to house your Chaetomorpha algae

Most reef keepers implement the use of a refugium for proper housing of their chaeto. Refugiums are one of the most efficient ways to benefit from the use of chaeto. In a refugium the macro algae will act as a polishing filter for phosphate and nitrate. By using a refugium you can have it on an opposite lighting cycle as your main reef tank. This will help stabilize the night time pH drop you would normally encounter without the use of a refugium.

The are many styles of refugiums and they can range from the small and simple to extreme cases where the hobbyist has created a refugium as big as the main reef tank. On my personal reef tank I use a 30 gallon aquarium that I converted into a refugium myself. You can even make as simple as allowing your chaeto to grow inside the main tank with use of a small power head with the screen attached. Simply, place a small ball of chaeto around the pumps filter screen and watch it explode in growth. The power head will pull tank water through the mass of chaeto providing both flow and nutrients. This is the method I use to aquaculture the chaeto that I sell.

Inside or outside?

If your budget is limited the small acrylic inside-the-tank refugiums are a good option. However, they are somewhat prohibitive in their capacity to accomplish the desired goal of nutrient export.

Hang-on the tank style refugiums are very popular and readily available. They do provide many more options than their smaller in-tank cousins. They usually will come with a small light and pump. Making them a simple, plug and play solution. Some even come with a protein skimmer. The pricier versions will come supplied with all the aforementioned as well as mud for the bed. 

Stand-alone refugiums are the most versatile of all styles. They can be oriented above, below, or beside your main tank. Many reef keepers will place the refugium below the main tank inside the cabinet. For an above the aquarium installation, simply install the refugium with the outlet above the water level of the main aquarium. The water from the main aquarium can then be simply pumped into the refugium and allowed to drain back into the aquarium via gravity. A below the aquarium installation works in the same manner as a sump style wet/dry filter. An overflow box on the main aquarium is used to feed the refugium below and the water is re-circulated with an independent water pump located below.