A Complete Guide to Clean Chaeto

Did you know that over 2 million Americans own saltwater fish tanks? Owning and maintaining a tank is a great hobby but many fish owners struggle to keep them clean.

Are you looking for a cleaning plant to help tidy up your tank? Do you know the best types of plants for saltwater fish tanks? Have you considered using clean Chaeto?

The following guide will explain the cleaning benefits of green microalgae. Read on to learn how you can start using these plants to maintain your tank.

 

What Is Clean Chaeto?

Chaeto is a single-celled saltwater alga. It’s sometimes called spaghetti algae because it looks like tangled pasta. Chaeto is a part of a broad class of the microalgae class which is also known as seaweed.

Chaeto algae are big organisms that feed using photosynthesis. The three types of Chaeto are brown algae, red algae, and green algae.

Chaeto grows on its own after adding about a tennis ball-sized amount to a tank. Different tanks might require more or less so check out other size options.

 

Helping Chaeto Grow

Chaeto requires sufficient light to grow. Invest in a decent light source and provide sixteen hours of full-spectrum light daily.

It will still live in a lower light setting but it won’t grow as fast or as dense. Your Chaeto also needs at least eight hours of darkness.

Chaeto requires regular pruning as well because it removes harmful chemicals from your tank. The faster it grows the more frequently you’ll need to prune it to improve the water’s health.

Sometimes it grows so quickly that it overshadows other plants if not pruned regularly. It’s best to remove about a third of your Chaeto plant weekly or every other week.

A moderate water flow works best for Chaeto growth. It relies on water flow to move because it doesn’t have roots in the ground.

You can rinse or shake it off in water once a week if your tank doesn’t have adequate water flow. This removes residue on the plant without losing beneficial organisms.

Chaeto doesn’t require feeding but you should make sure they have access to enough nitrates and phosphates. Low nutrient levels might starve them and prevent growth.

Chaeto Benefits

Chaeto has great filtering abilities. It prevents high nitrate and phosphate levels from endangering your fish and coral reefs.

Chaeto is widely available and very affordable. It removes the need for costly filtering systems and limits the number of necessary water changes.

It acts as a dense mat for invertebrates like worms and copepods. Together, they benefit the whole ecosystem of your tank.

Chaeto offers a great habitat for marine zooplankton. This is very important if you own a reef aquarium. It also provides an excellent source of food for fish and corals.

Chaeto is asexual so it doesn’t release spores into the tank or other nutrients that alter parameters.

Perhaps most importantly, it’s low maintenance and hardy. Chaeto often survives temperature and environmental changes with ease.

Ready to Add Chaeto to Your Tank?

Now you know what clean Chaeto is, how to help it grow, and all of its benefits. Remember this guide and consider adding this wonderful alga to your aquarium. Your fish and coral will appreciate it!

Check out the rest of our site for more helpful lifestyle and cleaning articles.