Chaetomorpha

Chaetomorpha forms a loose mass of firm green strands and is commonly grown in saltwater refugiums. The tangled structure offers hiding space for small crustaceans while the algae takes up nutrients from the surrounding water as it grows.

Provide an illuminated area with water moving through the mass rather than allowing it to become a tightly packed plug. Bright, suitable refugium lighting and available nitrate and phosphate support growth. Inspect the inside periodically so accumulated debris or shaded, declining strands do not remain unnoticed.

Remove portions of healthy excess growth to export the nutrients it has absorbed. Growth rate depends on the system, so size the crop and harvest schedule around actual conditions.