Making "Clean" Chaeto

[DelRayTank]

I've been building an external refugium for my Red Sea Reefer 250 out of a 5-gallon aqueon tank.  One of my goals here is to grow chaeto for nutrient export/control and to help increase my pod population to keep my wrasses busy and happy!  The refugium is drilled and ready to plumb, but I need to build a small base to elevate it so it overflows into my stock Red Sea sump.  I was initially thinking about buying some "Clean Chaeto" from AlgaeBarn.  But between the shortage and the cost ($20+shipping for Chaeto!?) I decided I would try my hand at making my own "Clean Chaeto."

 

So, this weekend I picked up some Chaeto from @bk_market (thank you!), which I am trying to turn into "Clean Chaeto".  Below is the process that I am trying.  If anyone has anything else they would suggest, please let me know.  I expect (hope) that when all is said and done, I will have a supply of Clean Chaeto that I may be able to make available to the WAMAS community...

 

My planned process:

 

1. Picked up Chaeto from @bk_market and inspected the Chaeto visually.  I did not see any common pests in the Chaeto (no visible aiptasia, starfish, etc.).  I did see some hair algae mixed into the Chaeto ball, which is really common.
2. Rinsed Chaeto in cold tap water, pulling the ball apart to get through the whole mass.
3. 1 hour bayer dip in cold tap water
4. Rinse Chaeto in cold tap water like step 3
5. Place chaeto in a 5 gallon bucket of new saltwater at 1.020 SG (thinking of trying lower salinity to make it less hospitable to any aiptasia) with (i) garden-grade fertilized added as a source of nitrate and phosphate, (ii) a UV sterilizer to help reduce hair algae growth and flow, (iii) cheap amazon grow lamp on a 12 hour cycle for continued growth
6. Allow chaeto to rest for 1 week in the state of step 5
7. Rinse chaeto in cold water, pick out any hair algae, debris, or other "non-chaeto" thinks in the mass
8. 1 hout bayer dip in cold tap water
9. Replace chaeto in new 1.020 bucket of saltwater with fertilizer, UV and 12-hour light cycle
10. Visually inspect chaeto weekly and repeat steps 7-9 as needed if any "non-chaeto" items are visible
11. Change the water with new 1.020 saltwater and fertilizer weekly for 80 days (the 76-day fallow period required to eliminate ich, flukes, brook, and velvet plus 4 days for a margin of error)
12. Visually inspect chaeto to ensure it looks like it's only chaeto.  

 

Once I have only chaeto visually and the 80-day period has elapsed, I will consider the Chaeto to be "clean" and add it to my new refugium.

 

Sitting here today, I have already completed items 1-5 and the chaeto seems to be doing great.  I would love to know if anyone else in the community has tried to clean chaeto previously and to know what different or additional steps you may have taken.