The Pax Bellum Chaetomorpha reactor is one of the more interesting new products to hit the aquarium scene last year. To date most of the Chaeto-filters from Pax Bellum have been made for rather large tanks, but at ReefStock we spied a new consumer-grade size of the capable Chaetomorpha farm.
The Pax-Bellum N12 is a new size and model of the ARID line of macroalgae scrubbers which brings the benefits of dedicated Chaeto-culture to a more manageable and affordable size. The 18 inch ARID N12 is Pax Bellum’s smallest Chaeto filter to date, making it about the size of a large, typical aquarium media reactor.
With a smaller diameter, and shorter height, less material and fewer materials are required so Pax Bellum was able to shrink the price of the N12 down to $450. The ARID N12 has the same bright internal LED tube and a new Chaetomorpha holding system which secures the photosynthetic mass with a twist of the lid.
The benefits of using any kind of macroalgae scrubber go well beyond simple nutrient uptake and export, as having a large resident biomass of photosynthetic algae also has a positive impact on keeping up higher pH. Now with the more affordable Pax Bellum ARID N12, the intensive method for growing chaetomorpha in a specialized chamber is in reach of even more reef tanks and saltwater aquariums.
