Anyone else have Chaeto that gets white and brittle?

[Kitzo]

Or is it just me.
Parts of my Chaeto will get very pale green to white and become VERY brittle. Almost calcified.
Does anyone else have this happen?
Anyone know the cause or a solution?
My Chaeto is downstream from the Ca Reactors effluent (was advised to do this to limit the effect of the low pH in the effluent).

 

[billsreef]

What's the lighting over the chaet?

 

[Kitzo]

2 x 55 watt PC's.
The long, thin "U" tube kind.

 

[reef_freak_hou]

There is another current thread regarding Chaeto turning yellow and brown. I've had this problem, but not with it turning white.

We all discussed that it seemed that the Chaeto that was receiving less light seems to be more green in coloration.

With input from fellow reefers, maybe we will find that Chaeto does not require as much light as other algaes.

 

[billsreef]

Is white up top at the water's surface, or lower down in mass of algae? Lighting doesn't sound too strong...but I'm wondering about air exposure?

 

[Kitzo]

It is the algae on the bottom of the mat for the most part.