Chaeto help.

[H.reidi.MN]

So I've had a few bunches of chaeto in my refugium for a week weeks then I noticed 1 bunch dying off so yesterday I picked up a 6500k cfl from menards and put the refugium on an opposite light cycle as the DT then this morning it was almost completely gone? It was at least half green last night, why is it turning white/ dying. My other two look fine.

 

[tektite]

Do you know what your nitrate/phosphate are?

FYI in future bulb purchases, Chaeto will grow faster under more bluer light than 6500K.

 

[H.reidi.MN]

Well i had just throw'n an old 24" t8 strip over it which had an old plain all glass aquarium bulb i noticed the color change in one of my 3 bunches of chaeto so after reading on here most people went with the 6500k cfl and had great growth? I did also read about the blue light as well but it seemed 50/50 on opinions and preferences. I was thinking of throwing a t8 actinic in the strip light to go with the CFL bulb, will that work ok or will it not really effect the chaeto much?

I dont have a phosphate test yet and i know my API nitrate is not very accurate but i would say my nitrate is around 20ppm? give or take a few...

 

[tektite]

It'll still grow fine under the 6500K.

Usually macros turn pale like that from low nutrients, odd that only one bunch turned white though. I would remove the white section now before it disintegrates and adds all the nutrients in it back into the tank.

 

[H.reidi.MN]

Ya ill take more pics after work but the other two bunches are deep green! then this one has been slowly turning white, then basically over night it completely went white? Ill remove the white/ dead though for sure...

Ya there are deff nitrates for the chaeto which is why i bought it, so unless my test kit is off by 30ppm lol then i dont know whats up...

 

[tektite]

It is quite possible that the test kit can be off by that much, I've had 3 nitrate test kits turn out to be bad (well within their expiration).

 

[H.reidi.MN]

hmm ya could be, im going to be ordering the salifert nitrate and then the red sea reef combo as soon as my bank allows me to then i should be covered as far as my needs go.

 

[Don Quixote]

hmm ya could be, im going to be ordering the salifert nitrate and then the red sea reef combo as soon as my bank allows me to then i should be covered as far as my needs go.

I'd also try to save what green you can and cut the dead off. If that doesn't work, Live-plants.com currently has chaeto available.

 

[H.reidi.MN]

I removed the bad bunch and it looks like a second bunch may begin to die? My LFS has like 4 tanks full of it so I'm good

 

[Subsea]

I have never seen Chaeto going sexual. Are the nutrients low in your tank?

 

[Thunder3]

I have seen chaeto disintegrate into almost nothing but not turn white.

 

[H.reidi.MN]

It starts white then it disintegrated...