Chaetomorpha is breaking apart???

[Thunder3]

I cleaned out the sump today and wiped out all the algae on the inside of the sump and it seems like the chaetomorpha is breaking apart now. I did have nitrates of 10 now for the past week the are under 5. I also shook and squeezed the chaetomorpha in the old water that I was throwing out. I guess I released all the nutrients that held it apart? I have a 26 watt CFL bulb on it for 16 hrs a day. The color is still bright green just breaking apart.