Chaeto

[doktorstick]

How much wattage of light does chaeto need? I have it in my refugium on a reverse photocycle lit by an 8W fluorescent light. In the earlier days of my tank, I believe that it was growing--it became more dense. Now, it has whittled away to half the size and is a darker color. I moved it into my display for stronger lighting to see if it makes a difference. (Wow, now I have green crap floating everywhere.)

I saw a reference in a trade forum about someone's tank being too "nutrient poor" for the growth of chaeto. What causes nutrient poor tanks and how does one know if they are nutrient poor?

Thanks.

[Gonzobob]

A couple things to check. Has the reflector on your light become dirty? When was the last time the bulb was replaced?

I have my chaeto under a '60 watt equivalent' cf bulb.

As far as nutrient poor, do you have other algae growth (other macro, coraline, etc)

[doktorstick]

The light is two months old. It's an undercabinet mount. Though, maybe the glass has an algae film that is impeding light transfer. It's hard for me to see back there.

i have coralline algae sites that seem to be blooming. Otherwise, i do have little algae. I had a breakout of hair algae about 3-4 weeks ago but it is all gone now. In fact, it appears so pristine that I've started feeding my CuC with strips of nori for fear of starvation.

[doktorstick]

I will add this. I have two separate Nitrate test kits I use to test Nitrates because for over a month, I've had 0 Nitrates.