Chaeto all died...

[Lee]

I got this big ball of chaeto that I had in my new sump and in all turned white and died after a couple weeks... Could lack of water flow be a cause? I was concerned that the water flow through the sump was only skimming off the top layer. I could add a nano powerhead or something.

I had a 23w CFL trouble light on it 24/7.

 

[reefer gladness]

Normally chaeto turns brown when it starts dying off, this can happen with a big clump and not all of it getting light. Lighting should be okay, 23watt CFL isn't too much light and running 24/7 wouldn't cause it to turn white either.

Weren't you running some type of algaecide in this tank battling nuisance algaes? Turning white sounds like some kind of chemical reaction.

 

[mikecc]

Got any GFO running? Mighta sucked the phosphates right out of it? (Mythbusters needed for thaat statement, lolz!!!1!)

 

[Lee]

Normally chaeto turns brown when it starts dying off, this can happen with a big clump and not all of it getting light. Lighting should be okay, 23watt CFL isn't too much light and running 24/7 wouldn't cause it to turn white either.

Weren't you running some type of algaecide in this tank battling nuisance algaes? Turning white sounds like some kind of chemical reaction.

No algaecides. Actually when I got the chaeto, I was running no fish (anemone only) with very little feeding for close to a month. But then I added a few fish and started feeding again, and about 2 weeks later, the chaeto all died. So I would have said lack of nutrients, but it turned white a couple weeks after I started feeding again. And my skimmer was pulling out stuff at the time

 

[Lee]

Got any GFO running? Mighta sucked the phosphates right out of it? (Mythbusters needed for thaat statement, lolz!!!1!)

My GFO has been off for a couple months now. I have had GFO and chaeto in the past though with no problems

 

[CodyWarner92]

Weird... My chaeto grows with the caleurpa I have in there like crazy... That's with no circulation pumps. In fact, the only time I do add a circulation pump in there is when I want to blow all the detritus that falls down there. Possibly, you may have got something that was already on its way out and beyond saving.. I could send some of the chaeto I have lol .. That's if you dont mind this stuff blowing up on you.