Chaeto Too Much Light?

[TheReeferer]

I've switched my lighting schedule so that the chaeto is lit 24 hours and I noticed it started to turn white and whiter away. I've read chaeto does better with more light and that 24/7 lighting is ok. Is it possible to have a different strain which doesn't do well with 24/7 light?

Adding that there is definitely enough nutrients in the tank.

[jiminy_crime]

I ran 24 hrs and had an experience somewhat similar.

I know turn off and let it rest in the day for 8 hrs and then on for 16....I found that letting it spin in the sump with good water movement caused it to grow like wildfire


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[jbvdhp]

Mine grows insanely quick. I only leave the light on for about 12 hours. I started with four or five 2-3" strands and now it's a massive amount in about 1.5 months. I just trimmed a whole plastic shopping bag full and it didn't even do much. Tumbling helps but mine didn't need to. The pic below is about 2 weeks ago, and it's smothering that red macro and codium I have. It's very quick at growing.
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160615/50487f296d3bace2d478e3943a3bd43b.jpg


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[SeattleReefer]

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My chaeto grows well in 24 hr light. It doesn't like to be out of the water tho, perhaps that's what is killing the OP's chaeto.

[TheReeferer]

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My chaeto grows well in 24 hr light. It doesn't like to be out of the water tho, perhaps that's what is killing the OP's chaeto.

This is interesting you raise that because I do get a lot of bubbles and notice will cause the chaeto to float and cause some to be above the water...

[oscar650]

I also have the light on 24/7
It grows very well.
When I had it in a small container parts of it did wither away when it got big and parts were exposed on the surface

[leviburns89]

From what I've read, it's best to run your sump lights while the dt lights are off that way you don't experience swings in params.

Think of it like this, during the day, you dt inhabitants are eating up all the nutrients, then at night the bacteria blooms again, giving you a swing in params. If you run your fuge lights at night, the chaeto will pick up where corals left off.

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[SeattleReefer]

From what I've read, it's best to run your sump lights while the dt lights are off that way you don't experience swings in params.

Think of it like this, during the day, you dt inhabitants are eating up all the nutrients, then at night the bacteria blooms again, giving you a swing in params. If you run your fuge lights at night, the chaeto will pick up where corals left off.

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this is true, but it's also true that when the lights are off the chaeto isn't growing.

[leviburns89]

So perhaps have a few hours of overlap, say the fuge lights turn on 4 hours before dt lights go off, then stay on until dt kick back on.

If you're running an 8 hr dt light sched, that gives your fuge like 20 hrs. And the majority of the work would be when it's needed, the 16 hours the dt lights are off.

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[roosterchef]

The alternating schedule between dt and fuge has more to do, I believe, with dissolved co2 and o2.

When dt lights are on, the coral's algae consumes co2 and produces o2 (they're plants after all). When dt lights are off, the corals consume oxygen and give off co2 (they're animals). So in a tank without a fuge, the swing in co2 in the water between day and night causes ph to bounce up and down, as well the avail o2 goes up and down on the opposite cycle. If your fuge lights are opposite your tank lights' scheduling, then when the tank is consuming oxygen and producing co2 (at night), the fuge, which is lit and growing a plant, does the exact opposite. And vice versa during the day.

This is what people mean when they refer to stabilizing tank parameters. It has mostly to do with stabilizing ph, but also dissolved o2 to a lesser extent.

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[oscar650]

If you have swings in PH levels then you can help by running reverse schedule.
But if things are pretty stable then I think running 24h is better in reducing nitrate and phosphate.

[Cthehentz]

My understanding was run sump lights all night off during the day to keep your PH balanced.

[SeattleReefer]

If the pH of any particular tank needs to be stabilized with reverse light cycle then that tank has a problem that is better fixed by raising alkalinity.

[jbvdhp]

If the pH of any particular tank needs to be stabilized with reverse light cycle then that tank has a problem that is better fixed by raising alkalinity.



Seriously.

Btw a few people I know, including myself, haven't seen appreciable changes/stability by running reverse light cycle of a fuge (in past). My corals do not suffer from not running that schedule.


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[oseymour]

Seriously.

Btw a few people I know, including myself, haven't seen appreciable changes/stability by running reverse light cycle of a fuge (in past). My corals do not suffer from not running that schedule.


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My new Red Sea tank does not have a refugium and I don't notice any difference.

[rovster]

I run my lights 16 hrs. Slow flow and nowhere near any form of tumbling. Mine grows great. I flip it over every now and then. I use a 120w equivalent spiral bulb like 4 inches off the water.