Chaeto Chaos

[sen5241b]

Little strands of chaeto from chamber 2 of my Biocube 29 keep slipping through and shooting out the nozzles into the main tank. The little pieces of chaeto also occasionally jam my Hydor FLO Rotating Deflector. I have 2 submersible 10 watt halogen bulbs. The chaeto has been happy since last summer and then about a couple weeks ago it started doing this. It was originally a fist size clump that grew to 2 fists but now its a little smaller. It never fragmented like this before -it seemed to stay in one big clump. Perhaps the bulbs are getting old? Anyone else had chaeto fragment like this.

[Freezerburn]

I've had it when the cheato started dying but that was cause it had been in a jar in my car for 3 weeks. very strong stuff. Don't let it get caught in your rocks, I had to bake my rocks to get it out.

[gmubeach]

Was it cheato or culerpa?

[sen5241b]

I just re-checked my tank and the bulbs were part of the problem. Flow problems between chambers was not the problem although the blue sponge will prevent the green stuff from getting into the main display.

 

One of the bulbs was burnt out and I think they got pulled above the water line and overheated. If submersed they won't overheat --this must be why they were okay previously. There was also a little bit of water inside the protective bulb cover!

[Freezerburn]

Was it cheato or culerpa?

 

thin strands of cheato, I brought the rocks up from florida to show for evidence.

[gmubeach]

Well keep it up I hate calurpa!

[sen5241b]

Replaced the bulbs and the ballast broke 20 minutes later. I scraped the black paint off the back of my Biocube 29 and put a 7 watt Compact florescent a few inches from the Chaeto. I hope its enough light. But the lesson is - fragmenting chaeto probably means its not getting enough light.