what conditions does chaeto need: lighting etc?

I currently have an old style incandescent hood over the fuge with 2 bulbs and wonder if that's enough or should I get a couple coralife 6500k cfls? Also I have about 125gph (maybe 75) flow going through but am considering just putting my little 10gal whisper filter in there and shutting down the overflow except for once a week to cycle things to make it easy until I figure out how to stop the gurgling & vibration issues. Thanks!

 

Chaeto doesn't need mucyh light to live. It will take as much light as you give it. I run a pair of 6500k cfl's over mine and it does pretty good.

I missed a post about gurgling and vibration - but that is the nature of a sump... how bad is it? I wouldn't shut off the flow... defeats the purpose of a refugium/sump

 

I'm using a energy efficient 65k CFL (only 10W though), however my chaeto has all but melted away? Phosphates have been reduced to 0, but nitrates are still around 20 so there still should be nutrients.

Is my bulb not sufficient? The chaeto turns brown/clear and then just withers away.

 

If there are no nutrients in the water it doesn't matter how much lighting you have.

 

understood. but I figured nitrates at 20 would be enough nutrients to get some growth?...or at least prevent death?

 

I just use a single 25w twisty bulb with a 6500k rating and my cheato does well. Its one of the few things I dont have to keep an eye on until I have to thin it out, or want to add some of the pods that live in it to the tank for the fish to eat.

 

I use 2 6500K CFL's. Bright Effects from Lowe's to be exact. My chaeto is a tight green brillo pad.

 

this is what I use also, but with only one bulb and a reflector..cheap and easy ..

 

what wattage?

 

any CFL 6500k Daylight bulb equivalent to 100w or more will work