Chaeto Turning Brown

[ChesterRxs]

Hello,

 

I actually have two questions to ask. I have my chaeto on a reverse light cycle the top part (closest to the light) is turning brown, but everything under it seems to be growing fine. Is it turning brown because it;s too close to the light, or do I have the lights on for too long?

 

Second question is, I've had the chaeto growing in my fuge for about 2 weeks now. I was wondering when copepods will start to grow and live in the fuge. Also is there a way to speed up the process or add copepods to start seeding the fuge?

 

Thanks

[Mariaface]

Either high light with no nutrients/CO2 to support chlorophyll density, or heat from the light?

 

You can go ahead and buy copepods if you don't see any in your tank already (you may have to look closely; they're tiny). Or if something in your tank is eating them faster than they can reproduce. Reefcleaners has them, along with many other websites. And users here might have them in the classifieds, who knows.

[PatrickO]

My chaeto is a little brown at the top as well, I assume its just micro algae growing on it as the chaeto grows very well anyway.

[Mariaface]

I didn't even think of that, but I distinctly remember that happening to me in the past. There were parts of my chaeto that got too much light and it grew microalgae that I think my pods were eating.

[ChesterRxs]

My chaeto is a little brown at the top as well, I assume its just micro algae growing on it as the chaeto grows very well anyway.

I guess i should just leave it then because I dont have that much room to move the fuge light. The chaeto is growing fine otherwise. I was just worried that my chaeto was dying.

 

You can go ahead and buy copepods if you don't see any in your tank already (you may have to look closely; they're tiny). Or if something in your tank is eating them faster than they can reproduce. Reefcleaners has them, along with many other websites. And users here might have them in the classifieds, who knows.

Do you know by any chance what is a good brand to buy?

[Mariaface]

Do you know by any chance what is a good brand to buy?

 

Brand? Or breed? I'd say brand doesn't really matter unless you can't find any other place to get them. Then you'll want something reliable, of course.

 

As far as breed goes, tisbe is a really good bet. Any benthic breed will do, though, since they'll spend their time on surfaces instead of free-floating and getting sucked into filtration.