Chaeto shrinking/brownish?

[ChrisP]

I bought a big bunch of healthy, green chaeto about 10 days ago and placed it in my new HOB refugium. The refugium has good flow. Lighting is a 60 watt, 6500 "daylight" spiral flourescent in a clip-on desk lamp placed DIRECTLY over the chaeto. I've been leaving the light on 24/7 (I know there's controversy about this). Lately the chaeto seems to be "shrinking," getting limp and turning a bit brownish on top. Nitrates are 10. Phosphates 0. All water testing parameters are good. I'd really appreciate any advice or suggestions.
Thanks!
Chris

[Samper]

In my experience what you're seeing is the chaeto needing to be pruned. What you should do is pull off all of the brown and even get down into the green a little bit. I prune mine monthly and in the past when I didn't prune for a few months it would look like that.....brown/tan and wilting. Prune it back, fluff up what you have left like a pillow and it will look great again in no time. Also I've found that chaeto can handle more flow and actually likes more flow than other macros. If that's all you have in the fuge you could turn up the flow a little.

[zhenya]

Also I've found that chaeto can handle more flow and actually likes more flow than other macros. If that's all you have in the fuge you could turn up the flow a little.

I agree on the need for a good amount of flow for chaetomorpha to be happy. In fact if it tumbles like a tumbleweed then you have enough of flow in there. ;)