I have tried a few times to grow this stuff in my sump with no luck at all. What lights do you guys use and how do you keep it in the sump. Seems like it breaks up and ends up in the display or wrapped up in the return pump.
I would like to hear what folks use as well. There's a guy on Addictive Reef Keeping that swears by a PAR 38, 120 watt equivalent, 3000k spotlight.
I had the same issue with chaeto falling apart, slow growth after many months or slowly dying off. I've tried a few different lights. I was using the IM refugium light at one point. The IM refugium light was insufficient to grow chaeto. In my 65 gallon I used the standard daylight grow bulbs and they were also insufficient. In the same tank with the IM refugium light, the chaeto that broke off from the dying clump in the refugium was actually growing under the gen3 radions with the AB+ spectrum w/ slightly more emphasis in the red wavelength in the display portion of the tank. I've seen algae tanks with just red wavelengths before as well so red may play a pivotal role in growth but I feel like the AB+ spectrum also played a big role.
Also cheato needs flow flow flow IMO. I have approximately 4000 gph running thru my cheato. Two par 38 led spotlights from Lowe's. My cheato grows like craz .
This and a grow bulb or a high output CFL bulb. http://www.homedepot.com/p/150-Watt-Incandescent-Clamp-Light-HD-300PDQ/205031467
My tank has a very small sump area built in, and I'm using one of the tiny rear chambers to grow cheato. Having said that, I use a clip on led grow light. It grows a lot of cheato. A lot may be relative, since it's a tiny space, but it fills it up very quickly! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ARKF6H4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
