Chaeto dying

Hey everybody.
So i have a bunch of chaeto dying...i think. I have a couple of handfuls in my diy 20 gal refugium. A couple weeks ago i put my bully little puffer fish in the fuge (i caught him picking on my coral banded shrimp, who i put in my display in hopes of getting rid of some bristle worms). Since the puffer has been in there about half of the cheato has turned very light green and looks matted and is floating on the surface. The other half is now sitting on the sand bottom (even though it floated before?!) and is still very bright green. The bottom half still looks very healthy. Im confused...
Is the puffer killing the chaeto?
Is the floating cheato dying or dead?
Why did the healthy chaeto sink and why is the dead cheato still floating?
I know i probably shouldnt put fish in the refugium but i had no where else to put him.
btw all water parameters are still perfect.
Thanks,

 

As for your chaeto, I don't know the answers to your questions. As for the comment "I know I probably shouldn't put fish in the refugium but I had nowhere else. . . .. " I don't think that's true. A refugium by definition is a place of refuge. It can be for fish who are bullied in the tank, or the fish who do the bullying. Either way, there's no harm in putting fish in a 'fuge. It's been done before.

Do you have sufficient lighting in your 'fuge? What about water circulation? I have found that if chaeto gets bound up with detritus, it not good. It either prevents light from getting to the chaeto, or prevents the chaeto's respiration--but in either case, chaeto must have either good, moderate flow, or flow with water that's been mechanically filtered via floss, or filter sock, etc.

If your chaeto doesn't look healthy, try making a new batch of newly mixed seawater with saltmix and RO/DI water, and shake the chaeto around in that. It might clean muck off it--if muck is the problem.

 

Thanks for the help. Well I guess your right about the puffer being in the fuge. I just set it up about 4 months ago so Im no expert yet. Ive just heard mixed opinions about not letting anything stir up the refugium. I didnt personally think the fish would hurt anything until this chaeto problem...
I first set up the refugium with a very small amount of chaeto. Since it has grown like crazy. In fact, in the 4 months it's been running ive had to pull out ALOT because it was growing so fast. Water circulation and lighting seem to be fine. And half on the bottom still looks beautiful.
There isn't really "muck" on the chaeto. It just turned pale and looks matted since the puffer went in. Kind of clumped together i guess, like long hair on a mangy dog. Wish i could describe it better lol.