Birdnest polyps not extending

Ryan - Serious Reefs

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Three knee jerks

1) Do a water change. If there is improvement do more. Something is in the water.

2) If you can’t or don’t want to do a WC then run some carbon. If things improve go back to step one :)

3) double check PAR. Too high is what you are looking for.
 
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bluemon

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Definitely check your Calcium and Magnesium levels.

Here is my lazy testing routine depending on the state of the tank:

If the tank is looking great:

Test Alk every few days, adjust calc reactor accordingly

If the tank is doing iffy or I haven't changed the water recently:

Test Alk, Nitrate, Calcium, Magnesium

If all above look all right, and the tank looks bad even after a water change:

Test whatever else you can
 
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jdpeters

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I run (Red Sea or Seachem) carbon 24/7 and have no issues with hammers or birdsnest. Do you rinse it before use?
I rinsed it I think relatively well. I suspect the hammer is just a bit starved, my Duncan coral isn’t looking the greatest. I’ve bumped up my feeding the last few days and they look slightly better but not 100%. Nitrates still under 5 ppm.

Birdsnest is losing considerable amount of flesh now.
Are you running ROX 0.8 or something very efficient? Try https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/reef-calculator/carbon-calculator-aquarium and see if you're running too much carbon.

If the timeline of running carbon and polyp retraction don't match up, it probably isn't the direct cause. DOC should only increase overtime without carbon.
the birdsnest is still retracted and is aggressively losing flesh now. Other sps look good. Not sure what the heck happened. My lighting isn’t all that intense. I’m wondering if it was too much light , I will probably have to hack it up today and move whatever is salvageable down.
Yes, you could see a negative response from GAC, especially if you are using too much.

Check your mag too when you can.
i got Hannah phosphate checker coming and a few saliferts.

I thought green fuzzy birdsnest would be a sure thing, now I’m a little discouraged
 
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jdpeters

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Three knee jerks

1) Do a water change. If there is improvement do more. Something is in the water.

2) If you can’t or don’t want to do a WC then run some carbon. If things improve go back to step one :)

3) double check PAR. Too high is what you are looking for.
Hot dog! Huge fan Ryan, loving my Patreon subscription.
Definitely check your Calcium and Magnesium levels.

Here is my lazy testing routine depending on the state of the tank:

If the tank is looking great:

Test Alk every few days, adjust calc reactor accordingly

If the tank is doing iffy or I haven't changed the water recently:

Test Alk, Nitrate, Calcium, Magnesium

If all above look all right, and the tank looks bad even after a water change:

Test whatever else you can
I’ve been a strict water change schedule but just 3 gallons a week.

Can’t believe how fast the flesh is coming off my fuzzy green birdsnest. I’m gonna have to frag it up.

I’m losing about half a degree of hardness a week currently, doser and all for reef will be set up in the next couple days.

Digi, monti, pink birdsnest, spogeodes, stylophora are all at the same height and have obvious signs of growth.
 
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jdpeters

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Three knee jerks

1) Do a water change. If there is improvement do more. Something is in the water.

2) If you can’t or don’t want to do a WC then run some carbon. If things improve go back to step one :)

3) double check PAR. Too high is what you are looking for.
Side note, is it possible I’m likely suffering from low nutrients? Tank is only 3 months old and less than 5ppm nitrates. I got some more fish recently and bumped up my feeding
 

bluemon

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Side note, is it possible I’m likely suffering from low nutrients? Tank is only 3 months old and less than 5ppm nitrates. I got some more fish recently and bumped up my feeding
5 ppm is pretty good, usually it really is a problem when people have undetectable nitrates.

And low nutrients wouldn’t result in it losing tissue. More like less color and growth
 

pooootiqe

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Sorry to hear you’re experiencing RTN, perhaps chop it up as early as you could. Some dips might help stop it but I don’t have experience on that
 
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jdpeters

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5 ppm is pretty good, usually it really is a problem when people have undetectable nitrates.

And low nutrients wouldn’t result in it losing tissue. More like less color and growth
So frustrating. Here I was assuming a BN would be a home run, some people report they can be finnicky.
Sorry to hear you’re experiencing RTN, perhaps chop it up as early as you could. Some dips might help stop it but I don’t have experience on that
Waiting for some bone cutters to come in tomorrow 😬
 
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jdpeters

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Sorry to hear you’re experiencing RTN, perhaps chop it up as early as you could. Some dips might help stop it but I don’t have experience on that
So I cut it up yesterday got 4 micro frags. Now I’m starting to suspect I hit it with way too much flow. First SPS tank lots to learn. Also my scape is a little too high which was a mistake, so that’s something I will have to work around. Fortunately I have a few corals that have obvious signs of growth so it’s a bit of wins and losses
 

Sdoutreefer

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So I cut it up yesterday got 4 micro frags. Now I’m starting to suspect I hit it with way too much flow. First SPS tank lots to learn. Also my scape is a little too high which was a mistake, so that’s something I will have to work around. Fortunately I have a few corals that have obvious signs of growth so it’s a bit of wins and losses
I built my scape way too high was well.

What's your plan to shorten it?? I've been working through it in my head, but not totally sure how I'm going to do it.
 

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