AFHokie
Active Member
Looking for some advice on a sudden problem I noticed on my Birdsnest frag. I’ve had it about 6 weeks and it’s been doing great. Good growth, better coloration and great polyp extension. About a week ago I moved it from its temp spot to where I wanted it long term. About same height, just from side to center under light. I watched for any changes due to the lighting difference and saw nothing unusual. I don’t have a PAR meter but I use Photone and it reads about 150 where the Birdsnest is now. It’s under an XR15 at around 70% schedule, ramping up to 80% so I don’t think it’s bleaching from too much light.
My current problem actually started on my Xenia way at the bottom. I noticed it was looking rough and saw it had some stringy brown “stuff” all over it. I basted it off and it was fine a little later. Thought at the time it was some sloughing or some other weird phenomenon related to the xenia itself. Then yesterday I saw the same brown crap on my Birdsnest, way up on its rock. I blew it off as well and saw that besides just being stuck on it, it seemed to be attached at a couple of the tips. Those tips in particular more white than what it had been showing with new growth. Later in the day, more brown crap and then I saw it on the top of my highest rocks and a couple other spots. It isn’t thick or everywhere, but just here and there. I started worrying about dinos.
Came home today from work and Birdsnest was covered again and even more tissue recession on the tips. Based on my research I snipped off a little bit of the affected tips and made sure to clear as much of the brown stuff as possible. Now it’s wait and see what tomorrow holds. I couldn’t easily remove the frag without breaking it at the bottom so I’ll save that for if it continues to worsen.
One of my questions is was the coral already damaged and algae grew or did the algae get blown from the rock and cause the damage? I was in the tank doing a lot of stuff this past weekend with all my new frags from the WWC sale. I could have scraped the tips with my hand in there. It’s new spot is further from the power head it was in front of so maybe less flow is contributing?
Parameters have been stable. Tested all tonight:
1.026
KH: 9.4
Ca:415
Mg:1290
NO3: 5-10
PO4: 0.04 (Hanna)
Unfortunately in my panic to baste everything off I didn’t get the brown algae pics but here’s the Birdsnest before I snipped the tips. Top right tip was the worst
My current problem actually started on my Xenia way at the bottom. I noticed it was looking rough and saw it had some stringy brown “stuff” all over it. I basted it off and it was fine a little later. Thought at the time it was some sloughing or some other weird phenomenon related to the xenia itself. Then yesterday I saw the same brown crap on my Birdsnest, way up on its rock. I blew it off as well and saw that besides just being stuck on it, it seemed to be attached at a couple of the tips. Those tips in particular more white than what it had been showing with new growth. Later in the day, more brown crap and then I saw it on the top of my highest rocks and a couple other spots. It isn’t thick or everywhere, but just here and there. I started worrying about dinos.
Came home today from work and Birdsnest was covered again and even more tissue recession on the tips. Based on my research I snipped off a little bit of the affected tips and made sure to clear as much of the brown stuff as possible. Now it’s wait and see what tomorrow holds. I couldn’t easily remove the frag without breaking it at the bottom so I’ll save that for if it continues to worsen.
One of my questions is was the coral already damaged and algae grew or did the algae get blown from the rock and cause the damage? I was in the tank doing a lot of stuff this past weekend with all my new frags from the WWC sale. I could have scraped the tips with my hand in there. It’s new spot is further from the power head it was in front of so maybe less flow is contributing?
Parameters have been stable. Tested all tonight:
1.026
KH: 9.4
Ca:415
Mg:1290
NO3: 5-10
PO4: 0.04 (Hanna)
Unfortunately in my panic to baste everything off I didn’t get the brown algae pics but here’s the Birdsnest before I snipped the tips. Top right tip was the worst
