Bubble algae (and others) growing on white coral (birdsnest)

[Trever]

There are really several questions here I guess. Not sure what I'm doing wrong. See photo. This is not of my colony but my birdsnests are doing similar. I bought them with "white" ends and just glued those white ends to the rock (or inserted in rock holes). Problem is, bubble algae now grows there. (Other algae too but I'm less concerned with that.)

What's the best way to prevent this- where "this" means (I guess):
1. prevent birdsnest from bleaching like that (may be impossible due to shading itself)
2. attach birdsnest to rock
3. prevent the algae from growing on the white attachments (means I have to rip the colony out and reattach- this is "the big" problem)

 

[MnFish1]

There are really several questions here I guess. Not sure what I'm doing wrong. See photo. This is not of my colony but my birdsnests are doing similar. I bought them with "white" ends and just glued those white ends to the rock (or inserted in rock holes). Problem is, bubble algae now grows there. (Other algae too but I'm less concerned with that.)

What's the best way to prevent this- where "this" means (I guess):
1. prevent birdsnest from bleaching like that (may be impossible due to shading itself)
2. attach birdsnest to rock
3. prevent the algae from growing on the white attachments (means I have to rip the colony out and reattach- this is "the big" problem)

What's the best way to prevent this- where "this" means (I guess):
1. prevent birdsnest from bleaching like that (may be impossible due to shading itself)
It doesnt look like 'shading' to me. It looks possibly like STN - or perhaps some parasite, etc.
2. attach birdsnest to rock
Super glue.
3. prevent the algae from growing on the white attachments (means I have to rip the colony out and reattach- this is "the big" problem)
I do not believe that you can prevent algae from growing on dead coral (that looks like dead areas - as compared to bleaching) - unless you control whatever nutrient problem you have. IME bubble algae will not grow on healthy coral - only 'dead' coral.

Your post is unclear as to what you mean. White ends can be 'new growth' - or it can be 'dead'. Do you mean there were white ends that you put into holes (that were dead)? - or do you mean that you broke of certain ends to 'regrow' new coral frags? Hope this helps. PS - a picture of your actual coral would be very helpful

 

[Trever]

Dead.

Nutrients are immeasurable.

If I cut back on feeding, algae (in the overall tank) goes down. But nutrients stay at zero, and I start to worry about dinos. New tank blues, AFAICT. Tank is 6 months old.

It sounds like I should cut out the dead and glue only live.

Can post photos but just very similar to that photo posted already, nothing importantly different, though I'm not using a frag plug. Basically LFS gave me small colonies with dead ends at the bases.

 

[MnFish1]

Dead.

Nutrients are immeasurable.

If I cut back on feeding, algae (in the overall tank) goes down. But nutrients stay at zero, and I start to worry about dinos. New tank blues, AFAICT. Tank is 6 months old.

It sounds like I should cut out the dead and glue only live.

Can post photos but just very similar to that photo posted already, nothing importantly different, though I'm not using a frag plug. Basically LFS gave me small colonies with dead ends at the bases.

I assume you're posting to me.

Nutrients are not immeasurable - if they were - nothing would be alive (including algae). I agree with you - that your No3 and PO4 might be low or immeasurable. What is your alkalinity? IME - High alkalinity and high light causes this. (do you have a PAR meter or borrow one)? BTW - not all nutrients are 'measurable' - i.e. there are more nutrients than NO3 and PO4

Agreed cut out the dead. Gluing a piece of dead coral - just gives algae a place to grow.

OH OK - just another FYI - For multiple months I had a birds nest (similar to the one in the picture) - suddenly - it slowly died. Birdsnests are supposed to be 'easy'. Since then I can not grow another one. I can grow almost anything else. But not Birdsnest.

 

[MnFish1]

I meant to say - if your coral really 'looks like that' - I would take it out - trim off the dead (totally white pieces)- and glue them individually back (the living pieces) to a rock at the base. Sometimes - if you just set a coral on rock bacteria/pathogens can get in - and it slowly dies. The super glue seems to prevent this. (To get back to your original question)