Help with Bleaching Event

[threebuoys]

Any suggestions about what I should do here? This coral is 15 weeks old. It has done very well during that period and has added new growth.

The branch at the bottom left first appeared bleached out yesterday.

The branch at the middle left and the spot on the middle of the trunk appeared bleached out today.

Otherwise, this coral and the others in the tank (some 3 years old) appear normal. No new corals, fish, lighting, food changes since this and 4 other corals (all still doing fine) were added in December.

I'm concerned the bleaching may continue. Any suggestions about what to look for, what to do?

Thanks

 

[Dburr1014]

Birds nest are very finicky.
Have you checked all the parameters?
Nothing changed?
Direct flow from powerhead because of growth?

Edited because of wording. SPS growth can cause it to be in path of powerhead. Don't do that, the flesh will peel.

 

[threebuoys]

Birds nest are very finicky.
Have you checked all the parameters?
Nothing changed?
Direct flow from powerhead because of flow?

All the parameters are stable. I have moderate powerhead flow hitting this one. Really scratching my head since it happened so suddenly.
Late last summer before getting this and 4 other SPS frags i had a problem with several hammers and duncans and BJD. Other than that, nothing unusual has happened. No BJD present now, or since last September.

The bleached area on the trunk concerns me most since it is connected to all the other branches. I could break off the two outer branches, but I don't know if that makes sense or is necessary.

 

[tedfisher496]

you had some kind of swing in parameter, Corals don't bleach when everything is where it should be and stable. have you tested?

 

[Lavey29]

Complete current parameters? Light par?

 

[threebuoys]

you had some kind of swing in parameter, Corals don't bleach when everything is where it should be and stable. have you tested?

I understand the theory. I have tested. And nothing is jumping out as a change. I'll be doing more testing this afternoon. That's why I'm scratching my head. I can't pinpoint anything unusual yet.

 

[Dburr1014]

Edited post #2

 

[threebuoys]

Complete current parameters? Light par?

I'll get those posted when I get back home. In the meantime, the parameters have been very stable for months, and the last lighting changes were made back in January when I increased the intensity a bit.

as

you had some kind of swing in parameter, Corals don't bleach when everything is where it should be and stable. have you tested?

said, I'm looking for that swing too because I wouldn't have expected the leaching to occur so quickly, like overnight, unless something else changed too.

 

[threebuoys]

Edited post #2

Thanks for the clarification, Basically, the flow has not changed. While the coral has grown, still fairly small. About the4 size of a baseball.

 

[Troylee]

Any LPs around it with sweepers?

 

[tedfisher496]

I'll get those posted when I get back home. In the meantime, the parameters have been very stable for months, and the last lighting changes were made back in January when I increased the intensity a bit.

as

said, I'm looking for that swing too because I wouldn't have expected the leaching to occur so quickly, like overnight, unless something else changed too.

Could be RTN or STN

Did it start at the base and work its way up?

 

[threebuoys]

Any LPs around it with sweepers?

No, a zoa colony is about 2 inches away, a plating montipora is 4 inches away, a stylophora is 4 inches away. All others are 6 or more inches away.

 

[larreef]

That’s more like stn/rtn vs bleaching

 

[threebuoys]

Could be RTN or STN

Did it start at the base and work its way up?

I would certainly call it RTN since it appeared over one night and spread the next night. Problem with calling it RTN is that doesn't seem to be a consensus about what causes it or how to treat it.

 

[threebuoys]

Complete current parameters? Light par?

Current Parameters:

Temp: 79
Nitrate: 5.0
Phosphate: 0.16
Alk: 7.2
Calc: 490

These measures have been relatively consistent since well before this coral was added to the tank. The Phosphate has drifted up a little in the last few weeks, but still in the range I normally see. Time to replace the GFO.

I need to check the PAR today, However, I've not made any changes to lighting (PAR, Duration, coral location) in over 3 months.

Any LPs around it with sweepers?

Nome, closest coral is 2 inches to a Zoa colony and 4 inches to a montipora and a stylophora.

More death overnight. I'll post more pictures in a bit.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[tedfisher496]

Current Parameters:

Temp: 79
Nitrate: 5.0
Phosphate: 0.16
Alk: 7.2
Calc: 490

These measures have been relatively consistent since well before this coral was added to the tank. The Phosphate has drifted up a little in the last few weeks, but still in the range I normally see. Time to replace the GFO.

I need to check the PAR today, However, I've not made any changes to lighting (PAR, Duration, coral location) in over 3 months.

Nome, closest coral is 2 inches to a Zoa colony and 4 inches to a montipora and a stylophora.

More death overnight. I'll post more pictures in a bit.

Thanks for any suggestions.

bazinga!! ill bet any money u had a drop in alkalinity. 7.2 is kinda low.

 

[Troylee]

Current Parameters:

Temp: 79
Nitrate: 5.0
Phosphate: 0.16
Alk: 7.2
Calc: 490

These measures have been relatively consistent since well before this coral was added to the tank. The Phosphate has drifted up a little in the last few weeks, but still in the range I normally see. Time to replace the GFO.

I need to check the PAR today, However, I've not made any changes to lighting (PAR, Duration, coral location) in over 3 months.

Nome, closest coral is 2 inches to a Zoa colony and 4 inches to a montipora and a stylophora.

More death overnight. I'll post more pictures in a bit.

Thanks for any suggestions.

I really couldn’t tell ya man… people always say birdsnest is a beginner sps and I’ve never had any luck keeping one long term lol… I can keep the fanciest of tenius or the so called hardest sps out there but birdsnest always gives me problems. I think my problem is too much light and then once it’s a decent size colony it peels from lack of flow unless you prune them accordingly.

 

[Nate Chalk]

Just did the same with some acros in flow path.

But I would guess lack of flow? Or imbalance in parameters

 

[threebuoys]

bazinga!! ill bet any money u had a drop in alkalinity. 7.2 is kinda low.

Thanks for the thought but

Naa, don't think so unless this species is more susceptible to low Alkalinity than others. Alkalinity has been in this range for very long time and other species are doing good. The death has occurred only in the last 3 days. Since I got the coral in December, it has grown more densely but not much taller. I suppose it could be the way waterflow hits it now, but that is difficult to measure.

 

[threebuoys]

Day 3 photo - still advancing quickly