How should I deal with dying birds nest?

[nathan212178]

Hey just a shot in the dark, but do you have soft corals in the tank as well? My personal experience with them if they get too big or rub up against each other is that the “toxins” that they emit really make it difficult to impossible for sps to grow and flourish. Soft coral toxins that are produced by corals fighting for space are unseen and can’t be tested for. I learned that lesson years ago and my sps corals took off.

I do! I have colonies of mushroom corals because of the person that we bought it from had tons on the rock, and I didn’t really want to let it go at the time, they’re everywhere now, also I have a toadstool but it’s so small I doubt it’s been doing anything to the tank

 

[nathan212178]

I had what I thought was a dieing birdsnest for months it was white. Then this past weeks it started to look like it's old self. I don't know what happened but it survived.

Yeah I just saw there there are a few parts that were surviving so I cut them and dipped them right now,really not sure how they would do but it’s better than leaving it on the dying colony. Also to anyone that’s responding, should I place them everywhere to see if there’s a chance they would come back? Or should I place them in the higher parts of the tank?

 

[uhgster1]

Yeah I just saw there there are a few parts that were surviving so I cut them and dipped them right now,really not sure how they would do but it’s better than leaving it on the dying colony. Also to anyone that’s responding, should I place them everywhere to see if there’s a chance they would come back? Or should I place them in the higher parts of the tank?

Place everywhere from the middle of the tank and up. I went through the same thing with that particular birds nest. It took months but eventually two of the frags adapted to my tank and now they’re taking off.

 

[nathan212178]

Place everywhere from the middle of the tank and up. I went through the same thing with that particular birds nest. It took months but eventually two of the frags adapted to my tank and now they’re taking off.

Your tank looks amazing firstly, but I have put them on the glass, back wall, and rocks, I am really desperate even for a little bit of growth, since you have a bit of knowledge on sps, should I get any other test kits other than phos, or any other additive like liquid nitrate/phosphate?

 

[Kriz]

What kind of light?
What is the salinity level?
How do you measure salinity?
Is everything okay with the temperature?

 

[nathan212178]

What kind of light?
What is the salinity level?
How do you measure salinity?
Is everything okay with the temperature?

Temp at 77 (being monitored by an inkbird), salinity just changed from 1.023 to 1.025 (it’s stable now), I also use a refractometer. If there’s anything major that changed, I would say that I steadied my lights since before they were fluctuating from the past schedule, but I might lower them for the sps to live a bit since I know that changing light schedule is bad when done a lot

 

[Kriz]

If you are confident in your salinity level, then, in my opinion, only light remains.
I'll explain now.
You have a high level of alkalinity, which is significantly higher than the level of normal sea water. With high alkalinity and bright light, nutrients must be present in the water. According to your data, your nitrate is zero, you cannot control phosphate yet.
I would try lowering the light levels and adding nutrients.

 

[nathan212178]

If you are confident in your salinity level, then, in my opinion, only light remains.
I'll explain now.
You have a high level of alkalinity, which is significantly higher than the level of normal sea water. With high alkalinity and bright light, nutrients must be present in the water. According to your data, your nitrate is zero, you cannot control phosphate yet.
I would try lowering the light levels and adding nutrients.

That’s helps a lot!, I’ll try and lower the lights and I’ll see if helps the corals a bit, actually I can send the one I’m currently using and some of the presets I have if you want

 

[Kriz]

Let me draw your attention.
When the light is low, the growth of all corals can be reduced. I don't know what kind of corals you have. Accordingly, the level of alkalinity may start to rise, watch this.

 

[nathan212178]

Let me draw your attention.
When the light is low, the growth of all corals can be reduced. I don't know what kind of corals you have. Accordingly, the level of alkalinity may start to rise, watch this.

Ohhh if I lower the lights I’ll lower the dosage of alk and cal then,I won’t do it right now of course, but i do understand what you mean

 

[Glenner’sreef]

I do! I have colonies of mushroom corals because of the person that we bought it from had tons on the rock, and I didn’t really want to let it go at the time, they’re everywhere now, also I have a toadstool but it’s so small I doubt it’s been doing anything to the tank

So I’m down to 2 blue mushrooms

I do! I have colonies of mushroom corals because of the person that we bought it from had tons on the rock, and I didn’t really want to let it go at the time, they’re everywhere now, also I have a toadstool but it’s so small I doubt it’s been doing anything to the tank

If you keep fresh activated carbon in your tank that will neutralize any unseen toxins. Fresh bag of carbon every couple of months. I’m a big Chemipure Blue fan.

 

[Uncle99]

Looks bleached to me, maybe a bailout.
Lower light if possible or move to a slower flow, less or indirect light for any potential recovery prospects.
Make sure your parameters are on point and stable, while maybe more forgiving than some Acros, nevertheless thrives in mature water with average PAR.

I never fed this one ever in two years now, just pollutes the water IMM.

 

[nathan212178]

So I’m down to 2 blue mushrooms

If you keep fresh activated carbon in your tank that will neutralize any unseen toxins. Fresh bag of carbon every couple of months. I’m a big Chemipure Blue fan.

Yeah I think I might go with the chemi pure if I need to, I’ve always heard about it but I’ve really looked up what it does in the tank, I’ll do that later today, thanks a lot tho!

 

[BiggestE222]

Not really, but that was because it was really hard to find some healthy birds nest, and the ones I did find were before I had dosing pumps so the main three elements were really low or fluctuating, I always keep hearing they’re easy too which I’m kind of thinking it’s not, i have a acropora currently for two weeks now and I’m waiting on my Nero 3 to come in to upgrade my current pump. Also since you have experience with sps, what kind of brands or solutions do you dose?I only really have 2 part and mag solutions

They are probably easy compared to most SPS but they are going to be sensitive to fluctuations in your parameters. I have monti sticks and bushy and stick Birds nests. I feed heavy so my nitrates are about .03 and phosphate.10 but they don’t change and I dose Kalk and keep parameters steady. One issue might be flow. People hardly ever consider this. All forms of a birds nest love heavy flow. Especially stick versions.

 

[2021 reefer]

Maybe just try moving it around if you can’t test par. Or it could be too little flow or something. Or maybe too high light? Idk