Tissue loss spots on birdsnest.

[FunWithFishes]

Hey everyone, the past few days I noticed bare spots on my birdsnest. The tissue around it seems fine, but the spots seem stripped to the bone.

I tested yesterday and tested the alk at 8.0dKH
Mag 1350 ppm
Calc 415 ppm

I am worried something is eating it, but don't see anything with the naked eye. Is there any tests I can do?

 

[FunWithFishes]

Here's a photo

 

[BoomCorals]

That looks like either lack of nutrients (phosphate/nitrate) or an alk swing, combined with possibly too much (bad?) light.

 

[madweazl]

I dont think anything is eating it however, what are you using for lighting? Most of the issues look to be on the light facing sides of the coral which could point to your lighting being too intense.

 

[FunWithFishes]

I use a black box led light. I will try lowering it to see if it helps out. It has been under that light for six months so I was hoping everything was all good since it grew like a weed, but maybe once it grew it got to close?

 

[BoomCorals]

I use a black box led light. I will try lowering it to see if it helps out. It has been under that light for six months so I was hoping everything was all good since it grew like a weed, but maybe once it grew it got to close?

This makes me think alk swing or low nutrient.

 

[FunWithFishes]

This makes me think alk swing or low nutrient.

I will test nutrients

 

[sam.veilleux30]

Hi, the same thing happend to me several times with the same coral for no apparent reason. You should cut a healthy frag to restart a colony. Good luck!

 

[Crabs McJones]

This makes me think alk swing or low nutrient.

agreed. Dont think its lighting as there are parts of the coral higher up than the effected spots that look just fine.

 

[DancingShark]

Are any other corals affected?

 

[bhuyett]

You said your Alk was 8.0 yesterday. How frequently are you testing your Alkalinity?

Curious what live stock do you have in your tank Fish and CUC wise?

 

[jda]

Turn the whites down a bit until you get this figured out. This could be either alk burn or white diode or hotspot burn. Hotspots can affect just a tiny area like this.

 

[KenO]

I use to dose the Triton liquids. Similar thing happened to me when the ALK level jumped from 7.6 to 9.9. Unfortunately for me the ALK spike wiped out my birdsnest. My NO3 and PO4 levels were low which when combined with the ALK spike was not a good combination.