Birds Nest Placement?

[NanaReefer]

One thing I've always struggled with is coral placement. I know I can move power heads around and turn lights up/down as needed. But I'm more needing help with aesthetics. I don't want my tank to look like I just threw everything in there.
Here's where I've put my BN. Up high due to my LPS being down low.
Opinions please!!

 

[mike007]

Birdnest will do fine on the upper part of tank. They do like strong lighting.

 

[Aquaph8]

I consider them lower lighting for SPS but still SPS so it depends on how strong your lighting is. Take into consideration that they grow fast and don't encrust much when you place them. They take up some space and get knocked off the rocks easily.

 

[duke62]

I put mine low in the tank. They grow so fast I don't want them blocking the light of my acros

 

[Oscaror]

Birdnest will do fine on the upper part of tank. They do like strong lighting.

Halt child, not every birdsnest. Green ones like low light, pink ones like high light, don't know about the bird of paradise or the ponape birdsnest. NanaReefer what kind do you have?

As for water flow, birdsnest love flow, and will build their skeletons in a way to maximize flow. That's actually the biggest problem about buying birdsnest colonies, they've grown into the shape of the flow pattern they originally had.

 

[NanaReefer]

One reason I put it up high is because of my lower light LPS. Turn my lights up any higher and the LPS start to look faded.
I'm not 100% sure what species it is. Here's some better pics, hopefully someone can tell me. Crappy pic but shows true polyp color and polyps are inna line.

 

[Oscaror]

One reason I put it up high is because of my lower light LPS. Turn my lights up any higher and the LPS start to look faded.
I'm not 100% sure what species it is. Here's some better pics, hopefully someone can tell me. Crappy pic but shows true polyp color and polyps are inna line.

It's a green birdsnest, low light.

 

[NanaReefer]

I know it's green-lol. I believe it's the Seriatopora Caliendrum

 

[mike007]

I have green ones under strong leds and they seem to grow very fast. So I guess you have to find the happy spot.

 

[mike007]

Halt child, not every birdsnest. Green ones like low light, pink ones like high light, don't know about the bird of paradise or the ponape birdsnest. @NanaReefer what kind do you have?

As for water flow, birdsnest love flow, and will build their skeletons in a way to maximize flow. That's actually the biggest problem about buying birdsnest colonies, they've grown into the shape of the flow pattern they originally had.[/QUOTE

Halt child what are you referring to?

 

[Oscaror]

Halt child what are you referring to?

I was referring to your statement that they like high light, but was also referring to nanareefer by asking what type of birds nest it is.

 

[joekool]

I have mine in lower 1/3 of my tank but it could go higher. Now my bop is right at the top of the tank. I have strong led lighting. Well not up to high no more than 60%.

Like stated before they will fall over or a larger hermit can knock them down so glue it in place or make sure it can't fall. They break somewhat easy but every piece that breaks off of mine stays alive

 

[Lazys Coral House]

I have ORA Green Birdsnest and it likes what I would consider high light. 500 PAR. Pink one's like 500 - 1000 PAR. Higher it is pinker it will get.

 

[sawdonkey]

I have neon ora about 24 inches deep and it does very well. I have hyacinth (pink) literally sitting on my sandbed of my 30 inch deep tank and it looks great. I've got a ponape about 6 inches off the sandbed and its grows well. I have another green one that gets almost blue when in really bright light. I used to have some birdsnest up high but the steal the show form the acros, so they've all been moved down and do just fine.

 

[NanaReefer]

Oh boy many different placements. Whatever made me think this was gonna be easy?!

 

[NanaReefer]

Well I wound up moving it down to the SB till I pick up some super glue. Tomorrow I'll be placing it about 4-5" up from there. See if it does better in lower light. Sure isn't coloring up in higher light areas. Which is where I've had it for the last 7 months.

 

[NanaReefer]

Talk about frustrating!!! Ugh!! Moved it down but now not enough flow. Been moving my power heads all over, just can't get it right. Plus I've other corals to consider. What the heck?! I hate this part of reefing-lol.

 

[cginter]

Pick a spot and keep it there. You moving it around isn't letting it settle into its placement. From my understanding most of not all birds nest can be placed anywhere there is flow. Find a spot you like and let it settle, it's polyps and color will eventually come around. But if it starts to bleach then move it to a less area of light.

 

[PaulKreider]

I've had larger than softball sized colonies and I found they really just don't care. Leave them and forget and they will grow fastest. I had a color change in my green birdsnest to white with green tips, but I've had frags all over my tank and they always did fine.

 

[TJ's Reef]

IME, they are one of the easiest and most adaptable SPS Corals out there. In my current setup I have a mixed colony (basketball sized) consisting of both S. caliendrum ORA Green, Bird of Paradise and Sour Apple. S. hystrix Pink and Ponape at nearly the surface and do very well. PAR levels between 300-500. The ORA Green goes very Blue in color with higher light levels. Have shown these pics several times but here they are again and can notice that the Pink S. hytrix is right at surface level and just how Blue the Green is...lol

Cheers, Todd