Bird'snest browning from center?

[headdr]

I've I've got a bird's nest, Monti, and Miami orchid generally close to each other. The green bird's nest is turning brown from the center. Got polips on the tips but center is starting to bleach. Wondering if something is eating it or if the Miami orchid is hurting it somehow. Going to do whole suite of perimeter checks this afternoon but given everything else is doing good I'm thinking the parameters are okay. Been running GFO, carbon, and dosing vodka. Also have a good amount of cheato in sump. Any suggestions on how to save this sps? See lower right in picture

 

[headdr]

Got another frag of a different species very near a gorgonia. Base is dark but top is looking good.

 

[pseudorand]

Same thing happened to mine (thread). I have no solution or suggestions, unfortunately, but I think it's a common problem.

One guy suggested phosphate too low, but mine wasn't low and I don't know why it would die from the center if it were nutrients.

 

[headdr]

Did you eventually loose the entire thing? Thinking about fragging off anything that's still alive to see if I can salvage something.

 

[pseudorand]

I did. I didn't bother trying to frag. I figured theo just die too.

 

[H@rry]

Bird Nest will often do this. The old growth at the base will die out while the new growth toward the top and side will continue to grow. If it becomes too unsightly you can clip the base off and remount the live part.

 

[headdr]

Thanks,
I may clip off a few tips to get frags going. My parameters are looking stable, or at least in range.
Phosphate - .06 on hanna checker
KH- 6.7 on hanna checker
KH- 7 on Aqua Forest test
Mg-1350 on Aqua Forest
Ca- 550+ on Aqua Forest
PH- 7.95
SG-35
Temp- 758
Tested Nitrates on both API and Nyos kits almost undetectable- 1pmm

I feel like I have my phosphates and nitrates dialed in with GFO and carbon in a reactor.

I have tried to stop chasing the numbers and let things settle naturally.
But I may do a water change to get calcium down and alkalinity up.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Other causes are:
Too much flow
Ph low
Alk high
Salinity high
Shading from inadequate lighting
Dinoflagellates
Red or black bugs

 

[Hydrored]

.06 phosphates is fine, I like it at .10-.15. Do you know what the PAR is? Looks like not enough light/shadowing to me. What is the temp?

 

[vsolovyev]

I find birdsnest to be a hard SPS to keep, even acros seem easier, mainly because birdsnest are so thin and fragile. I lost a good colony and the symptoms your getting is what happened to mine. The problem is once they get a taste of something bad (salinity swing in my case) they keep getting worse even if you fix the issue, Best thing to do is frag and save what you can. You already know your Alk is low, and your Calcium is high so I would say just monitor that. Good luck!

 

[headdr]

Not sure of PAR, sitting 10" or so below a kessil A360, when I first placed this frag it was a single 1" twig. It has branched an grown well in this location. Plus have pink bird's nest and Miami orchids flourishing a few inches away. Temp was as low as 74, had left heater off over the summer. Starting to raise temp now.

Too much flow - maybe
Ph low - maybe
Alk high - All a little low
Salinity high - around 35-36 currently
Shading from inadequate lighting- don't think so
Dinoflagellates - can you see?
Red or black bugs - can you see?

I am not seeing anything, should I frag and do a Bayer dip?