Birdsnest burnt tip help

[Reeferbadness]

Id take a step back and focus on the basic things. Calcium at 380 seems a bit low ( I shoot for 450 on both of my tanks. Could be too much light / too little - get a pat meter and check. Flow. Seems like it ok. From my experience birds nest grow fast and also die fast. Burnt tips shouldn’t be an issue with these corals. Mine have died off after months of rapid growth in a matter of days.

 

[tbrown]

High alk (usually above 9) and low/no phosphates can cause burnt tips on SPS.

 

[125mph]

Got the Hanna Nitrate test but still waiting for the phosphate.

Readings now:

Nitrate (Hanna): 11.8ppm
Nitrate (Salfert): ~ 8ppm
Alk (Hanna): 8.5 dkh
Alk (Red Sea): 10.1 dkh
Calcium (Red Sea): 400ppm
Phosphate (Hanna): Pending

Nitrate is up now.. I'm wondering if the single reef roid and feedings yesterday brought it up.

How much is the ideal nitrate and phosphate I'm looking for?

 

[UMALUM]

Got the Hanna Nitrate test but still waiting for the phosphate.

Readings now:

Nitrate (Hanna): 11.8ppm
Nitrate (Salfert): ~ 8ppm
Alk (Hanna): 8.5 dkh
Alk (Red Sea): 10.1 dkh
Calcium (Red Sea): 400ppm
Phosphate (Hanna): Pending

Nitrate is up now.. I'm wondering if the single reef roid and feedings yesterday brought it up.

How much is the ideal nitrate and phosphate I'm looking for?

Unfortunately there's no such thing as idea nitrate and phosphate. I would say your now outta the margin of error for nitrate and with little stock any detectable phosphate or maybe 0.05 - 0.1 would be fine.

 

[125mph]

Okay got the Phosphate UL tester from hanna.

Nitrate (Hanna): 11.8ppm
Nitrate (Salfert): ~ 8ppm
Alk (Hanna): 8.5 dkh
Alk (Red Sea): 10.1 dkh
Calcium (Red Sea): 400ppm
Phosphate (Hanna): 0.12


Am I looking okay? I also dont trust the calcium red sea reading.

he birdsnest is pretty much done but I grabbed another coral similar to birdsnest to test out the new parameters.

This one: anyone know what this one is exactly?

 

[UMALUM]

#s look fine to me for now, probably wanna work on getting your calcium up but it's not an emergency. Looks like a rainbow pocillopora and should be much hardier than the birdsnest. Seriatopora can be tricky for some folks. I've had tanks that they absolutely refuse to be in while much more difficult acros grow outta the water.

 

[125mph]

#s look fine to me for now, probably wanna work on getting your calcium up but it's not an emergency. Looks like a rainbow pocillopora and should be much hardier than the birdsnest. Seriatopora can be tricky for some folks. I've had tanks that they absolutely refuse to be in while much more difficult acros grow outta the water.

Thanks! I run a calcium reactor and had to stop the effluent because alk was over 8.5 (or higher depending on test). How do I increase calcium without increasing alk? Do I just dose calcium , and then let the calcium reactor take over after things are balanced?

I was under the impression the effluent puts the correct proportions into the system?

 

[UMALUM]

Thanks! I run a calcium reactor and had to stop the effluent because alk was over 8.5 (or higher depending on test). How do I increase calcium without increasing alk? Do I just dose calcium , and then let the calcium reactor take over after things are balanced?

I was under the impression the effluent puts the correct proportions into the system?

What does your salt mix to?

 

[125mph]

Salt is Tropic Pro Reef: Ca: 430-450 ppm, Mg: 1300-1350 ppm, Alk: 7-8 dKH

Also, what should my par readings on the coral be? I run Neptune Sky's, they are about 9" above the water line.

I had the Sky's running at only 30% because when I put in a different birdsnest placed middle of tank (in height), it started to turn white.. When the birdsnest down, it stop bleaching and regain color.. I just checked with Apogee par meter and the Sky at 30% is only around 100 par in the middle of ank. When I tested at 55%, it went closer to 180-200 par towards the middle of the tank.

 

[Dburr1014]

How do I increase calcium without increasing alk? Do I just dose calcium , and then let the calcium reactor take over after things are balanced?

I was under the impression the effluent puts the correct proportions into the system?

Dose calcium to where you want it with a calcium product.
Once you have it balanced the reactor should keep it there. You may have to check periodically.

 

[Dburr1014]

Salt is Tropic Pro Reef: Ca: 430-450 ppm, Mg: 1300-1350 ppm, Alk: 7-8 dKH

Also, what should my par readings on the coral be? I run Neptune Sky's, they are about 9" above the water line.

I had the Sky's running at only 30% because when I put in a different birdsnest placed middle of tank (in height), it started to turn white.. When the birdsnest down, it stop bleaching and regain color.. I just checked with Apogee par meter and the Sky at 30% is only around 100 par in the middle of ank. When I tested at 55%, it went closer to 180-200 par towards the middle of the tank.

I like to be between 200 and 300 par.

 

[goosemans]

How long has your tank been running?

 

[125mph]

How long has your tank been running?

This tank is about 9 months, an upgrade from my older tank. Other tank was running since 2017 .. some stuff was transferred over, and some equipment stayed and upgraded other equipment. Some livestock moved over while others I gave away. I had a bad aiptasia problem so I tried to stay away from anything with aiptasia on it.

My older tank had the same issues.. Zoas and LPS were always fine but every time I put in a birdsnest I had problems.

I think my N&P's were always too low and I didnt feed corals. Trying this new regiment now with the reef roids, AB+, and keeping nitrates/phosphates up.

 

[goosemans]

I might have missed it but what lights/intensity do you run? I have mainly sps tank with pretty much 0 phos and nitrate but I also keep my alkalinity at 7. Sometimes you just get unlucky with some corals where they were already on their way out before you got it… could just be that.

 

[125mph]

I might have missed it but what lights/intensity do you run? I have mainly sps tank with pretty much 0 phos and nitrate but I also keep my alkalinity at 7. Sometimes you just get unlucky with some corals where they were already on their way out before you got it… could just be that.

I run the Neptune sky at 30%. When I put on some birdsnest initially in the middle placent they started to turn white, When i moved the coral to the sand, they regained color. Thats why I lowered to 30%.

Today i used the apogee and found out the par was only around 80-100 at the middle. So i think light might be too low, im starting to bump it back up.

Also This isnt the same birdsnest with the burnt tips.

But curious why they it bleach out at middle placement and do better at sand level if it wasnt too bright?

I run an 8’hour cycle

 

[goosemans]

I’d just move the frag to a higher par area in your tank. Birdsnest “bleach” if they don’t get enough light. Also do you know if your alkalinity is stable at 10 is it jumping up and down everyday?

 

[125mph]

I’d just move the frag to a higher par area in your tank. Birdsnest “bleach” if they don’t get enough light. Also do you know if your alkalinity is stable at 10 is it jumping up and down everyday?

Its stable since testing. Around mid 8.5. Right now slowing drifting down to 8.1 since turning off the calcium reactor.

Nitrate is up a little to 13.1