Birdsnest discolored and bleaching

[JIsBusyReefing]

Hi all. I'm in need of some help. I bought a vibrant colored birdsnest frag a couple of months ago and it seemed to be doing ok in the beginning but the polyps stopped coming out for the past couple to few weeks and started turning white in some spots, growing algae in other spots, and changing to ugly colors. I attached before and afters below. The before pic is when it was neon yellow, lime green, and purple. Now, it's orangy and dying. The following are my current parameters

Calcium: 440ppm
Magnesium: 1350ppm
dKH: 9
PH: 8.2
Phosphate: 0ppm (API)
Nitrate: 40ppm
Salinity (SG): 1.025
Temp (°F): 78

It's a 150g tall tank (2ft x 4ft x 31in) with x3 viparspectra 165w units set to 50% blues and 15% whites mounted 8in above the waterline. The frag is another 8in below the waterline at the top of the rock work. Flow is x2 Hydor Koralias 1400-1500GPH.

 

[ZoixDark]

that's a lot of nitrate. also you probably want to check phosphate with something else. API's phosphate kit is awful.

 

[JIsBusyReefing]

that's a lot of nitrate. also you probably want to check phosphate with something else. API's phosphate kit is awful.

Marc Leveson said nitrate at 40ppm is fine and he has birdsnest and other SPS as well at that level. I assumed it was fine since his is fine. I thought about getting a media reactor for the nitrate but didn't know if I truly needed it or not. Also, yah I'm looking to get a Red Sea test kit instead. I just wanted to use up the API before I bought it, since it didn't seem to be indicating any phosphate.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I too believe nitrate is quite high. I have a larger than paper plate Birdsnest at .08 nitrate. . . . Will cause stress, not death in most cases.

Common causes:
Too much flow
too much light
alk spike
pests such as red/black bugs
salinity high or false salinity
ph low
phosphate high

I think light and flow may have something to do with this

 

[JIsBusyReefing]

I too believe nitrate is quite high. I have a larger than paper plate Birdsnest at .08 nitrate. . . . Will cause stress, not death in most cases.

Common causes:
Too much flow
too much light
alk spike
pests such as red/black bugs
salinity high or false salinity
ph low
phosphate high

I think light and flow may have something to do with this

The problem is, I have to have a good amount of nitrate because I have alveopora in the tank at the bottom. Would the birdsnest and alveopora both be ok at something like 10ppm?

I think the light might've been too strong as well. I have a ritteri in here and that annoying thing climbs on the glass to the top anytime I so much as reduce the lighting intensity by 5%. So I've kept it at 50% blues and 15% whites where it seems to be happy.

 

[Cory]

This looks like po4 stress. 0 po4 and excess no3 results in washed colors. Higher temps will result in bleaching with those nutrient levels. Id suggest raising po4 to .03-.15 ppm with sodium phosphate. Also consider there doesnt look like much algae. Another sighn its starving.

 

[vetteguy53081]

The problem is, I have to have a good amount of nitrate because I have alveopora in the tank at the bottom. Would the birdsnest and alveopora both be ok at something like 10ppm?

I think the light might've been too strong as well. I have a ritteri in here and that annoying thing climbs on the glass to the top anytime I so much as reduce the lighting intensity by 5%. So I've kept it at 50% blues and 15% whites where it seems to be happy.

Yes

 

[blasterman]

40 nitrate and 0 phosphate will kill a birdsnest. Im seeing serious RTN on the top picture.

In fact, those water conditions will punish most SPS. You want nitrate around 5 to 10 tops, stable, and phosphate where Cory says. If you have to do water changes to get nitrate under 40 you don't want SPS.

Your LPS will be perfectly happy with our suggested water params.

 

[Surf985]

I had a bird of paradise that did something similar. I have the same lights at 5% white and 35% blue, and the light still seemed to be a bit intense for it that close to the top with even those settings. My Green Slimer Acro is perfectly happy, though, and in a similar position. My nitrates are in the 20s usually without water changes, so I'm not convinced that's strictly your problem as mine are half that and it still did something similar. (Unless they really do need a near 0 system.)

So, with that in mind, I'm leaning towards lighting excess because the Viparspectra seems to crank out a lot more light than I thought it did... Did you try acclimating it slowly to the light by moving it higher over the course of a few weeks? I'm trying that with my newest additions and they're doing MUCH better.

 

[JIsBusyReefing]

This looks like po4 stress. 0 po4 and excess no3 results in washed colors. Higher temps will result in bleaching with those nutrient levels. Id suggest raising po4 to .03-.15 ppm with sodium phosphate. Also consider there doesnt look like much algae. Another sighn its starving.

I have a refugium with caulerpa, x3 filter socks, and a reef octopus classic 150INT skimmer. Is it possible that combo is tanking phosphate? I have only done a water change in the past two months as well. Not sure if that matters.

 

[JIsBusyReefing]

I had a bird of paradise that did something similar. I have the same lights at 5% white and 35% blue, and the light still seemed to be a bit intense for it that close to the top with even those settings. My Green Slimer Acro is perfectly happy, though, and in a similar position. My nitrates are in the 20s usually without water changes, so I'm not convinced that's strictly your problem as mine are half that and it still did something similar. (Unless they really do need a near 0 system.)

So, with that in mind, I'm leaning towards lighting excess because the Viparspectra seems to crank out a lot more light than I thought it did... Did you try acclimating it slowly to the light by moving it higher over the course of a few weeks? I'm trying that with my newest additions and they're doing MUCH better.

I didn't do any light acclimation. When I first put it in, I had the lenses removed in the vipars. Then I decided to add the lenses back because the ritteri kept climbing on the glass and going to the top, indicating insufficient lighting. Once I put the lenses back on, it stopped climbing. But then I noticed the birdsnest closing up and bleaching, so I reduced the intensity by 5% every few days to get to a level that the ritteri was happy with and everything else was happy with (minus the birdsnest). That was when I landed at 50% blues and 15% whites. Anything lower and that ritteri starts climbing again.

 

[Cory]

I have a refugium with caulerpa, x3 filter socks, and a reef octopus classic 150INT skimmer. Is it possible that combo is tanking phosphate? I have only done a water change in the past two months as well. Not sure if that matters.

Caulerpa is looking for the same things as zoox are essentially. Id reduce the lighting for the caulerpa to 2 hours a day. The skimmer could be run cup less just for areation but i think that caulerpa is keeping the po4 low.

 

[JIsBusyReefing]

Caulerpa is looking for the same things as zoox are essentially. Id reduce the lighting for the caulerpa to 2 hours a day. The skimmer could be run cup less just for areation but i think that caulerpa is keeping the po4 low.

Consequently, by lowering the lighting schedule, wouldn't nitrate increase?

 

[Cory]

Consequently, by lowering the lighting schedule, wouldn't nitrate increase?

Yes possibly, but i dont think it would hurt as long as it doesnt get too high. I use a diy sulphur denitrator for no3. Brought 150ppm to 2.5ppm in 3 months and stays there.

 

[JIsBusyReefing]

Yes possibly, but i dont think it would hurt as long as it doesnt get too high. I use a diy sulphur denitrator for no3. Brought 150ppm to 2.5ppm in 3 months and stays there.

Wow! That's an impressive drop. I was thinking about getting a reef octopus biochurn 120INT for biopellets for the nitrate. I don't see many out there have it but those that do seem to like it. I'm not sure how much that'll bring it down. I'll adjust the lighting schedule and see what happens.

 

[reefz]

Acros wont survive in 40ppm nitrates. Big water changes over a few weeks will help try to lower. Try to aim for 5-10ppm

 

[JIsBusyReefing]

Acros wont survive in 40ppm nitrates. Big water changes over a few weeks will help try to lower. Try to aim for 5-10ppm

I tried the large water changes before as well as vacuuming the sand bed. Made no difference in my nitrates. They just shot right back up a day later. It costs way too much in salt to keep doing them with the same results. I need something more consistent and effective.

 

[reefz]

I tried the large water changes before as well as vacuuming the sand bed. Made no difference in my nitrates. They just shot right back up a day later. It costs way too much in salt to keep doing them with the same results. I need something more consistent and effective.

Vodka and similar carbon dosing can help reduce no3. Tons of videos on yt if you need help