Birdsnest Dying?

Mikedawg · Feb 4, 2019

I've had this green birdsnest (Seriatapora guttatus) for about eight months now and have fragged it several times due to its fast growth. However, about four weeks ago it began to lose some polyps and bleaching began on lower part of skeleton. I believe it is appropriately placed in a mixed reef tank and gets sufficient light and flow. I target feed it Oyster Feast and Brightwell's Reef Snow.

Other parameters: temp = 79; alk = 8.5; ca = 500; mg = 14oo; ph = 8.2; nitrate = 4 and phosphate is undetectable. I use Salifert and Red Sea test kits and Hanna Checker for alkalinity.

I noticed today that it appears to have possible cyano/dyno on a few branches (circled showing an air bubble), and I only have a few isolated spots of cyano on rocks/sand. - could this be a sign of weakening/dying in the coral? I see no other pests on the piece.

Would certainly appreciate any and all diagnoses, treatment recommendations, etc. I have read/heard that birdsnests sometimes appear to collapse for unknown reasons - anyone experience this and, more importantly, were you able to restore it to good health?

Thanks.

Waters · Feb 4, 2019

Mikedawg said:
I've had this green birdsnest (Seriatapora guttatus) for about eight months now and have fragged it several times due to its fast growth. However, about four weeks ago it began to lose some polyps and bleaching began on lower part of skeleton. I believe it is appropriately placed in a mixed reef tank and gets sufficient light and flow. I target feed it Oyster Feast and Brightwell's Reef Snow.

Other parameters: temp = 79; alk = 8.5; ca = 500; mg = 14oo; ph = 8.2; nitrate = 4 and phosphate is undetectable. I use Salifert and Red Sea test kits and Hanna Checker for alkalinity.

I noticed today that it appears to have possible cyano/dyno on a few branches (circled showing an air bubble), and I only have a few isolated spots of cyano on rocks/sand. - could this be a sign of weakening/dying in the coral? I see no other pests on the piece.

Would certainly appreciate any and all diagnoses, treatment recommendations, etc. I have read/heard that birdsnests sometimes appear to collapse for unknown reasons - anyone experience this and, more importantly, were you able to restore it to good health?

Thanks.

Algae and Cyano will only grow on dead areas so I assume those areas are already dead or very close to it. Has anything changed in the tank recently? Flow, lighting, etc.? Any ALK swings?

Mikedawg · Feb 4, 2019

Waters said:
Algae and Cyano will only grow on dead areas so I assume those areas are already dead or very close to it. Has anything changed in the tank recently? Flow, lighting, etc.? Any ALK swings?

Yeah, been thinking about cutting them off since I'm pretty sure those branches are dead as are many at bottom of the piece. Nothing really changed much in tank recently, although I am trying to calibrate my two part doser so there is some swing in values but I don't think they are too significant. I am thinking birdsnest are pretty hardy but don't have much experience with SPS.

If bleaching continues I'm thinking about cutting off healthy pieces, dipping them (just in case) and starting over? Hate to lose what began as a two branch coral but maybe it is "completing its life cycle"

Thanks much