Is my birdsnest dead?

[Grumblez]

New to SPS and corals in general really, this tank was previously home to my two clowns and 1 Toadstool for 6 months, it's now a frag quarantine tank.

Just got a shipment off frags from live aquaria, I wouldn't have gotten so many but I had an expiring 120$ credit. And wanted to spend enough to get free shipping.

Got the frags a week ago all where looking healthy and anyways to my surprise my first time checking yesterday phosphate was .34 and my nitrates was ~40 so I did a 40% water change. Only thing it seems to have accomplished is maybe killing my previously health looking birds nest. Montipora isn't happy ether but still has some well defined color. Birds nest is maybe slightly pink now.

Tank is currently only home to one cleaner shrimp and a few snails. I did add a piece off poly filter to the sump to help with phosphate.

Nitrates 10, phosphates .3, salinity 1.26, temp 78, kh 8, ph 7.9.

 

[saltybees]

No but you’ll want to put it on the lower rack

 

[Spieg]

Doesn't look good. Either dead or soon will be.

 

[Pistondog]

I think I see polyps.
Like @saltybees said, lower light for a few weeks

 

[Grumblez]

No but you’ll want to put it on the lower rack

Thanks, I actually lowered the whole rack some and turned down the light intensity a little, since The hammer also seemed less happy than it was in its previous home where the torch coral now is.

 

[Grumblez]

******* cleaner shrimp eats the phyto from the birdsnests polyps when I feed. He had to go in timeout

 

[Spieg]

Shrimp can be pretty rough on coral when it's feeding time.

 

[Grumblez]

Shrimp can be pretty rough on coral when it's feeding time.

Yeah i think I'll stick the birdsnest in my breedersnet box thingy

 

[terraincognita]

FWIW Your tanks probably gonna have param swings for various reasons for a little while as you work through the reefing learning curves.

I'd recommend continuing weekly 30-40% WC's to help keep everything running smoothly, you're success will be much greater in the first year. Just my 2 cents. (Since this is a nano tank, it looks like 10G right?) If it was a much larger tank I wouldn't make the same suggestion.

I'm sure the intense light there especially for a frag from Live Aquaria who I don't think is using G5 Radions to light their frag tanks wasn't helping, but that param swing wasn't caused by the nest bleaching or Tissue necrosis something else started it first i'm like 92% sure of that.

But good luck! That birdsnest from the last photo in the first post could definitely make a come back. I've had nests and digita's come back from worse this year.

 

[Grumblez]

FWIW Your tanks probably gonna have param swings for various reasons for a little while as you work through the reefing learning curves.

I'd recommend continuing weekly 30-40% WC's to help keep everything running smoothly, you're success will be much greater in the first year. Just my 2 cents. (Since this is a nano tank, it looks like 10G right?) If it was a much larger tank I wouldn't make the same suggestion.

I'm sure the intense light there especially for a frag from Live Aquaria who I don't think is using G5 Radions to light their frag tanks wasn't helping, but that param swing wasn't caused by the nest bleaching or Tissue necrosis something else started it first i'm like 92% sure of that.

But good luck! That birdsnest from the last photo in the first post could definitely make a come back. I've had nests and digita's come back from worse this year.

TY, actually that's a little 100$ fluval light, sure looks nice though right. This is a coral quarantine/frag tank at the moment. I've had FOWLR tanks for years now but just starting into corals. Very close on tank size guess, its a 15 Gallon JBJ cube.

Do you think I dip it?

 

[elorablue]

No point in dipping imo.
How long have you had the coral? I start all corals on the sandbed then slowly move them up to final position an inch or two at a time. Process usually takes about 3 weeks before they're in their final position.

edit: also is that a hammer on the top rack? If so that's way too much light for it.

 

[terraincognita]

TY, actually that's a little 100$ fluval light, sure looks nice though right.

So even worse you're blasting it with white ;-) (just kidding.)


Don't dip it.

Just leave it,

Pull it down from the lights. But I also commented in your build thread. Just throw everything in the 250. Don't wait .

 

[Grumblez]

So even worse you're blasting it with white ;-) (just kidding.)


Don't dip it.

Just leave it,

Pull it down from the lights. But I also commented in your build thread. Just throw everything in the 250. Don't wait .

I'm really impressed with the little light. I can't wait to get my par meter and test it.