Losing birdsnest and stylophora

[Schraufabagel]

I recently lost another Stylophora frag and birdsnest frag. These are the second one of each. Both times, they’ve started turning white and dying off. I’m not sure what’s going on since my montipora digis and Pavona are doing amazing.

I had both of the frags at the top of the tank (same place as the digis) and in moderate to high flow (about 1,000 gph). For reference my tank is 25 gallons. My tank is lit by an AI Prime mounted at around 11 inches above the water and uses the spectrum that Bulk Reef Supply recommends (with some channels turned down slightly)

Additionally, I use Red Sea Coral Pro salt and dose All For Reef to maintain parameters. My current parameters are:
Alk 11.0
Ca 440
Mg 1350
NO3 3.5
Phos 0.04

 

[fryman]

I think those species are more sensitive to high alk, esp when you also have low phosphate. They can be grown at high alk it's just more tricky, and minor swings in your water params (particularly phosphate bottoming out) can lead to loss. Try closer to 8 dkh, and maybe bump up your phos.

 

[Schraufabagel]

I think those species are more sensitive to high alk, esp when you also have low phosphate. They can be grown at high alk it's just more tricky, and minor swings in your water params (particularly phosphate bottoming out) can lead to loss. Try closer to 8 dkh, and maybe bump up your phos.

I’ll try to keep my phos up. With the nature of my Coral Pro salt, the Alk is usually around 11.5. I think once I use that up I may switch to the Red Sea blue bucket for an Alk of 7.7.

 

[Cory]

Fwiw ive lost my birdsnest twice due to it getting tangled in glass algae ive scraped off.

 

[JRCooke]

How fast is it going? I saved my Stylo by doing an ICP and found I had heavy metals, did some water changes and it grew back. It was slowly loosing tissue from bottom up.

 

[Greg P]

Go with the Blue Bucket, and slowly drop you Alk with WCs.
Then when you try new birdsnest start with it lower down. They grow so quickly that the skeleton outgrows the flesh. With high Alk and low nutrients IMO they essentially kill themselves spending all their energy on the skeleton.

 

[fryman]

I’ll try to keep my phos up. With the nature of my Coral Pro salt, the Alk is usually around 11.5. I think once I use that up I may switch to the Red Sea blue bucket for an Alk of 7.7.

Or just reduce dosing AFR and alk will come down. My salt mixes at 11dkh but I keep my tank at 8.5.

Just make sure you change slowly, like over several weeks at least.

 

[PatW]

I have found my birds nests to be pretty sensitive to moves in ALK levels. My acropora often survive those just fine and the birds nests all go belly up. However, when they are happy, my birds nests grow really fast. I think the rapid growth is what gives them the hardy reputation.