Rapid bird nest die-off?

[WhitePanther93]

So I had a green birds nest for several months. It went from a little stick to a small little colony. But now there’s just a little bit of dull colored polyps left at the tips of the colony.

It started off towards the center of the colony and over a week or two just spread to the tips.

Im pretty sure it’s not a water quality issue as there is another birds nest doing just fine a few inches away.

many ideas?

 

[Dburr1014]

So I had a green birds nest for several months. It went from a little stick to a small little colony. But now there’s just a little bit of dull colored polyps left at the tips of the colony.

It started off towards the center of the colony and over a week or two just spread to the tips.

Im pretty sure it’s not a water quality issue as there is another birds nest doing just fine a few inches away.

many ideas?

How is your flow? Probably restricted within the branches.
Edit: probably, it's in a valley also.

 

[homegrowncichlid]

that happens to me quite often to, I believe its a biotic factor, some infection (or free floating stinging tissue) touched it and the area dies out. That plus a little stress, (possible temperature spike) may have started it. Once it starts, there's no stopping it, except for physical fragging and removing the living area from the "infected" area. Others also use super glue to "seal" off the infected area, however the simplest thing for me... I keep multiple frags of my corals as insurance for just this situation.

 

[DE FISH]

How is your flow? Probably restricted within the branches.
Edit: probably, it's in a valley also.

As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I take a look at my polyps and realize there's not much left!

All jokes aside Birdsnest can be tricky how people can call them a beginner friendly sps coral is beyond me I had a similar issue a while back. It just bleached on me with just the tips having polyps :/

 

[The_Skrimp]

These guys stn due to their own branches blocking flow and light. I had to restart a colony recently because of it.
Usually, as long as you cut the dead parts off the new frags will grow just fine but I’d restart it somewhere where it’ll get heavy flow.

 

[sculpin01]

I agree that it is likely an infection. That colony is not likely to make it, but fragging above the site of infection is a good idea. In terms of additional therapy, a potassium chloride dip for the frags may be useful.

 

[vetteguy53081]

So I had a green birds nest for several months. It went from a little stick to a small little colony. But now there’s just a little bit of dull colored polyps left at the tips of the colony.

It started off towards the center of the colony and over a week or two just spread to the tips.

Im pretty sure it’s not a water quality issue as there is another birds nest doing just fine a few inches away.

many ideas?

I found over the last 2 decades these particular coral to be subject to both Shading from light and STN.
Check your temperature and salinity to assure not elevated. Temperature stress can increase chances of coral disease development in several ways by creating stress in the coral zooxanthellae and decreasing its resistance to infection, increasing growth and virulence of opportunistic coral pathogens, and decreasing the production of antimicrobials by symbiotic bacteria in the coral mucus, thereby facilitating the growth of opportunistic and potentially pathogenic bacteria.

Some possible triggers of infection are:
- Alkalinity spike
- Temperature spike
- Salinity spike
- Low dissolved oxygen
- Poor water quality related with phosphate levels up to 5 ppm
- Change in water flow
- Additions of sand
- Changes in brand of salt
- Bad test kits giving faulty results
- Levels of minor elements such as Iodine, Potassium, Strontium
- Light intensity
- - Changes in water flow
- Addition of new corals
- - Pesticides
- Airborne Contaminants or sprays

 

[Apotack]

when mine does that it’s because of a change in alk.

 

[WhitePanther93]

These guys stn due to their own branches blocking flow and light. I had to restart a colony recently because of it.
Usually, as long as you cut the dead parts off the new frags will grow just fine but I’d restart it somewhere where it’ll get heavy flow.

Don't colonies usually grow to accommodate the conditions they're in? i remember watching a tidal gardens video a while back where he said it was a better idea to get a frag rather than a full grown colony because of this.

 

[Uncle99]

Don't colonies usually grow to accommodate the conditions they're in? i remember watching a tidal gardens video a while back where he said it was a better idea to get a frag rather than a full grown colony because of this.

I see a torch in that pic, can he reach your birdsnest?
He will sting what he can touch.
Some have great reach with a couple of tentacles.

 

[WhitePanther93]

I see a torch in that pic, can he reach your birdsnest?
He will sting what he can touch.
Some have great reach with a couple of tentacles.

Nah the torch is too high up, and it’s got shorter tentacles.

 

[Uncle99]

Nah the torch is too high up, and it’s got shorter tentacles.

Very strange, that is a really hearty coral, very tolerant.
A pest maybe, other corals indicate good water chemistry.
Munched?

Very strange.

 

[Dburr1014]

Very strange, that is a really hearty coral, very tolerant.
A pest maybe, other corals indicate good water chemistry.
Munched?

Very strange.

For the longest time I couldn't keep a birdsnest. All others fine.
I just got a frag a couple months ago and so far so good.
Birdsnest are finicky.

 

[DE FISH]

For the longest time I couldn't keep a birdsnest. All others fine.
I just got a frag a couple months ago and so far so good.
Birdsnest are finicky.

Agreed finicky is the exact word for them

 

[ScottB]

I found over the last 2 decades these particular coral to be subject to both Shading from light and STN.
Check your temperature and salinity to assure not elevated. Temperature stress can increase chances of coral disease development in several ways by creating stress in the coral zooxanthellae and decreasing its resistance to infection, increasing growth and virulence of opportunistic coral pathogens, and decreasing the production of antimicrobials by symbiotic bacteria in the coral mucus, thereby facilitating the growth of opportunistic and potentially pathogenic bacteria.

Some possible triggers of infection are:
- Alkalinity spike
- Temperature spike
- Salinity spike
- Low dissolved oxygen
- Poor water quality related with phosphate levels up to 5 ppm
- Change in water flow
- Additions of sand
- Changes in brand of salt
- Bad test kits giving faulty results
- Levels of minor elements such as Iodine, Potassium, Strontium
- Light intensity
- - Changes in water flow
- Addition of new corals
- - Pesticides
- Airborne Contaminants or sprays

I am going to tag on this post to the thread because it highlights something.
Birdsnest corals (there are many) are marketed as EASY SPS. Well, after nearly two decades I can confidently share this opinion: That huge list of potential stress events for this species should tell you that it is not a beginner species. Sure, it grows like mad when happy. Outpaces everything else. And then Bam!

 

[Nano sapiens]

I have to agree with the majority that Birdsnest corals should not be considered the easy SPS that many books and articles have made them out to be. I believe that this designation is largely due to the fact that back-in-the-day the selection of BNs was much more limited (mostly S. hystrix, sometimes S. caliendrum) so higher light conditions would often lead to good results, while today we have many more different species/morphs available that occur at varying depths in nature from shallow all the way down to the upper mesophotic zone.

Once you have the conditions right (especially lighting/flow) for the particular species/morph in your care, then and only then do they become 'An easy SPS'.