red grape going pale

[mizimmer90]

I added some red grape macro to my tank a couple days ago. It looked fantastic when I first put it in the tank (see pics) but it's been turning pale and losing its grapes. Is this normal stress from transport?

Lights are nicrew 100W set at 10% and on a 10 hr schedule

First pic and current pic:

 

[Rtaylor]

No, not normal. It’s dying. If there are sections that still look good, separate them from the rest.

 

[JoJosReef]

At 10%, what kind of PAR are you getting? I don't think Botry needs particularly intense light, but 10% seems low to me. Mine is under an AI Prime getting around 150-200 PAR. Home tank it is getting around 100-150 under bars.

It also needs some nutrients. What kind of NO3/PO4 do you have?

According to John at ReefCleaners (where I got mine), it is normal for Botry to lose grapes during/after shipment. In fact, min arrrived with only a few grapes, but it all grew back.

Snails decimated mine (not eating, just knocking it over and breaking off branches). It was just a few nilubs for a while and I thought it was a goner. It grew back. I'm giving away cuttings every few weeks now.

Just watch that it doesn't go sexual and cloud up your tank!

 

[JoJosReef]

P.s., with all those clear grapes, I'd probably trim that down, cutting the stalks down until they are mostly red grapes.

 

[mizimmer90]

No, not normal. It’s dying. If there are sections that still look good, separate them from the rest.

At 10%, what kind of PAR are you getting? I don't think Botry needs particularly intense light, but 10% seems low to me. Mine is under an AI Prime getting around 150-200 PAR. Home tank it is getting around 100-150 under bars.

It also needs some nutrients. What kind of NO3/PO4 do you have?

According to John at ReefCleaners (where I got mine), it is normal for Botry to lose grapes during/after shipment. In fact, min arrrived with only a few grapes, but it all grew back.

Snails decimated mine (not eating, just knocking it over and breaking off branches). It was just a few nilubs for a while and I thought it was a goner. It grew back. I'm giving away cuttings every few weeks now.

Just watch that it doesn't go sexual and cloud up your tank!

P.s., with all those clear grapes, I'd probably trim that down, cutting the stalks down until they are mostly red grapes.

I don't know the exact par, but I turned the lights up to 30%, which should be ~30W.

I measured my params and found the phosphate and nitrates to be low: 0.03 ppm and 2 ppm, respectively. I was using some rox carbon and removed it, in case that's keeping my params too low. Are there any quick ways to increase nutrients? A mega feeding?

I tried trimming the stalks but the second i touched the macros, little grape ballons billowed up and filled my tank! Bit of a diaster and took me about 30 min with a net to fish 90% of them out.

I'm a little scared to touch them right now lol. Does trimming help them survive or is it only for asthetics? I managed to grab one with a nice red stalk and trim it, but it shed all of its grapes. Even the good looking ones!

 

[AlgaeBarn]

@mizimmer90 What are your water parameters at? -Raven

 

[mizimmer90]

@mizimmer90 What are your water parameters at? -Raven

Nitrites: 0 ppm
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrates: 3 ppm
Phosphates: 0.03
PH: 8.15
Alkalinity: 9.1 dKh
Calcium: 380 ppm
Magnesium: 1260
Temperature: kept ~78 F

I was thinking my nitrates are low so I got a supplement yesterday and starting dosing. Most of the grapes have either fallen off or turned completely pale.

I did notice that under a blue light, there is some stringy fluorescent red bits (my camera can't seem to take a picture of it fluorescing). Is all hope lost or is there a chance it will grow back?

 

[GottaLottaDogs]

Chaetogro fixed mine

 

[mizimmer90]

Chaetogro fixed mine

Your Botrycladia came back after losing its grapes? If Chaetogro will fix this, I'll buy it right now lol

 

[GottaLottaDogs]

Your Botrycladia came back after losing its grapes? If Chaetogro will fix this, I'll buy it right now lol

Yep, I was already dosing for my ogo, but I started having pale grapes and losing them, so I doubled my dosage and grew new baby grapes in no time.

 

[mizimmer90]

Yep, I was already dosing for my ogo, but I started having pale grapes and losing them, so I doubled my dosage and grew new baby grapes in no time.

I'll give it a try!

 

[JoJosReef]

Your Botrycladia came back after losing its grapes? If Chaetogro will fix this, I'll buy it right now lol

Mine also went from zero grapes to overgrowomg. I didn't dose chaetogro, but I did maintain NO3 from 2-5ppm. Never had PO4 at zero.

 

[mizimmer90]

Mine also went from zero grapes to overgrowomg. I didn't dose chaetogro, but I did maintain NO3 from 2-5ppm. Never had PO4 at zero.

That's good to know! My fingers are crossed. I absolutely loved the look of this macro and want to keep it!!

 

[Subsea]

Bortacladia is collected in 30’ - 120’ of water. When I get it from the divers it is a dark burgundy. It is not a fast grower. Under bright light it will turn fire engine red and under intense light it is yellow/orange. In a 55G grow out tank, I had Bortacladia sprigs growing everywhere including inside an HOB a year after it went sexual.

Get your nitrogen & phosphate numbers higher before you get a more serious problem.

Marine Plants in the Aquarium

macroalgae, marine plants, caulerpa, refugium substrate, marine macroalgae for sale

www.marineplantbook.com

 

[mizimmer90]

Bortacladia is collected in 30’ - 120’ of water. When I get it from the divers it is a dark burgundy. It is not a fast grower. Under bright light it will turn fire engine red and under intense light it is yellow/orange. In a 55G grow out tank, I had Bortacladia sprigs growing everywhere including inside an HOB a year after it went sexual.

Get your nitrogen & phosphate numbers higher before you get a more serious problem.

Marine Plants in the Aquarium

macroalgae, marine plants, caulerpa, refugium substrate, marine macroalgae for sale

www.marineplantbook.com

What are the "more serious problems" associated with lower nitrogen/phosphate?

 

[Subsea]

cynobactetia & dino’s have developed opportunistic strategies to outcompete desirable photosynthetic organisms when others are nitrogen or phosphorus limited.