Any idea why my green birdnest looks this way?

M

mooch1982

New member
Hey guys,

I am having some problems with my green birdnest. I actually bought
it in okay shape. It wasn't great. It had a very light green hue on the polyps. After adding it to my tank, it browned out. The polyps became dark brown. Lately the polyps getting direct light have gone white, but the weird thing is the tip and new growth are green. Not a deep green, but they have a green hue. Any idea why it is growing like this?

My tank Parameters are as follows:

20 gallon, 10 gallon sump
250 watt Pheonix 14K DE on icecap on for 10 hours per day
Vortech MP10 for flow
ASM G2 skimmer
Prodibio dosing, Amino acids (ULNS)
I have zero algae, except for some green on live rock. Coraline is growing decently, not dieing anyways.
Calcium 440
Alk 8.8
Mag 1425
Phosphate 0
Nitrate 0
RO/DI water 0 TDS.

Has anyone ever seen this happen before with a green birdnest? I find it strange how some polyps are brown, some white, and new growth glowing a light green. Here is a picture:

rsz_21dsc_0340.jpg
 
I sure hope so, but the improved color is only in the new tips. Does that mean the rest of the frag will continue to look brown/white?
 
I would suggest to slowly reduce the amount of light from 10 hours to 7 or even six. Ten is much too long for that little tank IMO.
 
That is what I call a sour apple birdsnest. Only the tips get that light green. I have seen darker polyps like yours and sometimes lighter ones for the body.

This isn't the type of birdsnest that gets all green, only the tips.
 
29reef said:
I would suggest to slowly reduce the amount of light from 10 hours to 7 or even six. Ten is much too long for that little tank IMO.
Click to expand...

I don't think it's his photoperiod that's the problem. Photoperiod is determined by the corals we keep not so much the size if the tank.

I think the tank is a little too clean. The rock it's on looks like it was just put in the tank. No coralline or algae of any kind. Try feeding the fish and/or coral a bit more. Corals in ULNS tanks tend to look washed out.
 
Thanks for the opinions guys. I am also starting to think it may just be the type of frag I have.

As for lighting, no other coral is being affected and are doing great, and in fact coloring up with 10 hours of lighting. I was running 6 hours before, and slowly increased it over time.

As for this being a ULNS, it certainly is, and I am dosing Elos Aminos every other day, reefbooster once per week and Rods coral food once per week. I am not however over feeding. Just feeding once per day with a variety of foods.
 
I see a few thing I personally dont like about your setup. A 250w over a 20g is a bit much I used a 150w over a 20 and 29 with great results color and growth, IMO 250w is to much. Also your skimmer while a good one is over sized for you set up and may be stripping the water. A ASM G1 or a RO NWB110 would a better sized skimmer. Judging from the pic it looks like the tank is pretty new is aone can cause sps to not do as well. That said it is common for new sps to brown or pale or shift colors once in a new tank. It can take several months for the coral to recover and look 100% again.
 
Thanks everyone. Actually I think I do have a Sour apple birdsnest. Here is a health one:

birdsnest.jpg


As for lighting, it is high, but I have it placed 8 inches above my tank and my stylophora has colored up more after turning up my lights to 10 hours from 6. I did this slowly over some time. Skimmer is also over sized, but is turned off for 48 hours a week when ever I dose reefbooster. I think my corals are hungry and need more frequent feeding. I have started to dose Elos aminos every other day, and have setup a fish feeder to feed 4x per day.

As for the tank being new, well it is, but has been cycled for 2 months now with no apparent algae outbreak, except of course brown diatom, and parameters have been extremely stable.

Calcium 440 (salifert)
Alk 8.6-8.8 (hanna checker)
Mag 1425 (salifert)
Nitrate 0 (API, but no algae in the tank to consume it)
Phosphates 0 (hanna, again nothing to consume it)



I will post results in 2 weeks. I hope this helps!
 
Your tank sounds a lot like my new one. I have had no algae cycle as well aside from diatoms and even that wasnt much. I have also come to the conclusion that I am underfeeding the tank. Its a simple experiment to carry out...just add more food! lol If it spawns algae or if you have a po4 meter that reads much higher or too big a jump then youre feeding too much. Back it down til the tank settles at whatever number you feel is the right one for po4 and nitrate but let your corals and overall tank health tell you if youre cabable of reading its moods. Good luck and also realize that birdnest can take many different shapes and colors in different tanks and/or tank conditions and the growth tips are often stark white(at least on mine). I would say that your PE looks good and you have growth tips so if time doesnt help it out then keep moving it up til it gets the color you want.

Also, just my observation with BN, they do eat more plankton than most other sps do. Mine will catch nearly anything I put in the tank even larger mysis. It usually gets stolen before it can consume it but it does try so that has to account for more thought to feeding it by targeting.
 
chrishayes said:
Your tank sounds a lot like my new one. I have had no algae cycle as well aside from diatoms and even that wasnt much. I have also come to the conclusion that I am underfeeding the tank. Its a simple experiment to carry out...just add more food! lol If it spawns algae or if you have a po4 meter that reads much higher or too big a jump then youre feeding too much. Back it down til the tank settles at whatever number you feel is the right one for po4 and nitrate but let your corals and overall tank health tell you if youre cabable of reading its moods. Good luck and also realize that birdnest can take many different shapes and colors in different tanks and/or tank conditions and the growth tips are often stark white(at least on mine). I would say that your PE looks good and you have growth tips so if time doesnt help it out then keep moving it up til it gets the color you want.

Also, just my observation with BN, they do eat more plankton than most other sps do. Mine will catch nearly anything I put in the tank even larger mysis. It usually gets stolen before it can consume it but it does try so that has to account for more thought to feeding it by targeting.
Click to expand...

Mine is the complete opposite. I have hand fed it mysis, and it just does not hold onto it. In fact, the polyps are extended but they never go for food. My purple stylophora on the other hand eat just about anything, including flakes! It hangs on to them for hours and pass the food on from one polyp to the next sometimes.
 
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