Birdnest-Orange Monticap-feeding/lighting info?

[Thisseemsfishy]

I was curious if I should be feeding my birdsnest and monticap? Coral frenzy, any thoughts? I have a Tek 4x54 t5VHO, placement suggestions?

 

[JustinM]

I feed mine fish poo and light, lol. I have never used coral frenzy. I have my orange monti about half way with 4x24 lighting on a 30 and my pink and green birdsnests about 75% of the way up. They're all growing and good PE and color. You mean T5HO not VHO right?

 

[Thisseemsfishy]

I feed mine fish poo and light, lol. I have never used coral frenzy. I have my orange monti about half way with 4x24 lighting on a 30 and my pink and green birdsnests about 75% of the way up. They're all growing and good PE and color. You mean T5HO not VHO right?

Yes, Sorry. I meant t5ho. Im not sure if I have enough fish poo, my bioload is not that heavy.



Will bridsnest and monticap accept food or should I just let them be

 

[chuckreef]

It is not neccessary with good lighting.
Both of those corals tend to liek moderate light, the cap. more so than the birds nest. If the birds nest looks good, I'd leave it alone. I'd slowly lower the cap. more towards the bottom and to one side, it can handle the lower light and that will leave room above for more corals. It can and will consume real estate quickly.

 

[JustinM]

Their polyps are so tiny I don't know, some forms of plankton maybe. I notice that when I dust off my rocks, my pink gets really fuzzy. I think you are ok with light and fish poo. Maybe someone else has a different opinion about a coral food. Like I said I never used any so I just don't know. I like to keep my bio load down too. How long have you had them?

 

[Thisseemsfishy]

Their polyps are so tiny I don't know, some forms of plankton maybe. I notice that when I dust off my rocks, my pink gets really fuzzy. I think you are ok with light and fish poo. Maybe someone else has a different opinion about a coral food. Like I said I never used any so I just don't know. I like to keep my bio load down too. How long have you had them?

Just a few days.

 

[JustinM]

It primarily feeds on light, so let it go and look for growth in a month. You should notice it, I did in mine at least, for monti caps and birdsnests. Both fast growers. What size tank is it, 55 75 90? Assuming you have a 4ft tank since you have 4x54 lighting.

 

[Thisseemsfishy]

it primarily feeds on light, so let it go and look for growth in a month. You should notice it, i did in mine at least, for monti caps and birdsnests. Both fast growers. What size tank is it, 55 75 90? Assuming you have a 4ft tank since you have 4x54 lighting.

55

 

[JustinM]

Yeah, that is plenty of light for them to not be fed in my opinion, especially if you have nice bulbs combined with a TEK light.

 

[JustinM]

A tip though. If you want your monti cap to spiral give it less flow. If you want it to plate, blast it. The birdsnest just need enough flow to be free of algae and debris.

Also the birdsnest can be a good indicator of water quailty. When trates are higher the tips will be rounded and vice versa when they are low, pointy.

Good luck.

 

[Thisseemsfishy]

A tip though. If you want your monti cap to spiral give it less flow. If you want it to plate, blast it. The birdsnest just need enough flow to be free of algae and debris.

Also the birdsnest can be a good indicator of water quailty. When trates are higher the tips will be rounded and vice versa when they are low, pointy.

Good luck.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[JustinM]

No prob, just passin on what someone told me once.

 

[Flems]

Also the birdsnest can be a good indicator of water quailty. When trates are higher the tips will be rounded and vice versa when they are low, pointy.

Never knew this, thanks for the tip!

 

[JustinM]

Never knew this, thanks for the tip!

I have only read this, I am no chemist, nor biologist. But I can attest to the fact since my trates have went to 0 ppm from 10ppm the new growth is pointy.

This is for the pink birds nest.

 

[Allmost]

hmm not sure about the tips theory ...

mine has round tips where it gets TOO much flow (right in front of a MP40) and pointy on other side !!

not sure though ...

 

[Flems]

I have a green BN and after checking it out most of its new growth is pointier. I too just recently made the drop. It makes sense as the corals likely grow faster in the tips whereas when nitrates are high they have more time to fatten up so to speak.

 

[JustinM]

hmm not sure about the tips theory ...

mine has round tips where it gets TOO much flow (right in front of a MP40) and pointy on other side !!

not sure though ...

Is it thicker too? That is what I have read. Low flow thinner branches and high flow thicker branches. You may be correct. I am by no means an expert. I wish I could find the article. It wasn't a post, it was something written.

Regardless it is a bad a%$ coral that is often overlooked.

 

[kels0948]

That's really good to know about plating or growing more in a spiral on the monti caps great info