Birdsnest help please

[Hightower33]

I have a mainly lps tank but wanted to try sps in the middle to fill things out more. Yes I do have VHO so dont knock me for that, howver the lfs still suggested that some sps will do well with VHO provided they are high up.

He suggested (and i bought) a monti and a birdsnest. Monti is doing great, however the birdsnest doesnt look so good. In particular with algae growing on it. I find this puzzling, since they need lots of flow, I directed the tunze right on it. There is a little bit of recession, at tips, but hard to notice. I've had it for 3 weeks.

Calcium is 440
Alk and magnesium and everything else is in check as other corals are thriviing.

Suggestions?

 

[BLKTANG]

First dont point thr flow directly at it,it will remove tissue.Second snap off the tips with the algae on it,& cross your fingers.IMO a birdsnest is not "an easy sps to keep".

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

Was the birdsnest wild collected or a captive frag? IMO wild ones are very very difficult to keep.

I agree with EXPEDITION about the flow as well, yes they need strong flow, but not a direct stream blast.

 

[CeeGee]

I get the same thing. They seem to be very finnicky about flow.

 

[REEF-DADDY]

IME then need tons of flow and clean water. whats your po4 and no3 check out at?

 

[Hightower33]

PO4 is practically nil, and NO3 is 5

The tunze is pointed at it, but is still about a little over a ft away.

The ends can't really be cut off because the algae seems to be growing in the middle of its branches.

 

[Hightower33]

Bottom line. Should a birdsnest be able to survive in a VHO tank given than other params are good?

 

[rleechb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8402242#post8402242 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Hightower33
Bottom line. Should a birdsnest be able to survive in a VHO tank given than other params are good?

yes.

 

[BLKTANG]

Ditto

 

[BLKTANG]

Ditto

 

[cwegescheide]

Everything I have ever heard of the birdsnest is that its an easy to keep coral. I also would not point a Tunze directly at ANY coral.

I know a couple guys that has SPS tanks with VHO. One of them the most beautiful tanks I've ever seen.

Chris

 

[wentreefgirl]

Ditto on all the above except birdsnest isnt a beginner hard coral. Thats not to say you wont be successful. Get it out of direct flow from tunze and give it perhaps bounce off movement, snap the tips off as said above and watch and wait. Good luck.

 

[NuclearReefs]

they like flow around them. not at them... its one of the few sps that reacts well to steady iodine as well... is it up high or low in the tank?