Birdsnest problem?

[tjsailosullivan]

I currently have a beautiful birdsnest that started out a small frag and is now almost the size of a volleyball. (almost 2 years) recently it has been deteriorating at the base and rapidly is spreading. I cut some pieces off yesterday with the hope of preventing the spread but still keeps slowly spreading in the same area. Any thoughts?


Tim

 

[JPMagyar]

I've had this happen to colonies and either I left them alone and they got better or I took out the whole colony and put back a small frag. Personally I would frag and start over as my experience is that large Birdsnest colonies are prone to this problem.

Has your tank as a whole filled in so that the flow is more restricted than when you started? Seems like that is a common problem in mature SPS reefs, or is it possible you have a powerhead that's in need of cleaning and not putting out the flow it used to? I've had that problem as well.

 

[Reef Bass]

Birdsnests for me are often canaries or indicators, meaning they start to show issues before other corals in my tank. I would check your alk, ca and particularly mag levels but if they're ok, it may just be the the coral is getting large enough to that the upper branches are preventing light from getting to the lower branches, which can often result in loss of flesh in those areas. Many old large colonies exhibit this to some extent.

 

[AquamanE]

birdsnests for me are often canaries or indicators, meaning they start to show issues before other corals in my tank. I would check your alk, ca and particularly mag levels but if they're ok, it may just be the the coral is getting large enough to that the upper branches are preventing light from getting to the lower branches, which can often result in loss of flesh in those areas. Many old large colonies exhibit this to some extent.

1+

But iv also had them survive a crash due to contaminats in my ro/di, I lost 80% of my SPS, but huge BN colonies not touched. I later lost them when I (stupid idea) dosed fluke tabs to get rid of GSP.

 

[tjsailosullivan]

Thanks all.

Unfortunately, I ended up fragging it up and putting them in a Lugals dip just to play it safe. Kept a good size portion of the mother colony in place. It really killed me to cut this up because it was one of the centerpieces of the tank. I'm thinking it was more of some sort of infection (Bactera) because it was spreading rather rapidly because it started from a smaller birdsnest that was sitting next to it. (Interesting because I just started using the Vodka method and thought it might have induced some bacteria that like the nests. The smaller one was dead in less than 2 days. Hopefully, I think I might it back under control. Will also do a water change today and will be watching them closely over the next day or so.

I did check my readings and all my parameters are sitting pretty good.

Alk 12 (Hanna Checker/photometer)
Calcium (400 range)
Mag 1300 range
PH 8.4
Salinity 1.025
Phosphate .01 (Hanna Checker/photometer)

Attached is the photo before the frag was cut up today.

 

[tjsailosullivan]

DO-DI unit

DO-DI unit

I also checked my RO-DI unit. Just changed the membrane, carbon, DI unit and the micron filter last week. Also theTDS meter is getting 230 in and 000 going out.

 

[ROCKMAN_1]

Sorry for your loss. I had the same thing happen to my BN. I still don't know exactly what happened all my other SPS seem fine.

 

[Reef Bass]

IMHO, alk of 12 (with ca of 400) was / is your problem. IME, birdsnests are very sensitive to high alk levels, especially if they got there quickly.

 

[catman78]

+1 on the high Alk, I would bring it down, especially if you are near a ULNS system. 8.5 @ most

 

[stpauli914]

Weird to read this today. I just lost a huge Stylophora colony(basketball sized) exactly the same way over the last few days. It started as just one branch then spread around over a couple days. Polyps receded then a brown mucous like covering that when I turkey basted just blew off leaving a white skeleton. I fragged a couple pieces, but thats all I salvaged. I have a ORA bird of paradise that is looking iffy as well. All other SPS looks great and no changes in water quality/params/nothing new of any kind. Very strange. Prams below and have been stable for a LONG time.

Temp: 77-79
PH: 8.1-8.3
Alk: 8.5
Calcium: 450
Mag: 1320
PO4: 0
Nitrates: 0

Dose BRS 2 part on dosing pumps. 250gal total water volume. No new additions.

Aaron

 

[tjsailosullivan]

Ok, Heres the latest on the birdsnest. Appreciate everyone's feedback. Interesting to hear other folks having similar issues.

Seems like things are back under control today. I ended up fragging the nest. As you can see in the photo, I took a fairly large portion of it apart and placed it on the opposite end of the tank and covered the cut portion with putty to be sure I don't get any additional spread of the infection on the cut areas.

I also ran my tests on more time today just to play it safe.

Reef Bass, any suggestions on how I should bring that ALK down a bit. Here's where I'm currently at today.

PH 8.3
Calcium 440
MAG 1300
ALK 4.4 Meg/L
OPR 346
Salinity 1.025
Temp 78

 

[Reef Bass]

I just stop dosing and let it drift down. A water change could help though I hear some salt manufacturers are cranking up the alk in their mixes.

Your other numbers look good. I think you mean orp, not opr. I also lost a grapefruit / softball size birdsnest once long ago. Clued me in to chronically low magnesium, which is no longer an issue.