Help!! Bleaching my Birdsnest?!
- Thread starter xmike24
- Start date
xmike24
Dog Trainer
Dexters Reef
New member
Looks like stress from light or off parameters. Good news is the polyps are still out. Ill try to help but need a little more info. Lets start with this:
What size is your tank, what kind of lights do you have? How far is this coral from the lights?
What are your alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium values?
How long have you had this coral? Do you have any other SPS?
Edit: Also, how long did it take to go from green to the current pic? Did the colors fade, or did you notice any peeling?
What size is your tank, what kind of lights do you have? How far is this coral from the lights?
What are your alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium values?
How long have you had this coral? Do you have any other SPS?
Edit: Also, how long did it take to go from green to the current pic? Did the colors fade, or did you notice any peeling?
xmike24
Dog Trainer
15G nano
I just moved it up closer to the lights
Haven't checked alk/cal/mag recently, was planning on doing that today
Had it for several months
No I don't have any other SPS
It took awhile I guess, I never really saw a change until a couple days ago since I had been looking at it everyday. Colors faded, no peeling.
Dexters Reef
New member
Ok good info. If there was peeling that is a sign of bad alkalinity. Your alkalinity could still be off, but my guess is not significantly.
My guess would be lighting, and moving it higher was a good move. Hopefully it colors up (should happen slowly over a few weeks). Keep an eye on the polyps, if they stop coming out that would be a sign things are getting worse.
I bleached a birds nest, looked pretty bad. Polyps were out and still purple though. I kept my parameters stable, didn't move it, and after a few weeks it's got back color and is mostly recovered
My guess would be lighting, and moving it higher was a good move. Hopefully it colors up (should happen slowly over a few weeks). Keep an eye on the polyps, if they stop coming out that would be a sign things are getting worse.
I bleached a birds nest, looked pretty bad. Polyps were out and still purple though. I kept my parameters stable, didn't move it, and after a few weeks it's got back color and is mostly recovered
xmike24
Dog Trainer
The higher I put it, the polyps started to close up, I've moved it a tad bit lower hoping it will help?
defchild84
New member
When you say big water change, how big of a water change in a 15g ? SPS are very sensitive to swings in parameters, changes in GFO, Lighting, flow. All of these and more need to be stable, so when adding, changing, or shifting, be sure to do it slowly. I've found birdsnests to be sensitive to swings in alkalinity, so test daily for a couple weeks until you figure out the demand of your tank, and get the 'feel' of your tank. As you add more livestock, and sps especially, it will shift your balance in your params, so check, check check.
Try to acclimate the coral to your lighting also by lowering the coral, or lowering the hours of your lighting period
Try to acclimate the coral to your lighting also by lowering the coral, or lowering the hours of your lighting period
blackthunda77
New member
I disagree with moving it higher. When i have an sps coral that bleaches like that moving it in the shade lower in the tank usually helps. Most recently helped with a green monti cap and a jedi mind trick. Doing the same with an idaho grape frag. Just moved it in a corner of the tank with lower light. All corals stated had good PE but the colors were fading/bleaching.
i am no expert but i have bleached a birdsnest and managed to bring it back. i retrofitted my biocube 29 to LED and baked my tank for a week before i realized how powerfull LEDs are. My birdsnest looked the same as yours. I reduced my LED power to about 75% and about a month later my birdsnest colored back up.
The polyps stayed extended throughout the ordeal. It just got ugly and sikly looking.
Move that fella down, keep it in good flow and LEAVE IT ALONE! or turn your lights down.
good luck to ya
The polyps stayed extended throughout the ordeal. It just got ugly and sikly looking.
Move that fella down, keep it in good flow and LEAVE IT ALONE! or turn your lights down.
good luck to ya
