What is up with BIRDSNEST difficulty!

[Montreal Ray]

Hi everyone,

I am successfully keeping acropora, Montipora Caps, Montipora Digitata, Pocillopora....ect. My colors are a tad pale but most are growing very nicely. No matter how many times I try I can not for the life of me keep Birdsnest.

I have tried over 10 different frags in the spam of about 1 year. All of them from different suppliers, diff. types. Not one has lived over 3 weeks.

week 1: PE starts to showily go away
week 2: starting to see signs of RTN
week 3: no more tissue

I acclimate all my frags the same way. 4 weeks on a moveable station, I start at about 2" above the sand and move up to near the top in about 4 weeks.

I'm stumped! I wont stop trying lol..but I'm stumped!

Water chem..

CAL 450 , ALK 9 with Deltec Calcium reactor
Mag 1350-1400 with Kent additive (dose 5-6ML's daily)
Salt 35
Temp 80-81
PH 7.9 - 8.0
PO undetectable
Nitrate undetectable
5-10 gallon water change every 2 weeks.


Ray

 

[Whisperer]

I wish I knew the answer to your question but my BN had grown from the size of a thumbnail to a good 6- inch diameter. It had survived a crash and is not affected by flatworms and red bugs that I am battling now. I, however, cannot keep abrotanoides for more than 1 week. Good luck.

 

[mutateddogbone]

try keeping them down low in your sandbed. most birdsnest seem to me like they like a bit lower lighting, esp when acclimating them

 

[Montreal Ray]

I wish I knew the answer to your question but my BN had grown from the size of a thumbnail to a good 6- inch diameter. It had survived a crash and is not affected by flatworms and red bugs that I am battling now. I, however, cannot keep abrotanoides for more than 1 week. Good luck.

Tought little bugger huh? I wish that was the case for me heh

try keeping them down low in your sandbed. most birdsnest seem to me like they like a bit lower lighting, esp when acclimating them

Yeah, been there..done that. Nothing I try works. I'm thinking that I might give a colony a try, see how it goes. Maybe frags are to delicate for my particular set-up? I don't know.

 

[Ralph ATL]

I couldn't keep them for years..........finally about a year ago....bingo! lol


no clue....upgraded to 400 watt MH (2)...............and vortechs from tunze.....

 

[noobtothereef]

i have encrusting monti's, acros, etc and all grow great and cant keep bn's either, they end up fading and stn/rtn'ing.... when you find an anser let me know lol.

 

[dixiedog]

I'm in the process of killing my second one in a row. First one was pink, this one is (was) green.

The only difference between you and me is, I DO stop trying after I've killed a couple of the same species. I won't try BN again in this tank.

You have a TEK light? Me too. Maybe that's it.

 

[Montreal Ray]

I couldn't keep them for years..........finally about a year ago....bingo! lol


no clue....upgraded to 400 watt MH (2)...............and vortechs from tunze.....

i have encrusting monti's, acros, etc and all grow great and cant keep bn's either, they end up fading and stn/rtn'ing.... when you find an anser let me know lol.

I'm in the process of killing my second one in a row. First one was pink, this one is (was) green.

The only difference between you and me is, I DO stop trying after I've killed a couple of the same species. I won't try BN again in this tank.

You have a TEK light? Me too. Maybe that's it.

I don't think it's the lighting. I had a a dual 250MH with VHO actinics on my old set-up and I had the same results with BN.

I'm determined to figure this out!

 

[whetman]

Just a really big shot in the dark. I am having some of the same symptoms you are having and I am really curious to one thing. You may think this is weird or funny but have you used spa flex on any of your plumbing?

My last setup with the exact same husbandry skills same lighting and same equipment was great with no problem keeping whatever I wanted especially birdsnest, the stuff grew like a weed. But every time I turn off my sump The spa flex I have my tank plumbed with releases this white filmy stuff into the tank. The spa flex is about a year old now. As I said just a blind shot into the dark. Also I got my spa flex at lowes if it matters. Anyone else have this problem with spa flex in their plumbing?

 

[Montreal Ray]

Just a really big shot in the dark. I am having some of the same symptoms you are having and I am really curious to one thing. You may think this is weird or funny but have you used spa flex on any of your plumbing?

My last setup with the exact same husbandry skills same lighting and same equipment was great with no problem keeping whatever I wanted especially birdsnest, the stuff grew like a weed. But every time I turn off my sump The spa flex I have my tank plumbed with releases this white filmy stuff into the tank. The spa flex is about a year old now. As I said just a blind shot into the dark. Also I got my spa flex at lowes if it matters. Anyone else have this problem with spa flex in their plumbing?

spa flex..Is that the white tube with the black insert? I do not use any of that, I was going to use it for my return but decided not to.

I use Home Depo, regular black toilet tubing for my drain. I always wondered if that stuff leached out any harmful chems?

 

[bogg]

Checked your potassium?

 

[jc-reef]

Checked your potassium?

+1...I was going to say have you tried Iodide (potassium iodide)? It worked for me (after 2 losses, it stopped my 3rd birdsnest & digitata from completely STN'ng on me after dosing this stuff).....and both have begun a nice comeback. It also brought back much deeper colors in my Monti caps & couple acros.

 

[toothman]

It hard NOT to grow coral with the following. Over feeding, Large water changes, good phosphate control checked with hanna with gfo and a bunch of light. I see so many people doing too much to their tanks. I would suggest trying oyster feast at night or a hour or two after the lights are off, birdnest like to eat. change a bit more water change.

This could be a big one, try kalk, your ph is low, sps reclly pop when ph is more like 8.3. If you have never used kalk you can try it inexpensively by buying a kent jug for kalk for about twenty five dollars.

My calcium reactor in on the shelf not running, switched to two part, two years ago, with kalk drip also. My corals really grow well. Excess co2 makes algae grow and keeps ph low.


<a href="http://s382.photobucket.com/albums/oo268/eralff/?action=view&current=DSC_0473.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo268/eralff/DSC_0473.jpg" border="0" alt="ORA Birdnest"></a>

 

[Montreal Ray]

Checked your potassium?

I have never tested for that. I will look into this ASAP. Thanks!

+1...I was going to say have you tried Iodide (potassium iodide)? It worked for me (after 2 losses, it stopped my 3rd birdsnest & digitata from completely STN'ng on me after dosing this stuff).....and both have begun a nice comeback. It also brought back much deeper colors in my Monti caps & couple acros.

I started dosing iodide last week. Trying to get my colors back on track.

It hard NOT to grow coral with the following. Over feeding, Large water changes, good phosphate control checked with hanna with gfo and a bunch of light. I see so many people doing too much to their tanks. I would suggest trying oyster feast at night or a hour or two after the lights are off, birdnest like to eat. change a bit more water change.

This could be a big one, try kalk, your ph is low, sps reclly pop when ph is more like 8.3. If you have never used kalk you can try it inexpensively by buying a kent jug for kalk for about twenty five dollars.

My calcium reactor in on the shelf not running, switched to two part, two years ago, with kalk drip also. My corals really grow well. Excess co2 makes algae grow and keeps ph low.

Nice pic man!!

I recently dumped 2-part in favor of a calcium reactor. My alk and cal has been very steady ever since. It was always a yo-yo when I was dosing 2 part. The only draw back, your correct, is the lowish PH. Mind you, 7.9-8.0 is not that bad?

I am controlling Nitrate and Phosphate with cheato. I have a dual 33G sump and one of them is overflowing with cheato. I'd say it's the size of 2 basketballs. Both Nitrate and phosphate are undetectable with my test kits. I do however suspect that my Phosphate will be detectable with a Hanna Checker, I will be purchasing one soon.

What's odd with this situation is I have no problems with my other SPS, they are a tad pale (started Zeo dosing last week) but they completely over grow plugs in about 2 months.

What are you guys testing for besides the usual?

regards,
Ray

 

[Acrotrdco]

Potassium (keep it at 400ppm) and some iodide, but careful with the iodide, overdose that and you'll brown out the rest of your acro and monti's.

I normally dose half to one-third of the recommended dosage of iodide, it seems to work for me.

See how fast my bird's nest and cat's paw grow:

Cat's Paw:
12.6.2010

13.8.2010

27.9.2010

17.1.2011

Bird's Nest
30.9.2010

21.10.2010

17.1.2011

Cat's Paw 2：
10.11.2010

17.1.2010

 

[preef]

I had one green birds nest frag that didn't make it. The rest of my birdsnests grow quickly. I don't add or test for potassium or iodide. I just do weekly water changes. Is it possible that maybe you're dipping them too hard?

 

[Montreal Ray]

Potassium (keep it at 400ppm) and some iodide, but careful with the iodide, overdose that and you'll brown out the rest of your acro and monti's.

I normally dose half to one-third of the recommended dosage of iodide, it seems to work for me.

See how fast my bird's nest and cat's paw grow:

Very nice! I cant seem to find where to buy a Potassium test kit. API, ELOS nor Salifert sells it?

I had one green birds nest frag that didn't make it. The rest of my birdsnests grow quickly. I don't add or test for potassium or iodide. I just do weekly water changes. Is it possible that maybe you're dipping them too hard?

I've tried some without dipping them at all, desperation hehe!

thanks

 

[toothman]

good by yo-yo, purchased it 1 year ago. Attached to cacl and baking soda. Top off water has Mg in it in a 30 gal garbage can with ato (automatic top off brand top off)
http://www.innovativeaquatics.com/

That picture above Phosphate was .03-.06
Nitrates 10-20

 

[smtank]

I have not been able to keep it for 2 years.

I can keep all the highend corals/acropora, they grow and thrive, so parameters are not my problem at all. Neither is lighting and flow. I have kept them before no problems.

Personally I believe that there is a pathogen specific to birdsnest, prehaps viral that quickly sets in and leads to STN.

Been doing this long enough to know that if I can keep wild colony acropora I should have no problems with birdsnest, especially when I start off with a healthy speciman. I am going to give a couple more months and try again.

 

[James404]

I never realized so many had problems keeping birdsnest. My pink and green seem to be doing well so far with just water changes and 2 part. Under 250w Radiums
09/09/10

01/17.11

10/28/10

01/17/11