Why not?

[andycake]

So guys why can't I seem to keep or grow a healthy bit of birds nest coral? But my tank is bursting with much harder to keep and grow corals?

 

[Scorpius]

You're not going to get any responses without details about your system, it's chemistry, and etc.

 

[sahin]

PLease post parameters and details about complete filtration system. What are the other corals which are harder to keep?

 

[andycake]

Kh 9.3
Phos reads below 0.03
Nitrate reads below 1 ppm
Cal 450
Mag1350
Potassium 400
Sg 1.25

Running tmc pellets and rowa
400w 10,000k halide

 

[rovster]

My tank is full of acros and I have the same problem with birdsnest and stylos. Have killed several!

 

[w3bbo]

They both grow like weeds in my tank but I have very high nutrients. (no3=50, PO4 =0.2). Position isn't important but they don't generally like being blasted with direct flow.

Sg=35
Temp=26.2
Ca=435
dKH=7.1
Mg=1380
k=400
Ph=8.2-8.3

 

[moatdaddy]

you should have excess algae with nutrients that high, your tank looks like an ulns thought. My birdsnest did not like the high t5 light, went to different lower light led and its growing again. same system.

 

[w3bbo]

Yeah I know I 'should' have algae but I don't, I've never had any algae in my tank, inc coraline except for the odd spots. I have an urchin which devours all that and I assume my tangs and foxface take care of any green algae issues.

PO4 tested with Hanna; NO3 with Salifert & Red Sea. Even got the LFS to check rather than buying another test kit and their's came out the same. It's far from ulns though as colours are too saturated and not pale/pastel coloured.

When I did run ulns the stylophora, guttatus and hysterix didn't really like it too much but I got better colours on the acros. I think the above mentioned corals do better in 'slightly' dirtier water but perhaps not to the extreme my setup runs at!

 

[shih87]

Birdnest particular need both currents and turbulence in main tank, and if you keep more than 15 full cycles per hours, make sure figure a way to keep food in main tank, not overflow take them down to see yours skimmer too fast.

Just my two cents

 

[nuttyd]

Think you might have a tank that is too clean. My birdnest like a little dirtier water.

 

[scrapz]

Can't say. Some people just can't keep birdnest alive even though they are keeping some of the touchiest coral in the world. Maybe you got one of those dud frags that never grow.

 

[Scorpius]

They both grow like weeds in my tank but I have very high nutrients. (no3=50, PO4 =0.2). Position isn't important but they don't generally like being blasted with direct flow.

Sg=35
Temp=26.2
Ca=435
dKH=7.1
Mg=1380
k=400
Ph=8.2-8.3

I'll never complain about my 10ppm nitrates and .05 phosphate I currently run ever again. Nice tank .

 

[w3bbo]

Thanks mate.

I'm not advocating running high nutrients - far from it! I've tried a few options available to reduce nutrients (vodka, biopellets, NOPOX, GFO, Cheato) with varying degrees of success and failure over the years and while I haven't given up, I've stopped chasing low numbers and stressing about it when those numbers don't drop.

My tank is thriving but as we know, every tank is different and as above, most tanks with this level of nutrients would be smothered in GHA. I think balance and stability is much more important to a successful reef than driving any one figure up or down.

I still maintain that Guttatus and hysterix don't like ULNS hence why they are considered starter SPS corals as most newcomers to the hobby will invariably have nutrient issues and instability and these corals are a little more forgiving than other SPS such as acropora. That isn't to say you can't keep acros or more difficult corals (see below!) with elevated nutrients but I think nutrient control importance is over emphasized. Keeping the big 3 stable is MUCH more important in my opinion.

 

[Scorpius]

Thanks mate.

I'm not advocating running high nutrients - far from it! I've tried a few options available to reduce nutrients (vodka, biopellets, NOPOX, GFO, Cheato) with varying degrees of success and failure over the years and while I haven't given up, I've stopped chasing low numbers and stressing about it when those numbers don't drop.

My tank is thriving but as we know, every tank is different and as above, most tanks with this level of nutrients would be smothered in GHA. I think balance and stability is much more important to a successful reef than driving any one figure up or down.

I still maintain that Guttatus and hysterix don't like ULNS hence why they are considered starter SPS corals as most newcomers to the hobby will invariably have nutrient issues and instability and these corals are a little more forgiving than other SPS such as acropora. That isn't to say you can't keep acros or more difficult corals (see below!) with elevated nutrients but I think nutrient control importance is over emphasized. Keeping the big 3 stable is MUCH more important in my opinion.

I'm starting to dabble in Acro's and I'm trying my hardest to keep my alk stable. Calcium and magnesium stability have never been much of an issue for my tank.