Birdnest Trouble!!

[ClayTheSavageFraser]

Anyone else have trouble keeping them? What do I need to do with a birdsnest coral? I love them and i seem to just kill them!!! I am getting so frunstrated!!

 

CLay

[Kung Fu Spider Crab]

I love these corals and I"ve not had any success with them either. When I asked this same question it was a little to late. The brown was the eventual death of it. I'll be watching to see what feedback you get. The only thing that I've come up with so far is adding magnesium. I'm watching a montapora and a acro that have been holding on over the last few months, and don't seem to be getting any worse since I started this about three weeks ago.

[finch6013]

really good flow seems to be very important.

[coralreefer]

I have heard how easy they are to keep but I also have no luck...following along...

 

DrMerle

[reefnjunkie]

Anyone else have trouble keeping them? What do I need to do with a birdsnest coral? I love them and i seem to just kill them!!! I am getting so frunstrated!!

 

CLay

 

So do you have other SPS and if so how are they?

 

This is specific to only B/N (depending on answer to earlier Q)

 

No new additions, changing in lights,-anything you are doing "new" or have they never done well?

 

Is it safe to assume your params are stable-really stable-not "on average" but day in and day out they are stable?

 

Just googled and found this;

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/reef/sm_stony/information/Keeping-Acropora-Corals.php#Keeping Acropora Corals

 

I am relatively new Clay so your reefing experience I have no clue of-I did pick up a couple things here that I did not realize where that bad, maybe you will too-

Like, I'm glad I got rid of my 20.00 leather that resided next to my purple monster, garf bonzai, and 30K leagues-LOL

[grassi]

I lost my big one a couple of weeks ago. I still have 2 frags, medium size from the same colony (in the same spot less or more) and they are doing great. Lights, water, flow, food.. everything right and all the other sps doing great too.

With the pink no problem at all. I think, like us, sometimes they just die.

[finch6013]

I too had problems with BN untill I set up my most recent tank. Something must have changed because now they are doing great. Maybe you need a new tank

[grassi]

Interesting link. In some previous researches and some consulting with some friends in Italy I was told that sps do like a lower alkalinity for growing faster (in the 2.5 meq area) because this is what is in nature.

No idea about what's behind that though...

For more intense coloration, instead, the 3.5-4.2 range seems to work better.

So they keep frag tanks (or new tanks) around 2.5meq and the display around 3.5.

Problem is that when I asked what "mature" means the answer was colonies that are in your tank for more than 5 years DOH!

But they should survive in both scenarios.

 

 

So do you have other SPS and if so how are they?

 

This is specific to only B/N (depending on answer to earlier Q)

 

No new additions, changing in lights,-anything you are doing "new" or have they never done well?

 

Is it safe to assume your params are stable-really stable-not "on average" but day in and day out they are stable?

 

Just googled and found this;

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/reef/sm_stony/information/Keeping-Acropora-Corals.php#Keeping Acropora Corals

 

I am relatively new Clay so your reefing experience I have no clue of-I did pick up a couple things here that I did not realize where that bad, maybe you will too-

Like, I'm glad I got rid of my 20.00 leather that resided next to my purple monster, garf bonzai, and 30K leagues-LOL

[stylaster]

They grow like weeds for me. Here is what im doing

Pink colored ones high up in the light and lots of alternating water flow

Other colors about midway in the tank again lots of alternating water flow

Keep up your PH, ALK, MG, and CA up at NSW and you should be fine.

They are also sensitive to temp changes, i have lost a few when it went above 83 in the tank

[andy]

lots of alternating water flow

 

This is the key ingredient. IME, their dense growth pattern leads to reduced flow around the center of the colony. My birdsnests really took off when I used controllable Tunzes to get wave-motion.

[finch6013]

This is the key ingredient. IME' date=' their dense growth pattern leads to reduced flow around the center of the colony. My birdsnests really took off when I used controllable Tunzes to get wave-motion.[/quote']

 

again I agree to flow being a big factor. When I started using a vortech on wave mode I noticed all of my sps growth changed for the better. Even areas of the tank that normally have no flow at least get water movement now.

[Emerald525]

We noticed when we added the seaswirl to the tank that the corals showed better polyp extension and then the seaswirl broke.(flame) This was the same day that everything else was leaking. Great customer service with the seaswirl by the way they are sending us a new one before we even mail the other one back.

 

I'm a newbie and the birdnest was the first thing we got and it is growing the best.

 

This is an interesting article about acans and other corals.I found helpful.

http://www.asira.org/caresheets

[impur]

Grow like weeds for me too. I've grown a 1" frag out to a softball sized colony twice in the last 6-8 months. Mine get a lot of flow and are up high in the tank.

 

I just got a birds of paradise from Jody so looking forward to seeing how it does for me.

[ciao]

My first SPS was a birdsnest and it's growing like gangbusters since I got it back in December. I have two other birdsnest as well and they are doing great! I get at least 2mm of growth each month I would say.

[Mandinga]

my ponape grows fast. It is under intense lighting and high/alternating flow.

 

like others have said, keep your other params in check...ALK, CA, MAG. low/no trates...the standard stuff...

 

 

I have noticed that frags do quite well when the tip is intact. When it is a frag in the middle of the branch, brown slime has been a problem.

[reefnjunkie]

I guess we know who to watch out for in the SPS GOC-(scratch)

 

I mis read the thread, I thought he was asking for help not a swift kick in the nutz-:eek:

 

LMAO @ that 1-dont be hating poeple.

 

Maybe Clay will post up what he has for flow, lights all that "junk" we ask about when trying to "help"

 

Oh, and for the record.......they grow faster than weeds in my tank-(laugh)

 

Sorry Clay-free frag if you want one-that would be two I have offered up-except I killed the 4 blue polyped zoo-I needed the space-:eek:

[Mandinga]

Didn't Clay win the GOC for Zoas? That might be why some sps doesnt do so well...

[ClayTheSavageFraser]

LOL!! Thank for the killer response!!! I have 3 400w metal halides and 2 vhos they are about 7 inches from the surface of the water and the rock gets to about 4 inches from the surface. ph 8.3 -0 nitrates/nitrites alk is at 10 calcium 400 salinity 1.023 0 ammonia I have a mixed reef, acros are not coloring up but they are alive and am not sure what is going on with them either. Montis are also going slow. I have a aqua c 240 on my 300 gallons of water volume. I have a 100 gallon sump in the garage that my display feeds too.

 

Clay

[reefboy]

have you tested your Ph a few hours after lights go out to see what the swing is? also if acro's are not coloring up and your nutrient levels are in check then you may be having a Ph issue or possibly heat as these both can cause these issues in sps.

[7Max-GTE]

Let me know if you want to use my PH meter, Clay. I just got a PH pen and it's ridiculously fun to use for me. It's not that im easily amused, I just always wanted one to play with :]

[reefnjunkie]

Those params seem fine, I agree with Jody on possible heat. My self I will see swings of 8.13 at a high to 7.85 at a low when lights are out (just until my APEX gets online)-I will assume you have zero Phospahte

I keep my tank around;

SG at 1.024-1.025

Mg around 1400-1450.

I like my Ca at 450-500

Kh 11-12

I dose Strontium/molybenium (spelling?), Iodine

Feed Phyto and Oyster feast daily(reef nutrition), cyclopeze every other day and Coral Vite Weekly-If anything I would think you are blasting them with the lights. I say that because I run dual 250DE MH 14K, the bulbs are about 7.5 inches from the surface with the closet SPS 2-3 inches below, and that's after acclimating them to that height.

I have mounted frags at the top to soon and fried them. It could be nutrients although they don't require it but it certainly helps.

I have had 3 of the aqua line skimmers the 150, 180, and the remora HOB-In my personal experience contrary to what others are going to say-I am not impressed to say the least and based on my experience which could ALL BE MY FAULT-I would not use one if it was given to me-well if I did not have anything else I might and only until the one I order showed up-Mine was way to touchy-enough on that.

What type of flow do you have, I mean what is your turn over in your tank-you should shoot for a minimum (again IMO) of 30x, I am between 40x-68x depending on the vortechs, I use reef crest which goes from 10% power to 100% power and I have those (both) set on full blast plus a return pump with head loss at 1150 GPH-so at max I am 5150 GPH and at the min I am 3150 for my 75 gallon tank.

Anyway-I hope you find out what it is, I am guessing it is a combo of small things perhaps-Frustrating none the less-

Nothing worse than trouble shooting our reef tanks-

Good luck Bro

[siskiou]

I used to not be able to keep them, but now that my tank is more mature, most everything I put into it seems to do fine.

Maybe let things settle in for a while and then try one again?

[MadReefer]

Mine grow very fast. Compared to most I way under skim, I have less water flow, I have low quality light, and I do less water changes. I also don't use GFO or anything like that, just a little bag of carbon.

So why would mine do so well? It must be stability.

Oh, I almost forgot. I use BRS two part and try to keep my alk at 8-9 and calcium about 400. Although recently I havent' been testing and my cal dropped to 310.

I'll be driving to Oregon in July and I can give you some of my birdsnest if you still need it.

[CCR]

Mine are growing slowly, but have great polyp extenchin I'm looking for different frags of BN as it's one of my favorite corals. Money is just too tight to buy at the moment

[ClayTheSavageFraser]

BUDDY!! THAT IS SO NICE OF YOU!! I COULD NEVER TURN DOWN SOME!! THANK YOU! I WILL DO MY BEST TO FIGURE THIS OUT SO I DON'T KILL THEM!! I REALLY LOVE BIRDNEST!! If I could keep my addiction to everything that is pretty in check I think I would have a tank full of birdsnest, acan lords, dendros, suncoral and zoanthids! Love them!! But, I love all bright pretty coral! So I have a bit of everything! lol!!

 

Clay

 

Mine grow very fast. Compared to most I way under skim, I have less water flow, I have low quality light, and I do less water changes. I also don't use GFO or anything like that, just a little bag of carbon.

So why would mine do so well? It must be stability.

Oh, I almost forgot. I use BRS two part and try to keep my alk at 8-9 and calcium about 400. Although recently I havent' been testing and my cal dropped to 310.

I'll be driving to Oregon in July and I can give you some of my birdsnest if you still need it.