Green Birdsnest help

[MMK1]

Hey guys, Ive had my green birds nest for about 3 weeks and I think its bleaching. It has full polyp extension and seems to be growing, but the skeleton is almost completely white. I have a 24 gallon nano cube and it is currently sitting in the sand. Is this bad? Just looking for a little advice.

[MMK1]

Just an aside, my red monti is also less red. My tank has been up since July 2015 and I haven't yet replaced the light bulbs. Could they be the reason?

[Fluffeh]

they might need more light :x

[CronicReefer]

Could need more light or better spectrum. I also noticed when I was using carbon heavily I started losing some color in my SPS (my montipora started turning grey) so make sure your carbon is not absorbing too much trace elements out of the water.

[masterbuilder]

What lights are you running?

[MMK1]

Im currently using the stock flourecent lights.

[Mathew18]

If it is the stock PC bulbs those are not enough to supprt sps. Especially on the sand bed. Try moving them up and look into different lighting options.

[clownfitch]

How often do you do water changes? They are a necessity in nanos for both nutrient removal as well as trace element replenishment. I suggest 10% weekly as a minimum. That birdsnest bleaching sounds like it may be an alkalinity issue which can be resolved through frequent water changes.

[MMK1]

I usually do water changes every other week because I haven't added any fish yet. My calcium and all were in the correct range the last time I checked really. Im thinking its the lights and that it isn't strong enough for them.