Birds nest polyps are disappearing

[niQo]

I have this birds nest in my tank and its growing pretty good compared to my other corals. However I've been noticing more and more that at the base it is starting to lose its polyps in certain areas and it has this strange green film (algae I assume).

 

SPS Birdsnest by Nico B., on Flickr

 

Anybody familiar with this? One option would be that it does not get enough light in those areas, but my birds nest is not really that big...

 

Edit:

Tank is an ADA 60-F, nanobox Duo and MP10

[dadummy]

don't think it's light, probably water parameters or flow, and that is algae growing on the skeleton. Looks like cyano on the rocks, I would check the quality of the water

[niQo]

don't think it's light, probably water parameters or flow, and that is algae growing on the skeleton. Looks like cyano on the rocks, I would check the quality of the water

 

Thanks for your response! I've had some cyano for a while, but its actually a lot better right now (the picture is a few days old. Flow could be the problem as it is opposite the return and mp10.

[smeagol108]

If u haven't tried it yet, try your mp10 on short pulse and tune a wave either manually or auto tune. This will make sure u get good flow across the whole tank. Many people myself included always use our mp10S on reef rest of lagoon. It was not until recently I figured out the awesomeness of short pulse mode and waves versus reef crest.

[niQo]

If u haven't tried it yet, try your mp10 on short pulse and tune a wave either manually or auto tune. This will make sure u get good flow across the whole tank. Many people myself included always use our mp10S on reef rest of lagoon. It was not until recently I figured out the awesomeness of short pulse mode and waves versus reef crest.

 

I can give that a try, the problem being that the water level is fairly high and I'm worried about spilling water! I do think I'm running reef crest right now.

[niQo]

So a red montipora is also starting to lose polyps. I just got a new refractometer (Red Sea), with American PinPoint calibration fluid (1.026). After using the calibration fluid, my refractometer reads my tank water as 1.021. If I calibrate it according to the manual, with DI water and set it to 0, my tank water reads 1.026. Except that the refractometer needs to be at 22/23 degrees Celcius to be calibrated, not sure how to get that done in the winter...

 

What to trust? Seriously I thought it was easy to use refractometers and I've had al kinds of issues with them!

[Mariaface]

Honestly, just get some tank water and leave it at room temp with the calibration fluid and the device. Compare them then. You can fine tune your measuring directions later, right?

 

Also, make sure that water changes or salinity changes aren't causing alk/temp/cal/mag spikes, because those parameters need to be stable (alk being the number one culprit in my opinion). Just to be sure, measure ammonia/nitrite/nitrate.

[JavaJacketOC]

Are you using any medications for the cyano? How is it starting to clear up? Do you know what caused the cyano?

 

If you're losing tissue/polyps on your coral it's either due to a predator (monti eating nudi's but IDK if they'd be eating your birdsnest) or there is a water quality issue affecting them.

 

Have you changed salt mixes? If you buy pre-mixed, are you sure you're getting the same mix you've been using? Is your RO 0 TDS?

[niQo]

Honestly, just get some tank water and leave it at room temp with the calibration fluid and the device. Compare them then. You can fine tune your measuring directions later, right?

 

Also, make sure that water changes or salinity changes aren't causing alk/temp/cal/mag spikes, because those parameters need to be stable (alk being the number one culprit in my opinion). Just to be sure, measure ammonia/nitrite/nitrate.

 

I leave my refractometer and the calibration fluid in the living room, so they should both be at room temperature. I guess I can try that with tank water too, does a couple of degrees make a big difference?

 

I don't think the water changes are causing any kind of spikes, but I don't have a way of testing that.

Are you using any medications for the cyano? How is it starting to clear up? Do you know what caused the cyano?

 

If you're losing tissue/polyps on your coral it's either due to a predator (monti eating nudi's but IDK if they'd be eating your birdsnest) or there is a water quality issue affecting them.

 

Have you changed salt mixes? If you buy pre-mixed, are you sure you're getting the same mix you've been using? Is your RO 0 TDS?

 

They Cyano has been gone for about 2 weeks now (as in completely gone, none left whatsoever). I did not medicate at all, just increased feeding and added a fish

 

I've always used IO Reef Crystals, but I will be switching in a few weeks/months when I run out. I make my own salt water, TDS is 5 I think.

 

 

Thanks for the responses!

[Mariaface]

 

I leave my refractometer and the calibration fluid in the living room, so they should both be at room temperature. I guess I can try that with tank water too, does a couple of degrees make a big difference?

 

I don't think the water changes are causing any kind of spikes, but I don't have a way of testing that.

 

I've always used IO Reef Crystals, but I will be switching in a few weeks/months when I run out. I make my own salt water, TDS is 5 I think.

 

 

Go for it. Better to match up each reading at the same temperature and test now, and worry about the calibration at tank temp later.

 

Get a way! Red Sea or Seachem tests behave pretty awesomely for me. You want to make sure you're keeping those levels stable at a reasonable point. For example, I'm aiming for 8dKH alk, 420cal, 1350mag, 80F temperature. Because of what the corals (and coralline algae and other living things) use, I need to dose two-part daily between water changes. And to keep things extra stable, those dosages are spread out throughout the day (with alk and cal separated so I don't cause precipitation).

 

Reef Crystals has some seriously high alkalinity and calcium, for example. If your corals used it up during the week and you went from 11dKH freshly mixed to 8dKH, any significant water change is going to burn their flesh. And in order to compensate for high alk/calcium throughout the week (if you choose to just keep the parameters high), you need high nutrients to match.

[Andreww]

Get a American pinpoint salinity monitor. Seriously, refractometers can be so inaccurate..

 

And I had something similar happen to my birds nest except the algae. Medium to high flow for these guys works best. I still lost mine...My LFS had a huge colony for about 2 years (think 12"+ across) that started to bleach and STN for apparently no reason.(all over not just under branches and shaded areas).. All other corals are perfectly fine, even some more finicky SPS ... And they have like more than 10.000$ worth of coral in that thing...

 

Goes to show that they can die for no reason at all ...or at least not one we can test for.

[JavaJacketOC]

 

I leave my refractometer and the calibration fluid in the living room, so they should both be at room temperature. I guess I can try that with tank water too, does a couple of degrees make a big difference?

 

I don't think the water changes are causing any kind of spikes, but I don't have a way of testing that.

 

They Cyano has been gone for about 2 weeks now (as in completely gone, none left whatsoever). I did not medicate at all, just increased feeding and added a fish

 

I've always used IO Reef Crystals, but I will be switching in a few weeks/months when I run out. I make my own salt water, TDS is 5 I think.

 

 

Thanks for the responses!

 

Are you running any type of chemipure, phosban or anything like that?

 

The issue with having TDS at all is that you don't know what it consists of. Could be metals, could be chlorine/chloramine, etc. If you don't have anything removing it once it's in your tank you're going to get a build up, especially if you're using the water to ATO with that you are to mix the salt.

[niQo]

 

Go for it. Better to match up each reading at the same temperature and test now, and worry about the calibration at tank temp later.

 

Get a way! Red Sea or Seachem tests behave pretty awesomely for me. You want to make sure you're keeping those levels stable at a reasonable point. For example, I'm aiming for 8dKH alk, 420cal, 1350mag, 80F temperature. Because of what the corals (and coralline algae and other living things) use, I need to dose two-part daily between water changes. And to keep things extra stable, those dosages are spread out throughout the day (with alk and cal separated so I don't cause precipitation).

 

Reef Crystals has some seriously high alkalinity and calcium, for example. If your corals used it up during the week and you went from 11dKH freshly mixed to 8dKH, any significant water change is going to burn their flesh. And in order to compensate for high alk/calcium throughout the week (if you choose to just keep the parameters high), you need high nutrients to match.

 

I'll eventually get some test kits. I think I do actually have some, but they might be expired. I've just never had issues doing water changes...

 

Get a American pinpoint salinity monitor. Seriously, refractometers can be so inaccurate..

 

And I had something similar happen to my birds nest except the algae. Medium to high flow for these guys works best. I still lost mine...My LFS had a huge colony for about 2 years (think 12"+ across) that started to bleach and STN for apparently no reason.(all over not just under branches and shaded areas).. All other corals are perfectly fine, even some more finicky SPS ... And they have like more than 10.000$ worth of coral in that thing...

 

Goes to show that they can die for no reason at all ...or at least not one we can test for.

 

I really dislike refractometers, but it seems the american pinpoint isn't without issues either when reading reviews. Having any kind of meter/monitor, you want to be able to trust them, but its hard when you can't know for sure. A number of my corals don't seem quite happy, so I don't think its just the birds nest, but that was the one who showed signs first.

 

 

Are you running any type of chemipure, phosban or anything like that?

 

The issue with having TDS at all is that you don't know what it consists of. Could be metals, could be chlorine/chloramine, etc. If you don't have anything removing it once it's in your tank you're going to get a build up, especially if you're using the water to ATO with that you are to mix the salt.

 

I do not run any kind of media atm. I do plan to add a DI resin to my RO this Christmas break. I've been thinking about getting a reactor, maybe I will...

[JavaJacketOC]

 

I'll eventually get some test kits. I think I do actually have some, but they might be expired. I've just never had issues doing water changes...

 

 

I really dislike refractometers, but it seems the american pinpoint isn't without issues either when reading reviews. Having any kind of meter/monitor, you want to be able to trust them, but its hard when you can't know for sure. A number of my corals don't seem quite happy, so I don't think its just the birds nest, but that was the one who showed signs first.

 

 

I do not run any kind of media atm. I do plan to add a DI resin to my RO this Christmas break. I've been thinking about getting a reactor, maybe I will...

 

Oh, you definately want a DI for your RO to catch anything that gets through the membrane. I would suggest you figure out how to run some chemipure blue or elite, something that has the best catch all until then. I wouldn't be surprised if you're having issues due to the TDS.

[Andreww]

The pinpoint monitor is problematic when used with the adapter and ran as a probe. If you use it with a 9v battery, it works fine.

Self temp calibrating, and always dead on at 53.0 or 1.026 when tested in the fluid they supply.

 

if the water is too cold (around 70) it jumps way high at 1.030 then slowly descends to the true value; if the water is warm at 78-80, it reads lower then slowly increases to the real value. If I jump from tank to unheated bucket, same thing. So yeah temp calibration works .

[mrbigshot]

slow tissue recession at the base of sps corals is almost always because of shading or lack of light in the area. cyno and algae will grow on the bare skeleton after the tissue is gone.