Birdsnest coral loosing flesh! help!

[Hazy]

I have a large birdsnest coral that I’ve owned for at least six months or longer, and it’s been doing great for a long time. Now all of the sudden it’s loosing flesh from the base upward and I want to save it. I haven’t had time to check parameters, or take a picture but I will the moment I have time to do so 

 

please help 

[Hazy]

Ok so here is a picture

 

also tank parameters:

nitrate: 20ppm

nitrite: 0ppm

ph: 7.4

alk: 223.3ppm / dkh 12.5

Sg: 1.028

I’m gonna go add some fresh water to that right away 

 

I have no idea how to bring down alk, other than just waiting it out. It’s dropped from 14.1 dkh to 12.5 dkh since February, but if the alkalinity is going down shouldn’t that be a really good thing? So it doesn’t explain why my birds nest is dying all of the sudden 

 

[TatorTaco]

Salinity, Nitrates, and Alkalinity all seem a bit high.  Would a quick water change + carbon help out? 

[blasterman]

Alk can be safely reduced by adding small amounts of muriatic acid. However, since its been high for awhile I dont think its the issue. 

 

I'm not thrilled about that 7.4 pH reading. If that is indeed accurate you can grow freshwater plants in that tank. You have some serious C02 issues if that 7.4 is real.

 

Birdsnests are intolerant of bottom out phosphate. They do fine in higher nitrate levels, but if phosphate is less than .03 they decline.

 

I think you have a neon green. If it is that's pretty low light. Mine under a bit too much light.

[Hazy]

I wouldn’t trust the 7.4 reading... I got that from a dip-in disposable test strip, that didn’t have a de-moisturizer thing in the bottle, so it’s a little messed up. I’ve been buying good reliable tests as I have the money for it, but I don’t have a phosphate one yet. How do you get higher phosphates? 

[Hazy]

Anyone? Birdsnest is still loosing flesh like heck. It’s down to about half of what it had originally.

I need help! 

[dwdenny]

I would say that it’s a combination of parameters and lighting. There is a toadstool leather to the bottom left and if that is thriving then the lighting insufficient for SPS type corals. Like others have said the pH is way to low. Need to try and slowly raise that to 8.0 minimum mine stays around 8.1-8.3 depending on when I perform the test. 

[Hazy]

How do you raise pH?? I can work on better lighting, but at this point if I don’t fix the water first I don’t think the light will matter. 
what kind of lights do you all have? What would you recommend that’s not in the triple digits? $$$

[Thrassian Atoll]

Only way of trying to save it as of this moment is to break off the parts that are still alive.  Looks like a goner though.

[dwdenny]

14 minutes ago, Thrassian Atoll said:

Only way of trying to save it as of this moment is to break off the parts that are still alive.  Looks like a goner though.

Was just thinking that same thing break off the good pieces and use superglue gel and glue it to a plug. The main branch will not come back. 

[dwdenny]

Use a salt that has A lower Alk or use an acid to lower the Alk of your current salt mix. Not sure how pH could be that low with Alk that high. Here is an article that will help. It may be older but the principles haven’t changed. What test kits are you using? As far as lighting look at the black box LED’s on Amazon. They don’t have the controlability like the higher end lights but will work. What size tank are you using?

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.php

[Tamberav]

I would not trust the pH is 7.4 with a 'dip strip' with an alk so high.

 

How did your alk get so high in the first place? SPS are less finicky at alk closer to NSW (7). 

[Hazy]

I use sailfert testing

 

the Alk is reliable but the pH reading is not. 
I really don’t know what my real reading is, but I have a pH test kit on the way. 
I agree I’m gonna have to break it up to save it. 🙁 

 

I have a 30gal tank 

 

I have no idea how the alkalinity got so high, but I have come to the conclusion that it must be a bad batch of salt? I’ve always had my alk read that high though which is why I started getting more reliable test kits. All my other coral has done awesome, but any SPS dies within 3-4 months even if it was doing awesome up until the point it just kicks the bucket. 

 

every part of this hobby is a learning experience! This is just the next step to having coral that thrives. Thanks for your help. 

[dwdenny]

As far as lighting not sure what you want to spend but here is a light that my LFS has. I believe theirs is a 50w maybe 100w on their frag tank. They have two over a 40g breeder but the corals are about 4-5” below surface. 
 

https://www.amazon.com/NICREW-Aquarium-Dimmable-Spectrum-Saltwater/dp/B08D7D4DN8/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=coral+lights&qid=1621210802&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzMkZCNVIxRU9YVU9KJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwOTkxNDMyMlpHVFNVNFVPUkdZNCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNTAzNDQ4MVRTRDNVU1dSN1lBUiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX3Bob25lX3NlYXJjaF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl