Birdsnest Help
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Help
Forum Name: EMERGENCY FORUM
Forum Description: If you have an Emergency post here and you should receive a quick reply.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=60781
Printed Date: July 07 2026 at 2:58am
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Topic: Birdsnest Help
Posted By: fishyman19
Subject: Birdsnest Help
Date Posted: December 11 2012 at 3:37pm
I have 3 different Birds Nest. 2 Green ones that I got as one inch frags and a pink one that I bought which was a pretty decent size frag. Both types have been thriving in my tank for about 4 months. Really nice growth has come from the greens and the pink one has been growing great too.
I switched out my metal Halide lights last week and went from 10k to 14k. The corals seem to love it, but I've noticed the Pink Birds Nest has started to bleach out from the bottom up...it's only a few inches up. Could it not be getting enough light? It's on my highest point rock, but it's on the side of it by my overflow box. I can tell the light in that area isn't nearly as bright. Should I move it up higher under the Halide light?
Thanks in advance for the help.
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90 Gallon mixed reef. Wife's 12 gallon nano cube mixed reef!
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Replies:
Posted By: 1stupidpunk
Date Posted: December 11 2012 at 3:59pm
Im no expert but my my understanding bleaching from bottom to top = water chemistry problem
from top to bottom = lighting problem
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Posted By: bur01014
Date Posted: December 11 2012 at 4:13pm
is it tissue loss or bleaching? You have a picture? If the colony is larger than a softball, color loss at the base is normal since the coral is overgrown and shadowing itself.
On the other hand...
tissue loss at the base of birdsnest are commonly found when alk is swinging or alk is low.
burnt sps tips is commonly seen when alk is high.
You likely had some water chemistry issues, then changed lighting, when in combination sent the coral a little over the edge, so I wouldn't blame it on the lighting change until you can verify your water parameters.
Please test: Alk, Cal, Mag, Salinity, Nitrate, Phosphate, etc...
Good luck
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Posted By: fishyman19
Date Posted: December 11 2012 at 4:21pm
Hmm I will have to see if I can get a picture tonight or something. I don't believe it's tissue loss because It looks completely white at the base.
I tested everything on Sunday and everything was right on except for my Nitrates which I have been having problems with for a while. It's at about 20ppm. But the coral was doing fine with those issues for the last few weeks. (not trying to sound like I know everything, cause i for sure don't) Nothing really started happening until after the lights were switched. Size wise I would say it's pretty close to softball size. I will try and get a picture to post tonight after I get off work.
I plan on doing a water change tonight as well, so I will re-test everything also and post. Hopefully that will show me something.
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90 Gallon mixed reef. Wife's 12 gallon nano cube mixed reef!
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Posted By: bur01014
Date Posted: December 11 2012 at 4:32pm
well, since it is softball size, I wouldn't worry a whole lot....you can keep the tissue healthy on larger birdsnest corals that shadow themselves by increasing flow, otherwise the bleaching at the base is kind of a natural progression once frags turn into large colonies, but still would like a pic!
Another worrying factor is if it gets worse and how fast....so keep an eye on it
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Posted By: fishyman19
Date Posted: December 11 2012 at 4:35pm
I'm not totally sure on the size, but I now understand the shadowing thing. the base is pretty much in the "dark" so to speak while the lights are on. The rest of the coral is doing pretty great.
I will get a picture up as soon as I can get one and as soon as I can figure out how to do it lol.
What do you do once it gets to that stage? It's a really cool coral and I don't want it dying off on me if the shadowing has that affect you know? Could I move it to the top so it gets light all the time?
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90 Gallon mixed reef. Wife's 12 gallon nano cube mixed reef!
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Posted By: jmw
Date Posted: December 11 2012 at 8:46pm
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I have a huge birdsnest and all of the branches at the bottom are white....no light. I have found that birdsnest are so thick that the light just won't penetrate through. If this is your problem I don't think there's an issue because when I trim it back and get light to the bottom branches they start to grow. i have also noticed that the very bottom branches will turn downward and attach to the rocks, giving the coral more support. If everything is right and the coral is growing I wouldn't move it. Just my thought!
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Posted By: fishyman19
Date Posted: December 11 2012 at 9:27pm
How do you trim them back? Just brake off pieces?
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90 Gallon mixed reef. Wife's 12 gallon nano cube mixed reef!
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Posted By: jmw
Date Posted: December 12 2012 at 5:29am
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I have a "frag cutter" basically a stainless steel wire cutter. I'll bet a pair of those toenail cutters that look like wire cutters would work great, I think they are stainless steel. You could just break them off but they are so fragile you wouldn't be able to control were it breaks.
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