Birdsnest acclimation question

reo · 05/19/2011, 09:53 AM

Hi all,

A few days ago I got my first SPS frags: orange digi and a green ora birdsnest. I glued both to pieces of LR and placed them at the top, about 6-7 inches below the surface, in the direct flow of a koralia powerhead. The digi extended all its polyps very soon after, and seems to be doing well so far. The birdsnest, however, produced lots of mucus, and its polyps are still barely showing, and mostly just in the top half of the frag. The bottom half mostly doesn't extend at all, and it looks like there is an area in the bottom half that is lighter than the rest of the coral. Should I be concerned and change its location, or should I just wait it out?

The tank is 1 year old, 29g glass, T5HO's 4x31W, params are: temp 82, salinity 1.025, pH 8.4, ammonia/nitrites/nitrates: 0, PO4: <0.1, Alk: 10dKH, Calc: 440.

unbelievable · 05/19/2011, 10:00 AM

Always start newly acquired corals at the bottom of the tank. Neither of those corals need a ton of light either. Hth.

ReeferBill · 05/19/2011, 10:01 AM

Before you move it could yuo sheild it with a piece af rock to see if it is too much flow. Or maybe change the direct flow to a glancing flow off the glass. Di you check the water perameters? How is your PH? Good choices on the types of corals! I hope you can get your birdsnest to open up,,,,,

ati70cutlass · 05/19/2011, 12:45 PM

there are 2 acclimations that take place. first when you acclimate them by temp., then you could drip them but i never have. i have never had a death by temp acclimating then and then droppign them in. the mucous you see is thier protection when the water levels do down on the reef when tide goes out. nothing abnormal. then the coral must acclimate itself to your parameters, this could take 1-30 days you never know. then the coral is acclimated

reo · 05/19/2011, 01:36 PM

So from my understanding, I should move it to the bottom and out of direct flow, and then move it up little by little every couple of days, until it's back at the top and in the direct flow? Wouldn't it cause more stress to it now that it has been at the top for a couple of days?

israel.kendall · 05/19/2011, 03:55 PM

You say "direct flow", is it sitting right in front of a powerhead getting blasted or what?

reo · 05/20/2011, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by israel.kendall

You say "direct flow", is it sitting right in front of a powerhead getting blasted or what?

It was about 10 inches in front of a Koralia 750, which creates a lot of turbulence, but I wouldn't call it getting blasted.

I moved the frag down to the bottom, and the polyp extension on the branches is much better. But the lighter area in the lower half of the stem seems to be getting worse, and I haven't seen those polyps extend at all.

I suspect that maybe it's because the guy who fragged it, did it by hand. The lighter area must be where he was applying pressure to snap it off.

ChicagoReefOne · 05/20/2011, 09:18 AM

A pic would help here.

But it sounds like your frag may be in a STN event if the base tissue is receding. My personal procedure is to glue the frag to a small bit of live (or dry) rock. That seems to halt the tissue recession. I'm not saying that you should do this, since I'm not really sure what's going on with your coral, just passing along my process.

reo · 05/20/2011, 08:15 PM

Here's a photo. The tips are overexposed, so they look bleached here, but in reality they aren't. You can see that the lower half is pretty pale, but does have some life to it.

RotaryGeek · 05/20/2011, 10:10 PM

It looks like its doing OK to me, the bottom should color back up after a while. I see Polyps all over it, so as long as they are there then the bottom is still alive. If it gets worse, i would break it off so a small chunk of living tissue is still connected to the dead part, so that way you know you broke it in the live part, then try to attach it to a rock.

NYCBOB · 05/21/2011, 06:46 AM

from the pic, it looks fine. dont use direct flow. no need to light acclimate since u have 4 t5 bulbs. most sps r from much stronger light.

05/19/2011, 09:53 AM	#1
reo Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 18	Birdsnest acclimation question Hi all, A few days ago I got my first SPS frags: orange digi and a green ora birdsnest. I glued both to pieces of LR and placed them at the top, about 6-7 inches below the surface, in the direct flow of a koralia powerhead. The digi extended all its polyps very soon after, and seems to be doing well so far. The birdsnest, however, produced lots of mucus, and its polyps are still barely showing, and mostly just in the top half of the frag. The bottom half mostly doesn't extend at all, and it looks like there is an area in the bottom half that is lighter than the rest of the coral. Should I be concerned and change its location, or should I just wait it out? The tank is 1 year old, 29g glass, T5HO's 4x31W, params are: temp 82, salinity 1.025, pH 8.4, ammonia/nitrites/nitrates: 0, PO4: <0.1, Alk: 10dKH, Calc: 440.

05/19/2011, 10:01 AM	#3
ReeferBill Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 1,906	Birdsnest Location? Before you move it could yuo sheild it with a piece af rock to see if it is too much flow. Or maybe change the direct flow to a glancing flow off the glass. Di you check the water perameters? How is your PH? Good choices on the types of corals! I hope you can get your birdsnest to open up,,,,, __________________ I never realized I had to be a Chemist and a Marine Biologist to maintain a Reef Aquarium!

05/20/2011, 10:10 PM	#10
RotaryGeek Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Central Texas Posts: 713	It looks like its doing OK to me, the bottom should color back up after a while. I see Polyps all over it, so as long as they are there then the bottom is still alive. If it gets worse, i would break it off so a small chunk of living tissue is still connected to the dead part, so that way you know you broke it in the live part, then try to attach it to a rock. __________________ 125 w/ 30 gallon sump. ASM G3 w/ Sedra 9000 and gatevalve. Two Little Phishies 550 phosban reactor. 3x150w XM 10k MH, 2x 96w PC.

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05/19/2011, 10:00 AM	#2
unbelievable Moved On Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 534	Always start newly acquired corals at the bottom of the tank. Neither of those corals need a ton of light either. Hth.

05/19/2011, 12:45 PM	#4
ati70cutlass Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: mo Posts: 425	there are 2 acclimations that take place. first when you acclimate them by temp., then you could drip them but i never have. i have never had a death by temp acclimating then and then droppign them in. the mucous you see is thier protection when the water levels do down on the reef when tide goes out. nothing abnormal. then the coral must acclimate itself to your parameters, this could take 1-30 days you never know. then the coral is acclimated

05/19/2011, 01:36 PM	#5
reo Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 18	So from my understanding, I should move it to the bottom and out of direct flow, and then move it up little by little every couple of days, until it's back at the top and in the direct flow? Wouldn't it cause more stress to it now that it has been at the top for a couple of days?

05/19/2011, 03:55 PM	#6
israel.kendall Padawan Reefer Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Land O Lakes Posts: 922	You say "direct flow", is it sitting right in front of a powerhead getting blasted or what?

05/20/2011, 09:18 AM	#8
ChicagoReefOne Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Northside, Chicago Posts: 732	A pic would help here. But it sounds like your frag may be in a STN event if the base tissue is receding. My personal procedure is to glue the frag to a small bit of live (or dry) rock. That seems to halt the tissue recession. I'm not saying that you should do this, since I'm not really sure what's going on with your coral, just passing along my process.

05/20/2011, 08:15 PM	#9
reo Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 18	Here's a photo. The tips are overexposed, so they look bleached here, but in reality they aren't. You can see that the lower half is pretty pale, but does have some life to it.

05/21/2011, 06:46 AM	#11
NYCBOB Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NYC Posts: 1,768	from the pic, it looks fine. dont use direct flow. no need to light acclimate since u have 4 t5 bulbs. most sps r from much stronger light.