ORA Green Birds Nest - White base

marvelfan

Member
My recent ORA Green Birds Nest is suffering. I'm trying to figure out what I did to it.
The issue is that the base started to go white (like bone) and is working its way up slowly. The top and middle (as of last night were still ok). I had the nest in the middle bottom of my tank. I figured that maybe light and flow were lacking in that spot, so last night I moved it higher and in a high flow area. I'll grab a pic tonight. Hopefully its not worse.
I've been trying to figure out what is wrong. Here are the changes that have taken place over the last 2 weeks:
1. Stopped dosing 2-part. I was trying to find out the consumption of my elements over the last couple weeks. I've been having precipitation building up. I wanted to start dosing a new amount based on consumption.
2. Replaced RO/DI filters and Resin
3. Readded/adjusted Algae Scrubber
Last night I started to slowly add back in my 2-part.
All testing seems withing healthy range.
Here is my last months worth of maintenence logs:




Day



Time



Daily Calc (ml)



Daily Alk (ml)



Calc



Alk



Mag



Salinity



pH



Phos



H2O Chg (gal)



Note







6/2/2013



11:30 PM



37.95



37.95



430



10.1



1400



1.023



7.94



0.11



0



Added Ground Probe to Sump





6/5/2013



10:00 PM

37.95


37.95



425



9.2



1360



1.023



8.06







4



Cleaned out Skimmer





6/8/2013



11:00 PM























1.023











4



Changed GFO & Carbon - One Cup Each







6/10/2013



7:00 PM



37.95



37.95



415



8.7



1360



1.023







0



0



Mixed Fresh water/Clean Skimmer







6/10/2013



Change Water Tank



N/A



N/A



400



12.9



1440



1.026







0.02



0









6/22/2013

































center;">






New UAS pump





6/23/2013











































Stopped Dosing Pumps - Heater/controller malfunction







6/25/2013











































New RO/DI Filters/Resin







6/26/2013



6:30 PM



0



0



440



10



1400



1.025







0.02



0











7/1/2013



10:30 PM



0



0



410



8.6



1360



1.025



7.96
 

sweatervest13

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarvelFan http:///t/395842/ora-green-birds-nest-white-base#post_3525195
My recent ORA Green Birds Nest is suffering. I'm trying to figure out what I did to it.
The issue is that the base started to go white (like bone) and is working its way up slowly. The top and middle (as of last night were still ok). I had the nest in the middle bottom of my tank. I figured that maybe light and flow were lacking in that spot, so last night I moved it higher and in a high flow area. I'll grab a pic tonight. Hopefully its not worse.
I've been trying to figure out what is wrong. Here are the changes that have taken place over the last 2 weeks:
1. Stopped dosing 2-part. I was trying to find out the consumption of my elements over the last couple weeks. I've been having precipitation building up. I wanted to start dosing a new amount based on consumption.
2. Replaced RO/DI filters and Resin
3. Readded/adjusted Algae Scrubber
Last night I started to slowly add back in my 2-part.
All testing seems withing healthy range.
Here is my last months worth of maintenence logs:




Day



Time



Daily Calc (ml)



Daily Alk (ml)



Calc



Alk



Mag



Salinity



pH



Phos



H2O Chg (gal)



Note





6/2/2013



11:30 PM



37.95



37.95



430



10.1

#ff0000;">1400


1.023



7.94



0.11



0



Added Ground Probe to Sump





6/5/2013



10:00 PM



37.95



37.95



425



9.2



1360



1.023



8.06







4



Cleaned out Skimmer







6/8/2013



11:00 PM























1.023











4



Changed GFO & Carbon - One Cup Each







6/10/2013



7:00 PM



37.95



37.95



415



8.7



1360



1.023







0



0



Mixed Fresh water/Clean Skimmer





6/10/2013



Change Water Tank



N/A



N/A



400

e="text-align: center;">
12.9


1440



1.026







0.02



0









6/22/2013











































New UAS pump







6/23/2013











































Stopped Dosing Pumps - Heater/controller malfunction







6/25/2013











































New RO/DI Filters/Resin





6/26/2013



6:30 PM



0



0



440



10

>
1400


1.025







0.02



0









7/1/2013



10:30 PM



0



0



410



8.6



1360



1.025



7.96















SPS need stability. You have too many swings in your parameters. Especially Alk... SPS will may tolerate parameters that are not exactly where they are supposed to be as long as they are stable and consistent. Meaning that if the Alk number you want is 9 and you are at 8.5, but through dosing it always stays at 8.5 is much better then bouncing back and forth from 8.0-9.5-8.5-10.0. Does that make sense??
I think you are on the right path with testing for consumption on Calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium. Find out what the tank uses each day with testing. Than try to replace the exact amount the tank is using, each day. You may need to test a bit more at first to make sure you are not over dosing, but once you have it dialed in you could get away with testing once or twice a week.
Good luck!!!
 

marvelfan

Member
Thanks for the info Sweater... I was out of town for the last weekend and came back to the birds nest being knocked off the rock and buried in the sand. It only had a couple polyps open on the top. Figured I'd just remount it and see what happens. Yesterday I went to check on it and now the polyps are out and cover about half of the structure, so maybe it is coming back.
I'm still adjusting my dosing. Over a course of 6 days my only parameter that did change was Alk. from 8.6 to 10.4. I'm not sure why its swinging.
I will have to do a water change soon, I've been holding off to see if I can get some stability going. My change water alk was ~14 when I test last (which is the advertised alk on the product). I didn't want to swing the Alk again by doing a change, especially if the nest is indeed recovering.
My cheato has really taken off and is growing like crazy, which has really killed out the cyano I had, so that's a good thing.
I'll keep working on my stability! I think it will help when I can upgrade my skimmer to the appropriate size in November (after the wedding compromise I made with the fiance).
 
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