Birdnest Coral showing weird Color

[SouthernBroFish]

Hey everyone,

Looking for opinions on some weird habits my Birds of Paradise Coral colonies are starting to show. Over the last few days two out of the four are starting to have random white patches appear, in these white areas the polyps are still extended and have their blue-ish color, but the flesh of the seriatopora has lost its orange color. My nitrates phosphates and everything are barely detectable, and dose the tank with two part calcium & alk. Currently running a AI Prime HD, 2/3 rds power. The tank is a IM Nuvo 20 gal. All my stylopora, birdnest, Favia, acans, etc. don’t show these signs. As for feeding my coral, I use polyp lab reef roids.

Any suggestions/opinions on what is happen or how to correct would be greatly appreciated.

I’ve atached photos of the two colonies and one of a colony not showing this for comparison.

Kevin

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Looks like some mild paling or bleaching. Whats you alk at? Low no3 and po4 with high alk will burn corals.

 

[ZaneTer]

When you say “barely detectable” what exactly does that mean? Pale corals for me has only ever meant low nutrients, mainly nitrate deficient.
I will not let my nitrate go below 2ppm and I’m also perfectly happy with it at 20ppm.

 

[mtraylor]

Check alk

 

[Literallyhydro]

We'd need to see full parameters. The others are right, if nutrients are very low, you want to avoid having high alk.