Pink birdnest - what a color !

P

peterlin

[Pretty in pink - this frag sits for months looking brown - and then couple months ago color is changing to hot pink. It has maintained that color and one of my favorite sps.]



Edited By peterlin on 1106430406
 
[I was sitting here thinking, "I hope mine turns pink someday". But now that I look more, I'm not so sure what I have is a bird's nest at all. It's been pretty brown since I got it, but seems to be turning a bit on the green side. Any opinions on what it is, if not a bird's nest?

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[Pocillopora are sometime called birdsnest, but the individual branches looked like they stuck out too far to be pocillopora to me. My pocillopora corals have much 'tighter' branches. Also, pocillopora polyps are usually very small.]
 
[It does look a bit on the "branchy" side for a porcillopora. I'm crawling through some more coral ID pages to see if I can pinpoint what the thing is, I'm on a mission now!]
 
[This is a common coral called 'green birdsnest'. Polyps are brighter but has rounder end, unlike the sharp tips that pink birdsnest has. It's more similar to stylophora (commonly called Cat's Paw).]



Edited By peterlin on 1106449365
 
[It is most definately Pocillopora damicornis.

All three Stylophora, Seriatopora and Pocillopora are called "Bird's Nest" from time to time.

It gets confusing with Pocillopora because P. damicornis is similiar in appearence to Seriatapora hystrix with the thinner branches. But, Pocillopora edouxi is similair in appearence to Stylophora pistillata with the paw-like branches.

Do a google search or check out Borneman's book on each and you'll notice the differences. Mainly the Seriatopora polyps and pointy branches are the easy identifiers between it and the P damicornis.]
 
[Peter our birds nest also was brown for 5-6 months. About a month ago it started turning a pink. Today it is as bright as yours. I woud post a picture but i do not know how.]
 
[Jerry, scroll up to the top of the page and click on the FAQ logo. In that page, posting images is explained.

Also, somewhere on our board, we have a thread pinned at the top of the forum explaining how to post pictures, complete with images. One person went to the trouble to create an easy to follow demonstration, so it was made a 'sticky'.]
 
[Peter and Jerry,

Anything you can think that might have brought on the color change? Mine, least I think it is the same, is more red but not as bright.

Cheers!]
 
[You probably just need to be patient and let the coral get comfortable. Mine is the ORA frag and took a while for the color to show.
Another thing you can do is check you Magnesium level. Keep it at 1500. I have done enough test to prove or disapprove this, but the consensus (i.e. sps keepers on Reef Central) is to keep this up in addition to calcium.]
 
[The only change that was made since the change in color is the addition of B-Ionic over the last three months. prior to that we had difficulty keeping the Alc and cal levels correct.]
 
[Okay, now I'm really depressed. I had a birdsnest colony I won at a club raffle that was brown - I think it might have been a Walt Smith one from the type of base. It wasn't my favorite coral because of the boring color so when it got stung and then invaded by zoanthids, I didn't try and save it. And now you're telling me it might have turned out like Peter's?! Here's what it looks like today, except I've removed the xenia:]



Edited By ChrisCurtis on 1106722207
 
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