Browning montipora and bad polyp extension

[ykz_]

Hello everyone, I've noticed my pink montis have all began to lost their color and started to brown. Polyp extension are no longer there and visible. Whereas my green montis and red monti is still thriving and full of color. I also have a sunset millepora and an ASD rainbow milli, both of which have reduced polyp extension. The ASD rainbow milli was super fuzzy on the first two days, then it just retracted more, day and night. What could be the issue?

Here's the details:
I currently have a 24x24x20 50gal with a AI Hydra 26HD about 11in off water line
I feed almost once a day, if not, every other day frozen food (thawed and rinsed)
1/4 tsp of phytofeast every 3rd day
Salinity: 1.025
PH: 8.2-8.5
Phosphate: 0.00 (Hanna checker)
Alkalinity: 8.0-8.3
Calcium: 445
Magnesium: 1350
Nitrate: about 5ppm or less
Temp: 78.4

I recently had a huge drop in alkalinity due to me not testing or dosing anything up until about a week ago. My alkalinity was at around 6.5-7.0 before dosing. I began to dose for about a week now and it's been stable at 8 dkh. (I added the ASD rainbow milli after my alkalinity has been 8.0 dkh consistently.) Could the alk fluctuations be the cause of some of the unhappy corals? Or could it be something else?

 

[Diesel]

Almost positive we looking at a parameter swing here.
Just to be sure did you dip some of your troubling monti's?

 

[ykz_]

Almost positive we looking at a parameter swing here.
Just to be sure did you dip some of your troubling monti's?

I did a bayer dip when I first received them from the LFS, yes. But I have not dipped them again recently.

 

[Diesel]

Awesome!
Many time if I mention dipping ppl think I'm kidding.
Yes it won't hurt to do it again but as I mentioned before we have to look into the water parameters.
Can you also test your new mixed saltwater if you have any on hand?
Are all pumps working as they should, no strange noises or rattles?

 

[ykz_]

I will definitely try dipping them again. I also don't notice any kind of bugs on my corals, but I could be wrong. I just did a water change yesterday but didn't test the salt mix, and I do not have any on hand currently. If I test it, can I just mix 1 gallon of fresh salt mix? And yes, I currently have 2 jebao PP4 wavemakers and they're both functioning perfectly. Completely silent!

 

[ykz_]

I forgot to mention, have my own rodi unit and the inline TDS meter reads 0. So top off is also rodi water. And the salt mix I use is Instant ocean reef crystals. 5g water change weekly

 

[Diesel]

The few things that comes to mind is that you might have a bad batch of salt or the parameters drop you had a week ago or so.
Looking at your corals it seams that the irritated by something.
Maybe a ICP test like Triton will tell you more but that will take a week or so.
Test asap you new salt water mix and yes you can do just 1 gallon.
But also get yourself a new batch of salt that you do your future changes with.

 

[ykz_]

The few things that comes to mind is that you might have a bad batch of salt or the parameters drop you had a week ago or so.
Looking at your corals it seams that the irritated by something.
Maybe a ICP test like Triton will tell you more but that will take a week or so.
Test asap you new salt water mix and yes you can do just 1 gallon.
But also get yourself a new batch of salt that you do your future changes with.

With my batch of saltwater I just made at 1.025 salinity I got 10.5 dkh, Ca 425, and Mg 1200. My box claims at 1.026 it should be at Ca 455 and Mg 1345. I am currently using Salifert to test my water parameters right now. I know the numbers are off, but the water parameters in my tank are pretty close to ideal.

 

[Diesel]

With my batch of saltwater I just made at 1.025 salinity I got 10.5 dkh, Ca 425, and Mg 1200. My box claims at 1.026 it should be at Ca 455 and Mg 1345. I am currently using Salifert to test my water parameters right now. I know the numbers are off, but the water parameters in my tank are pretty close to ideal.

Yes those # look good for the salt your using.
Cal and Mag I'm not so worried as the main ALK can upset the most.
In your case it's within range.

 

[Mattrg02]

Did you shake your salt really well before using? Settling can cause your salt mix to vary, which causes inconsistent water change water parameters. Your calcium maybe low one change, and high on another change. Same for magnesium and whatnot. I shake up my salt really well before using.

 

[TheLadyCrash]

In my experience these types of issues have always been caused by some sort of param swing especially around Alk. Just my 0.02.

 

[ykz_]

Did you shake your salt really well before using? Settling can cause your salt mix to vary, which causes inconsistent water change water parameters. Your calcium maybe low one change, and high on another change. Same for magnesium and whatnot. I shake up my salt really well before using.

When you say shaking the salt, you mean literally stirring up the raw salt right? Because no I don't do that. I have a 5 gallon bucket and purchased the box of reef crystals. Each box comes with 4 individual bags of salt mix, so i just dump 2 bags at a time into my bucket. I feel like it preserves it better that way. That's the most "mixing" I do with my salt. I'll give it a nice stir next time before doing my next water change though

In my experience these types of issues have always been caused by some sort of param swing especially around Alk. Just my 0.02.

I honestly believe that might be the issue. The first time I noticed my alk drop, it was at 6.5. So I tried to raise it up by dosing a little baking soda every night. Although I only raised it about 1-1.5dkh every day, I think it might've been a little too much, too fast?

 

[Hans-Werner]

Phosphate is inhibiting calcium carbonate precipitation. Your drop in alkalinty may be caused by a successive drop in phosphate concentration. 6.5 to 7 °KH is a good alkalinity for a low phosphate concentration. The raise in alkalinity in my eyes is the real cause of the problem. SPS do not tolerate KH of 8° or higher and very low phosphate concentration at the same time very well. You have to increase the phosphate concentration to get back to your normal conditions again. Remove any phosphate remover and feed more.

 

[ykz_]

Phosphate is inhibiting calcium carbonate precipitation. Your drop in alkalinty may be caused by a successive drop in phosphate concentration. 6.5 to 7 °KH is a good alkalinity for a low phosphate concentration. The raise in alkalinity in my eyes is the real cause of the problem. SPS do not tolerate KH of 8° or higher and very low phosphate concentration at the same time very well. You have to increase the phosphate concentration to get back to your normal conditions again. Remove any phosphate remover and feed more.

I read that SPS needs some sort of phosphate in order for it to grow and thrive. I guess in my case, I definitely need to feed more. I'm currently running a chaeto reactor, should I put this offline?

 

[brownerd]

I realize this is an old thread, but hope to bring it back to life... I have a pink monti that has been turn brownish also
salt 1.026 (red sea coral pro)
Alk 9.1 dkh (stable with dosing pump)
Calc 491 (also stable)
Phosphate .015 (Hanna ULR checker)
Nitrite 0 (red sea test kit)
Nitrate <1 but>0 (red sea test kit)

My lighting schedule is about 7 hours /day with 2 Hydra 26 using a David Saxby profile. monti is about 4 inches below water line and light are about 12 inches above water...
I have read all the responses above, but am at a loss as to why this is happening - I am about ready to order a Triton test - any thoughts before I do that? Thanks for your help!

 

[Esquire805]

2 years later and no

I realize this is an old thread, but hope to bring it back to life... I have a pink monti that has been turn brownish also
salt 1.026 (red sea coral pro)
Alk 9.1 dkh (stable with dosing pump)
Calc 491 (also stable)
Phosphate .015 (Hanna ULR checker)
Nitrite 0 (red sea test kit)
Nitrate <1 but>0 (red sea test kit)

My lighting schedule is about 7 hours /day with 2 Hydra 26 using a David Saxby profile. monti is about 4 inches below water line and light are about 12 inches above water...
I have read all the responses above, but am at a loss as to why this is happening - I am about ready to order a Triton test - any thoughts before I do that? Thanks for your help!

no answer lol

 

[Schramstein]

I am having the same issues, i am also tjinking about phosphate. I have a dkh 8.3 8.6 and phosphate 0.03 and all montis turn brown and no polyps. So maybe the person who started this topic knows if it worked.