Coral concerns.

[Gbailey28]

I am fairly new to corals, about two months ago I added a zoa colony, torch and a monti frag. The monti has lost most of its color and the torch and zoa's are almost completely closed. My tank specs are 125 gal. specific gravity is 1.025, Alk is 7.39 dkh Cal 483 ppm, nitrates approx 5ppm. I am
using 3 hydra 26's about 13" from the surface of the water. I am not sure if my perameters are off or if my lighting is not setup correctly. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

What is your max intensity % and how long?
How long is your total day?

 

[Wankell]

What kind of test kit are you using? You should check other parameters as well like mag and phosphates, I know those have been known to cause issues with monti.

I would bring the Alk up as well.

 

[Gbailey28]

I am using Red Sea for mag,cal,alk, nitrate and phosphate. I am also using Hanna checkers for Alk,cal, and phosphates. My phosphate is at .02ppm I am also running NOPOX.

 

[Gbailey28]

What is your max intensity % and how long?
How long is your total day?

 

[fordthomas11]

I am fairly new to corals, about two months ago I added a zoa colony, torch and a monti frag. The monti has lost most of its color and the torch and zoa's are almost completely closed. My tank specs are 125 gal. specific gravity is 1.025, Alk is 7.39 dkh Cal 483 ppm, nitrates approx 5ppm. I am
using 3 hydra 26's about 13" from the surface of the water. I am not sure if my perameters are off or if my lighting is not setup correctly. Any help would be appreciated.

Definitely raise the ALK

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

If those corals are close to the bottom I'd say you're safe to go up in intensity over all, to keep your same colors if you like that way they look.
Spectraly I'd say you could use some CW.

I highly Reecimend lux metes if you can't don't have a par meter. It'll set. Intensity for you.

I also when I mix my colors like to push them all to full and slowly remove colors, rather than try to add them. The light will grow coral at all full colors and the intensity set correctly out of the box. We're really just messing with it for our eyes.

 

[Jguido1987]

Not sure if this is relevant. How old is this tank and what is the tank history? Have you ever used any copper based medication or treatments?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

My alk is 8 btw.

 

[Gbailey28]

Not sure if this is relevant. How old is this tank and what is the tank history? Have you ever used any copper based medication or treatments?

Tank is about 9 months, never used copper

 

[Gbailey28]

If those corals are close to the bottom I'd say you're safe to go up in intensity over all, to keep your same colors if you like that way they look.
Spectraly I'd say you could use some CW.

I highly Reecimend lux metes if you can't don't have a par meter. It'll set. Intensity for you.

I also when I mix my colors like to push them all to full and slowly remove colors, rather than try to add them. The light will grow coral at all full colors and the intensity set correctly out of the box. We're really just messing with it for our eyes.

Do you think I should just set it back to the factory settings?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Do you think I should just set it back to the factory settings?

No. It's your tank make it pretty to your eye. Probably just need to set the intensity better.

With the $15 lux meter you can write down the percentages and the meter reading if you don't like what you mix, you can go right back to it.
That overall intensity number is what you'll want to know.

Even with a meter make sure to make changes slowly. Fwiw. 6000 lux is around 100 par. So you can make 3000 and 6000 lux adjustments one a week.