Encrusting Sunset Montipora turned grey

Justfbilly · Jan 19, 2017

I have an encrusting Sunset Motnipora that I have had for about 2 years in a 125 gal. reef tank. With in the last few months it has turned completely grey but the polyps are still bright green and the Monti is still growing. I have checked all of my parameters and I cant find anything out of the norm for what I test for.

Calcium:420
PH: 8.1
Salinity : 1.025
dKh : 161
NO2: 0
NO3: 0
Amon: 0
Temp: 80

I have read that low Potassium can cause this issue in Montis. I have contacted 4 different LFS that I buy from to see if they can test for Potassium and they look at me like I have 3 heads? I cant find anyone in my area that tests for Potassium and I am being told that no one really tests for potassium? I want to see if anyone has had this issue with a Monti turning grey? Or if any one has any ideas or suggestions / guidance on what I should do. I want to get some advise from some of the "Pros" here before I purchase a Potassium Test kit. Any help or suggestions are very much appreciated. Than ks

ebushrow · Jan 19, 2017

How old is the tank? How are you testing the parameters? (which test kits or testers?)

is the Dkh reading missing a decimal point? Dkh is usually between 7 and 11

Abhishek · Jan 19, 2017

ebushrow said:
How old is the tank? How are you testing the parameters? (which test kits or testers?)

is the Dkh reading missing a decimal point? Dkh is usually between 7 and 11

I think he mentioned the alk in ppm. Multiply it with 0.056 and it's 9.1 dkh

Are you running zeolites or ULNS ? Potassium depletion is common in zeolite usage ULNS .

You can buy potassium test kit salifert being the cheapest from BRS .
Generally I like to keep it between 380-400.

Regards,
Abhishek

ebushrow · Jan 19, 2017

Abhishek said:
I think he mentioned the alk in ppm. Multiply it with 0.056 and it's 9.1 dkh

Are you running zeolites or ULNS ? Potassium depletion is common in zeolite usage ULNS .

You can buy potassium test kit salifert being the cheapest from BRS .
Generally I like to keep it between 380-400.

Regards,
Abhishek

I assumed the alk was in ppm, but I thought I should check......if it was actually 16.1 we would have a quick answer to the problem. I have seen readings this high...not in a tank, but I usually don't see a ppm reading given as a Dkh reading.

Justfbilly · Jan 19, 2017

The Alk is in ppm. Sorry for the confusion.

I am not running zeolites or a ULNS. The tank has been running for a few years now. I have a 40 gallon sump with filter socks and a MTC Protein skimmer. I have been struggling to get the calcium levels above 380 but it is now between 410 and 420. I only dose calcium and I am using Seachem fusion. I do weekly water changes and I am running a carbon / GFO dual reactor. I have not changed anything on my tank or the way I maintain the system so there is no clear contributing factor as to what could be causing the color loss.

I am using the API test kits but I think I need to make the investment and get the Redsea`s test kits just to ensure that the results are more precise. I test every other day because I dont have a lot of confidence in the API test kit results and I just want to keep an eye on everything just in case something changes.

Salty1962 · Jan 20, 2017

I had a large colony go gray and die on me, all of my parameters were at or near NSWL and never did figure out what killed it. I believe it was bacteria because allot of my other corals browned on me and are just now coloring back up after 5 mths.

Sshannon · Mar 17, 2017

My season's greeting montipora was bright green when I got it. After a few weeks, it changed to this brown(it looks grey under the blue actinic light). All new growth around the edges has kept it's green coloration. The polyps remain orange/red, with full extension. I perform weekly water changes. Calc is 420. Alk stays between 9 to 11. I test twice a week. Lights are kessil ap700. Any ideas on why?.

Jimmyneptune · Apr 19, 2018

I have the same thing going on with my season's greeting montipora, it lost 65% of its green color, and some of the other montis are hurting: a Montipora Capricornus, a starburst cap, while a mystic sunset is doing well.

I started Triton Method:

I had stopped feeding my corals, stopped water changes, stopped testing.

Once the problem showed I tested: My ALK is high 12 to 12.5 it was around 9 my belief is that due to lack of food the growth stopped and my alk uptake decreased while daily dosing stated the same. . I have started feeding the corals daily, reef Chili, BRS. Now there are visible polyps even on the white portions of the coral.

I have a Triton test saying to add potassium, which I will be getting delivered today. Triton also says to add strontium, iodine, which I have; and add several other trace elements. I am going to start with potassium the first thing on the Triton recommendation and then the strontium, and iodine.

I did not lower the coral in the tank; any opinions on lower the coral or leave in place it is in one of the higher intensity locations for light in the aquarium?
any other suggestions would be great/

Let’s see what happens.

bigroost · Apr 19, 2018

A couple of things on this, first the salifert potassium kit matched up with the Icp test results in my case. I was/am having the same issue with montis, new growth looks just as it should older part losing color. I have dosed the Potassium to where it should be, but I'm still not really seeing the improvement I was looking for, It's been right for close to a month. I'm hoping it just hasn't had enough time but I also had only half my lights working for a couple weeks in there.

Jimmyneptune · Apr 19, 2018

bigroost said:
A couple of things on this, first the salifert potassium kit matched up with the Icp test results in my case. I was/am having the same issue with montis, new growth looks just as it should older part losing color. I have dosed the Potassium to where it should be, but I'm still not really seeing the improvement I was looking for, It's been right for close to a month. I'm hoping it just hasn't had enough time but I also had only half my lights working for a couple weeks in there.

The monti is still alive?
Did you change your light?
Do you feed the corals? if so what?

Deezill · Apr 19, 2018

Salty1962 said:
I had a large colony go gray and die on me, all of my parameters were at or near NSWL and never did figure out what killed it. I believe it was bacteria because allot of my other corals browned on me and are just now coloring back up after 5 mths.

I have seen where when the nitrates disappear coral discoloration ensues.

bigroost · Apr 19, 2018

Jimmyneptune said:
The monti is still alive?
Did you change your light?
Do you feed the corals? if so what?

Yeah alive and growing.
Yeah was just a shot t5 bulb just shipping messed up and it stayed off for a couple weeks, leds were still working.
Not specifically, I feed the tank heavy, reef chilli, rotifers, Cyclops, brine, Mysis, Lrs so I'm sure they get something.

Sshannon · May 2, 2018

Update time! I broke down my tank last year. I donated my seasons greetings to a LFS. IT regained its bright green coloring within a few weeks! The only difference I can think of, is that they were feeding more heavily than I was, and they used a lower light setting on Radions.

Sshannon · May 2, 2018

Update time! I broke down my tank last year. I donated my seasons greetings to a LFS. IT regained its bright green coloring within a few weeks! The only difference I can think of, is that they were feeding more heavily than I was, and they used a lower light setting on Radions.