Monti brown junk

Bubblebass · Apr 10, 2016

Do I tried some acros a while back and was not educated in lighting r floe for them. You can see one of the survivors in the background trying to make a comeback as I've upgraded lighting (Xr30pros) and flow (MP40's).

Onto today's question - I got a monti frag and it's been doing fine. The red spots are starting to come out of the sides and it always looks good. Until the other day. It still looks good except the edges are brown and look like they have algae on them. My nitrates are high and I'm thinking that's the issue (30 ish). I'm having a tough time getting them down. Th cyphastra is super happy in the background. This brown buildup comes back every 2 days if I wipe it off.

saltyfilmfolks · Apr 12, 2016

If it's only the one coral doing this, I would worry that the algae is being attracted to small bits of dieoff on the frag. Or organics are being deposited by the flow on the one side.

Bubblebass · Apr 12, 2016

That makes sense. It does look like the edges are dying off even though the bottom is healthy. Any idea for a fix?

McMullen · Apr 12, 2016

Test your alkalinity and calcium levels. And report back. Nitrate technically is high but alone should not cause only the monti to suffer

saltyfilmfolks · Apr 12, 2016

revive or iodine dip and maybe move it to a different flow.

Bubblebass · Apr 12, 2016

Ok. I'll dip in revive today.

Alk 8.6
Mag 1310
Calc 450

Phos, ammonia and nitrite all zero according to my eyeball vs Red Sea kits.

Scottsquatch · Apr 12, 2016

Just spit balling here, but you say you changed lighting? Maybe somebody will chime in that knows better, but maybe the higher intensity lighting could have somthing to do with this. I have never changed over to a new lighting system, so I'm not familiar with all the ways it can affect corals other than burning or bleaching.

Also, have your parameters been stable?even if they are within aceptable range, bouncing from the lower to higher range can cause irritation. I know sudden spikes in alk can cause some burning.

McMullen · Apr 12, 2016

Good point with change! Has alk been steady?

Lighting seems less likely here, it's the tips of the monti that are affected. Also the cyphastreas IME are just as sensitive or more to light changes and it's well appearing.

Have added or changed carbon or GFO media?

Bubblebass · Apr 12, 2016

All has been stable for months. I'm super anal about it. I test every other day.

The lighting is being acclimated over 4 weeks up to 65%. Acclimating from 35%.

Just seems like it should be all good. Tank has been running for 7 months. All lps and softies are thriving. All sps are dying except the cyphastra I've had from an old tank about a year old. That's why I went with better lights and flow. Still having this nitrate issue though. I tried dosing vinegar but it was killing my elegance coral at really low doses.

FYI tank is a 120 with a 40g sump. G2 skimmer and filter sock. I dose Alk and mag as needed. My calcium has never moved. Stays at 450. Water changes 15g every two weeks.

Bubblebass · Apr 12, 2016

Here's a tank shot. Feel free to give advice if you see issues. 12000 kelvin. You can see the sad monti on my center pieced frag rock I drilled.

Bubblebass · Apr 12, 2016

Here's a closeup of the monti.

McMullen · Apr 12, 2016

All SPS vs one monti is a whole different animal! There is something in the water/chemistry causing this. Have you checked phosphate?

I see a brown acro, or at least one brown acro. This doesn't eliminate high lighting intensity as the cause but usually there is "bleaching," not browning. Your monti is looking real poopy and not just edges, it's struggling!

Are you dosing anything else? Using any media? RO/DI to mix salt? Check the TDS of the RO/DI?

Your tank is beautiful BTW!! Real nice looking coral!

jsker · Apr 12, 2016

have you tested you trace elements? Fe, k, I ? I could be with the load of corals in your system now, that they are going through the elements faster then when you do water changes with what every salt you are using. What salt are you using?

Bubblebass · Apr 12, 2016

McMullen said:
All SPS vs one monti is a whole different animal! There is something in the water/chemistry causing this. Have you checked phosphate?

I see a brown acro, or at least one brown acro. This doesn't eliminate high lighting intensity as the cause but usually there is "bleaching," not browning. Your monti is looking real poopy and not just edges, it's struggling!

Are you dosing anything else? Using any media? RO/DI to mix salt? Check the TDS of the RO/DI?

Your tank is beautiful BTW!! Real nice looking coral!

Thank you for the compliment.

Yes, when I started out I got a 10 pack of acro frags and didn't realize what I was doing. There are 3 left that I'm trying to make a comeback with. I got new lighting and wavemakers and I'm trying to see if they will comeback. They look better than they have in months (at least they are starting to have some glow instead of just getting darker). I wiped the monti off just before this pic so it's even more angry. If you look at the base, the red dots are starting to show through for the first time last week so I thought it was doing great. Then the top got upset and brown.....

I use Aquaforest pro-biotic reef salt

I do not have any media or dose anything else. I'd love some recommendations, but at this point I'd say the most important thing I could do is get rid of my nitrates somehow (I'm open here though).

Water has 28 TDS (tap has 500!) and I have a 5 unit RO system. Haven't done DI yet.

Never tested trace elements. Is there an all in one kit for them?

McMullen · Apr 12, 2016

I suggest a phosphate test kit before the other stuff.

28 TDS seems like a lot, time to add DI.

I think your finding Sps are a bit more sensitive than other coral.