Monti cap losing color

[Reaper_Six_Four]

So I’ve had my Monti for just about 2-1/2 months now. It’s been doing great but over the last 4 weeks or so it’s been losing the green it had.
Tank is about 8 months with coralline spreading. Doesn’t seem bleached

Thoughts?

Heres my parameters:

Calcium 450​

Alk: 8.4​

PO4: .13 (I’ve been struggling with these for a bit)​

NO3: (low, I don’t have a meter for exact resolution)​

Salinity: 1.025​

Ammonia: 0​

Nitrite:0​

Water Temp: ~79​

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

Nothing there stands out...with the exception of no par readings. If it is starting to lose color..good chance that it is starving given other parameters look decent. Maybe move it up a little and get a little more light?

 

[vetteguy53081]

So I’ve had my Monti for just about 2-1/2 months now. It’s been doing great but over the last 4 weeks or so it’s been losing the green it had.
Tank is about 8 months with coralline spreading. Doesn’t seem bleached

Thoughts?

Heres my parameters:

Calcium 450​

Alk: 8.4​

PO4: .13 (I’ve been struggling with these for a bit)​

NO3: (low, I don’t have a meter for exact resolution)​

Salinity: 1.025​

Ammonia: 0​

Nitrite:0​

Water Temp: ~79​

Phosphate if accurate is high (you want .04-.06) and nitrate. . . Hmmmm. Medium light and water flow
What test kits are you using ?

 

[Reaper_Six_Four]

Nothing there stands out...with the exception of no par readings. If it is starting to lose color..good chance that it is starving given other parameters look decent. Maybe move it up a little and get a little more light?

Yeah, I’ve been concerned with it starving given the fact that my NO3 has been low. I just run the dilemma that when I do feed it, it raises my PO4 as well. I’ve been struggling to lower it but I guess in the end it doesn’t matter.

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

Yeah, I’ve been concerned with it starving given the fact that my NO3 has been low. I just run the dilemma that when I do feed it, it raises my PO4 as well. I’ve been struggling to lower it but I guess in the end it doesn’t matter.

Many people dose sodium nitrates so that they can bump up nitrates without having to increase phosphates. There is a planted tank calculator somewhere that says how much to dose.

edit: http://theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm

 

[Spare time]

Try dosing some amino acids. I'm worried you might be bottoming out on nitrates (or have low nitrogen input). Aminos are likely more preferable to corals than (dosing) nitrate.

 

[Reaper_Six_Four]

Phosphate if accurate is high (you want .04-.06) and nitrate. . . Hmmmm. Medium light and water flow
What test kits are you using ?

Hanna for cal, alk and po4. The rest are just test strips as just a general idea. I also take water samples to LFS to validate the strips.

 

[Reaper_Six_Four]

Try dosing some amino acids. I'm worried you might be bottoming out on nitrates (or have low nitrogen input)

Shared concern

 

[Spare time]

Hanna for cal, alk and po4. The rest are just test strips as just a general idea. I also take water samples to LFS to validate the strips.

I would strongly suggest a better nitrate test.

 

[Reaper_Six_Four]

I would strongly suggest a better nitrate test.

Yeah, I think I need one, just never considered one since I used to heavily feed.

 

[Reaper_Six_Four]

Shared con

Many people dose sodium nitrates so that they can bump up nitrates without having to increase phosphates. There is a planted tank calculator somewhere that says how much to dose.

edit: http://theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm

any brand in particular?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hanna for cal, alk and po4. The rest are just test strips as just a general idea. I also take water samples to LFS to validate the strips.

Strips are also for freshwater and often innacurate. Trust me . . . . you dont want to trust a $7 kit to sustain a couple hundred dollars of coral and fish
I recommebd Hanna or salifert kits. I suspecy nitrate higher. Take a water sample to a trusted LFS that does NOT use Api tests and see what readings they come up with

 

[Reaper_Six_Four]

Try dosing some amino acids. I'm worried you might be bottoming out on nitrates (or have low nitrogen input). Aminos are likely more preferable to corals than (dosing) nitrate.

Would you recommend Red Sea Energy AB+ in the interim?

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

I used this. more than I will ever use. Probably can find it cheaper

 

[Spare time]

Yes that works. I use that daily in my tank since I typically have around 0-2ppm nitrate which isn't ideal.

 

[Reaper_Six_Four]

Yes that works. I use that daily in my tank since I typically have around 0-2ppm nitrate which isn't ideal.

Any rise in PO4 from this?