Monti color

[tdyrkacz]

I have 2 pinkish Montipora corals right next to each other. One I bought at Live Aquaria. It came very small. The other was much larger that i bought at an LFS. The larger one has been growing very fast, but seems to be loosing color. The small one is also growing though not as fast, but retains it's color.

They are under acan led lights and are right next to each other so flow and light is same. Any ideas why this could be happening? I know that there could be many variables involved, I guess I'm just wondering if it's normal for a monti to loose color during high growth rates and if the color comes back at some point.

The one in the middle is the one losing color.

 

[twilliard]

How about some no3 and po4 numbers

 

[cvicente]

Discarding nutrient levels and nudibranchs the most likely cause is low potassium levels. Montiporas loose color when your K is in the 370 to 360 ppm level. If this is your case increase the level to 420 ppm and you will see a noticeable difference in coloration in a couple of days.

 

[twilliard]

Discarding nutrient levels and nudibranchs the most likely cause is low potassium levels. Montiporas loose color when your K is in the 370 to 360 ppm level. If this is your case increase the level to 420 ppm and you will see a noticeable difference in coloration in a couple of days.

That is why I love potassium nitrate

 

[tdyrkacz]

wouldn't that affect all of the monti corals as well as other sps in my tank?

 

[tdyrkacz]

do you guys know of any decent potassium test kits that don't cost $50.

 

[tdyrkacz]

How about some no3 and po4 numbers

Both undetectable with my test kits. I use api for no3 and hanna checker for po4.

I do run GFO.

 

[Seth401]

Everytime my phosphates reach out 0 on the 736 Hanna my sps get really ticked. Including my Montiporas. I think at now hate Gfo. Even when I use a 4th or 5th of the recommended, we'll rinsed, amount all it does it make my sps lose color and sometimes start to Stn. As soon as I pull the gfo it stops and color starts coming back

 

[Sabellafella]

Discarding nutrient levels and nudibranchs the most likely cause is low potassium levels. Montiporas loose color when your K is in the 370 to 360 ppm level. If this is your case increase the level to 420 ppm and you will see a noticeable difference in coloration in a couple of days.

^^^^^ this right here.

 

[Sabellafella]

One of the top reasons i dose potassium is for montis. Now as for test kits, red seas is accurate but tooo too long, i can test my standard parameters 3 times over before i finish their k test. Now ive ben using salifert for a long time. "im not sure" but from what ive ben seeing, salifert may or maynot be back in the usa. But hands down most accurate K test kit

do you guys know of any decent potassium test kits that don't cost $50.

 

[cvicente]

do you guys know of any decent potassium test kits that don't cost $50.

IMO Salifert had the best kit for the money but it is not available anymore, I'm not sure what happened. Elos and KZ kits are a waste of money, Red Sea is the only option left.

 

[tdyrkacz]

Thanks guys. As a starter i think i'll bring some water to my lfs and have them test for it. If it trully is too low then i will start dosing and get my own test kit.

 

[Salty1962]

There can be many reasons that one frag is coloring up better than another. Along with the above mentioned, one could have been fragged from a wild or maricultured colony and one fragged from a tank raised colony. Did you have one in a location in your tank and then moved it on the mag rock with the others? It may not be happy right now due to you moving in from the previous location. Maybe the monti you purchased from your lfs hasn't settled in yet with your tanks parameters. I would give them some time and I believe that all of them will color up nicely and you'll have a cool mag rock of the montis. JMO

 

[cvicente]

Thanks guys. As a starter i think i'll bring some water to my lfs and have them test for it. If it trully is too low then i will start dosing and get my own test kit.

Sounds good...