Monti having trouble. What are your thoughts?

[Mykesocalreef]

This montipora I have in my tank is having trouble. Any thoughts on what would cause this? Picture isn’t the greatest. All parameters are normal
Ca-420
Alk-8
Mag-1450
Salinity-1.026
Temp-78
Nitrate-3ppm
Phosphate-.02
Ph-8.2
Tank has been running for 1.5 yrs
Lighting 8 bulb ATI with reefbrite led
165 gallon system
Flow 2 gyre 230 at 100%. Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[reeferfoxx]

How long have you had it? I can't tell by the pictures what the problem is? Is it white around the edges? If so, it could be starting to grow, lack of nutrients, or something bothering it. Difficult to say.

 

[Coralfuture]

IME I have found that to look like lack of nutrients but more so caused by the flow being a little too low for its liking.

 

[Mykesocalreef]

How long have you had it? I can't tell by the pictures what the problem is? Is it white around the edges? If so, it could be starting to grow, lack of nutrients, or something bothering it. Difficult to say.

I’ve had it for about two weeks. It is for sure not growth as it is moving from the edge to the center. As far as lack of nutrients what would you recommend. All zoas, mushrooms and lps look great.

 

[Mykesocalreef]

IME I have found that to look like lack of nutrients but more so caused by the flow being a little too low for its liking.

That piece seems to be in great flow, in direct but strong, nothing has the ability to settle on it. Any coral in the vicinity has great movement from the flow. Nutrients are a possibility. I feed everyday. Blackworms, reef frenzy, and three types of the ocean nutrition. Not sure other than nitrates and phosphates to detect low nutrients..

 

[DesertReefT4r]

I cant help with a pic like that.

 

[Mykesocalreef]

I cant help with a pic like that.

I understand. Only had the reefbrite on and iPhone real quick pick. I’ll get one tomorrow with no led and some whites.

 

[Mykesocalreef]

Alright here is a picture with whites and no led. The white areas look like the flesh was sanded off. The large area left and bottom is glue.

 

[Mykesocalreef]

I cant help with a pic like that.

Hopefully this new pic helps.

 

[HB AL]

I would give it an iodine bath if you haven't already. It might be asking for more light, more flow is my guess. I have a pretty large mystic sunset that I moved down in the tank over a year ago, just doing some rearranging of things and it started to look like that around the edges after a week or so. At that point I moved it back to its original location up higher and it went back to normal. I think it was less light that caused it.

 

[Mykesocalreef]

I would give it an iodine bath if you haven't already. It might be asking for more light, more flow is my guess. I have a pretty large mystic sunset that I moved down in the tank over a year ago, just doing some rearranging of things and it started to look like that around the edges after a week or so. At that point I moved it back to its original location up higher and it went back to normal. I think it was less light that caused it.

Thanks I will try the bath and moving higher. As far as flow, how do you judge what is enough?

 

[HB AL]

As long as stuff doesn't settle on it it's got enough flow, that's how I do it.

 

[CoralWealth]

do you have any other SPS, how are they looking if you do?

2 gyre 230 running at 100% plus whatever your return pump is should definitely be enough flow. Do you have coralline algae growing really good?

 

[Mykesocalreef]

I feel like the flow rips pretty good, but that’s just my thoughts. Nothing could ever settle for sure! It seems to be only the hard corals seem to be having the issue. My lighting is the same par as my lfs that I got it from..

 

[CoralWealth]

I feel like the flow rips pretty good, but that’s just my thoughts. Nothing could ever settle for sure! It seems to be only the hard corals seem to be having the issue. My lighting is the same par as my lfs that I got it from..

How about the coralline question, do you have any and is it growing really fast? I struggled with SPS till I had a lot of coralline growth and now everything grows great and colors up pretty fast (knock on wood)

 

[Mykesocalreef]

How about the coralline question, do you have any and is it growing really fast? I struggled with SPS till I had a lot of coralline growth and now everything grows great and colors up pretty fast (knock on wood)

One other sps. It was in bad shape when I got it still hanging on. Yes coraline not sure if it’s a lot as I scrape weekly here’s a gyre picture and under the rack where I don’t scrape.

 

[CoralWealth]

do you have any live rock or anything? looks like just egg crate in that picture.

I dont know it is hard to figure out. As long as you are keeping your parameter stable within a good range of the numbers you posted below and with that flow and coralline algae growing you should be fine. especially with a 8 bulb ati fixture

 

[Mykesocalreef]

do you have any live rock or anything? looks like just egg crate in that picture.

I dont know it is hard to figure out. As long as you are keeping your parameter stable within a good range of the numbers you posted below and with that flow and coralline algae growing you should be fine. especially with a 8 bulb ati fixture

Between the rank and sump, I have about 50 pounds of live rock.

 

[Mykesocalreef]

I was at my friends Shop last night and he pulled apart a veggie clip. Filled with rust. So I got home checked mine and it had a fleck of rust about half the size of a pea. Not sure if that’s enough to create some issues but I pulled it. Also gonna do a triton year this week.

 

[AtlCPA]

50 lbs of live rock is a little low for a 165gal system. I have found that SPS need lots of biodiversity with pods, mircofauna, etc. All mine died until I created a) a very stable system with no alk swings and b) a very biodiverse environment.

There is a youtube video of Mike Paletta talking about setting up a new system with new rock and everything he put in there (mostly SPS) died for about a year until he finally added live rock from a older system to help with the microfauna, etc and then everything was fine.

other than that, i've also come to the conclusion that some corals just die. No need to tweak the tank constantly because one coral isn't doing well.