Montipora bleaching

[mossanimal]

I have an encrusting orange polyp monti that is all of a sudden showing some bleaching around the edges. I have it set mid height in my 90 gallon with two Phlizons that are set to 10% white and 90% blue. I also just put in a 120 scp Jebao gyre that increased flow in that area. Should I get this guy into lower light??

 

[mossanimal]

Sorry for the blue light. The areas that are showing purple are the areas that seem to be bleaching.

 

[Gill the 3rd]

It might be a growth ring, not bleaching. Its hard to tell with the blue lights. Montis get a white ring around the edges indicating growth. When they have bleached its always been a large spot in the middle of the coral, and works its way out to the edges.

How long has it been in your tank and what are your parameters?

 

[Matt Bravo]

I never done well with encrusting monti (somehow)
But some do say that if it’s all around and just a thing layer it could indicate growth. If you do feel like it’s getting blasted then you should trust your instinct and move it to lower flow

 

[Gill the 3rd]

This is what my montis look like when they are bleaching

This is a normal growth ring on the perimeter

Note: I just grabbed this pics from google to show the difference. They aren't my pictures.

 

[Dburr1014]

Monti's love flow. And most love light.

 

[Gill the 3rd]

Monti's love flow. And most love light.

Yup. Its one of the corals I can put in directly in front of my power heads and get blasted with flow. Works well until they grow big and block all my flow....

 

[mossanimal]

It might be a growth ring, not bleaching. Its hard to tell with the blue lights. Montis get a white ring around the edges indicating growth. When they have bleached its always been a large spot in the middle of the coral, and works its way out to the edges.

How long has it been in your tank and what are your parameters?

There is one tiny spot closer the 'middle edge' that had me more worried. But most is along the edge as you say. Salinity 1.025, Phosphate 0.5 (have been trying to get get down), Nitrates 7, Calcium 420, Alkalinity 143, pH 8-8.2, Mg 1340. It's only been in the tank for 1 month.

 

[mossanimal]

This is what my montis look like when they are bleaching

This is a normal growth ring on the perimeter

Note: I just grabbed this pics from google to show the difference. They aren't my pictures.

Okay... yeah maybe I'm seeing growth!

 

[Gill the 3rd]

Okay... yeah maybe I'm seeing growth!

That's my initial guess. Just keep an eye on it. In my tank, they usually don't do much for a couple months, then all of a sudden they grow like crazy. As a previous poster said, they typically like high flow and light as well.

 

[Gill the 3rd]

There is one tiny spot closer the 'middle edge' that had me more worried. But most is along the edge as you say. Salinity 1.025, Phosphate 0.5 (have been trying to get get down), Nitrates 7, Calcium 420, Alkalinity 143, pH 8-8.2, Mg 1340. It's only been in the tank for 1 month.

Alk of 143, that's a little high lol. Phosphate is high but many people have had success with high phosphates. I grew montis in 0.2-0.3 phosphate no problem in my old system.

 

[mossanimal]

Alk of 143, that's a little high lol. Phosphate is high but many people have had success with high phosphates. I grew montis in 0.2-0.3 phosphate no problem in my old system.

143 is only dKH of 8 which is right in range I thought??

 

[Gill the 3rd]

143 is only dKH of 8 which is right in range I thought??

Sorry, I usually think in dkh so I thought it was a typo and you wrote 143 dkh. I was being sarcastic. Yea a dkh of 8 is perfectly in range.

 

[mossanimal]

Sorry, I usually think in dkh so I thought it was a typo and you wrote 143 dkh. I was being sarcastic. Yea a dkh of 8 is perfectly in range.

My API kit reads in ppm.. I need to get in the habit of expressing it in dKH