Need help with Green Montipora losing color!!!

[Kaiuno]

Hello!
Can anyone help me?
My Monti is still growing but the old stem is discolored, although the new growth is still good. The old body still has the Polybs it just doesn't seem to have good color. I am using K7 Pro V3 with not too high capacity ~40%
My parameters:
SALT: 1025
Magnesium: 1410
Ca: 410
Kh: 8.5
Po4: ~0
No3: ~50

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

They like high light and high flow, what is the par level and what is the flow like? I see pally's behind the monti so I guess par and flow can't be that high.

I also notice the nitrate is very high and the phosphate is zero so something is funny there.

Low light and high nutrients are the 2 usual reasons for coral browning or dulling in colour, so I think I would investigate these 2 and maybe do a water change to bring the nitrates down.

 

[Kaiuno]

They like high light and high flow, what is the par level and what is the flow like? I see pally's behind the monti so I guess par and flow can't be that high.

I also notice the nitrate is very high and the phosphate is zero so something is funny there.

Low light and high nutrients are the 2 usual reasons for coral browning or dulling in colour, so I think I would investigate these 2 and maybe do a water change to bring the nitrates down.

Thank you for the advice. I don't have a PAR measuring device, but my feeling is that the light is low - medium low. I will adjust it gradually.
Regarding the flow: It's not high either, I will find a way to change the position.
Thanks again.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Hello!
Can anyone help me?
My Monti is still growing but the old stem is discolored, although the new growth is still good. The old body still has the Polybs it just doesn't seem to have good color. I am using K7 Pro V3 with not too high capacity ~40%
My parameters:
SALT: 1025
Magnesium: 1410
Ca: 410
Kh: 8.5
Po4: ~0
No3: ~50

Mine did this exact thing when I went out of town for a month. My AWC failed so my nitrates went through the roof and a power head crapped the bed. It’s been 2 months. I lost 3 acros, all the others have come back except this one. It still looks like this. Flow and nitrates are and have been restored but this guy isn’t bouncing back yet.

 

[Pod_01]

From my experience this is your main issue:

Po4: ~0

I find Montipora to be sensitive to dropping PO4 and PO4 going from let’s say 0.05 to zero never ends well.
If PO4 is addressed and nothing improves in 2-3 weeks I would look for other cause.

Good luck,

 

[Kaiuno]

From my experience this is your main issue:


I find Montipora to be sensitive to dropping PO4 and PO4 going from let’s say 0.05 to zero never ends well.
If PO4 is addressed and nothing improves in 2-3 weeks I would look for other cause.

Good luck,

Thank you very much, can you please tell me how to increase Po4 naturally?

 

[tbrown]

Thank you very much, can you please tell me how to increase Po4 naturally?

Dose PO4. Brightwell sells NeoPhos which is easy to use.

 

[Pod_01]

Thank you very much, can you please tell me how to increase Po4 naturally?

I prefer to feed the fish, they poop out PO4 and this PO4 tends to be the type corals love. That is my preferred method.

Alternatively method I use is to dose following:

Work well, again my opinion based on my use. Best part from my observation it doesn’t promote algae when compared to other liquid based PO4 additives.

But out of curiosity what do you use for filtration? Your PO4 and NO3 is out of proportion.

For example my NO3/PO4 is as follows:

And my Montipora:

For my tank for filtration I only use skimmer and GAC (2 tablespoons per 60gal and change every 4 weeks). I don’t use GFO, socks, fleece rolls etc… I observed that they can mess up the NO3/ PO4 ratio.

Good luck,

 

[Dave-T]

It's funny that you could have such high nitrates and zero phosphates. What are you using to measure?

 

[Pod_01]

It's funny that you could have such high nitrates and zero phosphates. What are you using to measure?

When you limit PO4 there is good chance that NO3 will accumulate. In order for the corals or algae to consume NO3 you require some PO4. Also some filtration methods can lead to elevated NO3.

OP can reduce NO3 with water change, but 50ppm is not something I would try to chase.

Regardless OP may want to double check both values, just in case.

I find montiporas are some of the first corals to show PO4 starvation and I lost few because of it. I use them as indicators…

 

[Dave-T]

My question stands. I am wondering if the phosphate is really as low as he says. Kaiuno - how are you measuring phosphate?

 

[tbrown]

My question stands. I am wondering if the phosphate is really as low as he says. Kaiuno - how are you measuring phosphate?

It can be. My nitrates in my old tank would hit over 100 (Hanna) and my Phosphates would bottom out (Hanna). My current tank has 28 Nitrates and I have to dose phosphates to keep from bottoming out. They hit 0 three weeks ago when I was out of town and I just finished fighting the Dinos that resulted.

It's interesting but some tanks can't keep phosphates and some can't seem to get rid of them.

 

[Dave-T]

Were you using the Hanna ULR phospate or phosphorus (better) checker? The Hanna LR phosphate checker is useless.

 

[tbrown]

Were you using the Hanna ULR phospate or phosphorus (better) checker? The Hanna LR phosphate checker is useless.

ULR