Struggling with Encrusting Monti’s

[SparklesMcgraw]

Hi all,

was wondering if anyone can give me any tips as I’m struggling to keep colour in my encrusting montis. They seem to start out well for a few weeks and begin encrusting then they slowly start to bleach.
The first two I tried I placed in top third of the tank and have since moved them to the bottom due to the bleaching thinking it was excessive lighting. My sunset is slowly recovering but the chilli pepper didn’t. I bought another chilli that I started out near the bottom and the same fate ensued.
All my softies are doing well and even have a couple acropora frags for a few weeks that seem to be doing well also.
Maybe the Red Sea less are stronger than I think? Details below

Red Sea 300XL 6 months old
Filter socks and carbon and skimmer
Two Red Sea led 90’s running at 65% blues and 50% whites. 5hr max exposure with slow ramp up either end. 8am to 8pm

Parameters
1.026sg
77degf
Alkalinity - 7.8-8.5
Calcium 480
Nitrate 2-5ppm
Phosphate 0.07 (never been above 0.1)
pH 8.2
Zero ammonia or nitrite

only have 3 fish so far, two clowns and a bicolour blenny. Feed a combination of wet and dry food and dose with Red Sea skeletal elements daily. Occasional ab+ (the green stuff) addition maybe twice to 3 times a week.
No signs of anything untoward but I just can’t seem to keep the colour in these montis!

appreciate any thoughts

 

[SparklesMcgraw]

Recent tank pic. Nowhere near as blue as this comes out! Two monti’s are bottom right on the rock. Lower one used to be electric green but is very pale now. The sunset above is slowly getting some colour back…..slowly

 

[SparklesMcgraw]

Tried another pic with higher exposure. Still blue, hard to photo with an iPhone it seems

 

[SparklesMcgraw]

Another point to add, I have some super bright mushrooms (well one left) at the bottom left of the tank) but they seem to keep wanting to detach and I thought they should be pretty hardy. Maybe they are getting too much light even at the bottom? Is 65% intensity on the blues with two Red Sea led 90’s too much?

 

[CoastieFlo]

Maybe reset your lights and use the acclimation mode to slowly get them back up to original par over a month or so. It seemed to work with me when I had to mount a few corals. I have the same light.

 

[fcmatt]

When u buy these coral do they happen to be in a tank with alk super high because they are growing them out for sale as quick as humanly possible?

 

[SparklesMcgraw]

Thanks for that. I originally had my lights around 80% blues from day one but have steadily dropped to 65% which is where I have left it at for now. The new chilli has only ever seen this intensity though.
Alk at the LFS I’m told is 8.3 so bang on the same as mine