Bleaching Monti Cap

[goldenhurricane2]

So I've got two small frags of monti (one red and one green). The red frag has been in the tank about a month longer than the green. The issue I'm having seems to be bleaching. However, I've put them in the medium part of the tank... I have sb reef lights on 10% white, 50% blue and two t5 (blue+) supplements. My nitrates are a little high 11-12ish ppm. But otherwise everything is in order.

Any ideas on what I can do to fix this?

 

[reeferfoxx]

What's PO4, Ca, Alk and Mag?

 

[goldenhurricane2]

So I have:

Nitrates: 11ish
Magnesium: 1300ish
Calcium: 440
Alk: 8.5
Phosphate 1.36

 

[reeferfoxx]

Your phosphates are 252 times higher than natural sea level? Are you sure your po4 is 1.26? What are you using to test?

EDIT: Sorry 1.36 would be 272 times higher

 

[goldenhurricane2]

Sorry I meant 0.36

 

[goldenhurricane2]

And I'm using Red Sea

 

[reeferfoxx]

That is still really high. Your PO4 should be around 0.01-0.04ppm.
That bleaching might be confused with browning. I would try GFO for PO4 reduction. Keep your nitrates around "11ish" for now but don't go any higher.

 

[goldenhurricane2]

Thanks for the advice - can you tell me a little about gfo? Can I use it in conjunction with carbon and chemi pure blue (I'm currently using those two items)?

 

[reeferfoxx]

Thanks for the advice - can you tell me a little about gfo? Can I use it in conjunction with carbon and chemi pure blue (I'm currently using those two items)?

Yes you can. You could probably ditch the Chemi pure blue. Since your PO4 is so high, you've already exhausted the GFO properties. SO unless you want to switch chemi pure out every 3 days, might be more cost effective to just use GFO.

 

[goldenhurricane2]

Would removing the chemi pure cause my Nitrates to go up? Also, if I were to get my phosphates down to a reasonable level, would I go back to the chemi pure or just stick with carbon and gfo?

 

[reeferfoxx]

Oh and GFO or granular feric oxide is used to reduce PO4 and silicates. After initial use you might experience a slight pH and Alk drop. It doesn't have to be used forever and it can strip too much. With high po4 you might have to switch out every 3-4 days. And its most efficient with a reactor.

Would removing the chemi pure cause my Nitrates to go up?

If nitrates do go up, water changes are the best method for reduction. If the tank is large you could look into a refugium or bio-pellets. Refugiums will also absorb phosphates. It's the more natural method.

 

[goldenhurricane2]

I have a 55 gallon tank with a 4 gallon HOB refugium with cheato inside. However my tank isn't drilled so I have a sicce canister filter (that's where I put my carbon and chemi pure)

 

[goldenhurricane2]

Ok I just ordered a small (rated for up to 75 gallon) HOB phosphate reactor with some phosban as you suggested. Hope it works!