Can not keep Montipora

[OpenOcean33]

So like the title says my Montipora skills are poor and I can not keep one alive. My tank is 1 1/2 years old. I had one Montipora when my tank was new for 6 months and killed it after a Dino x treatment. After that Dinos were gone and I bought a new red Montipora and seasons greeting Montipora... both lasted about 2 months before they grayed out and grew algae on them and died. My last Montipora I have had for 3 weeks and its now gray but the polys are still out. Its placed in good flow and middle/upper tank. However this is the same process as the others and I know it will eventual die. I am looking for tips on keeping this coral along with other SPS coral. My tank is a redsea max e 260 with hydra to 26s. B70% LB 70% white 22% G 0% R 0%. N-8ppm, Phos- .08, Cal- 370(dosed today) Alk (7.6) I have been keeping at 8.5dkh so I am decently low here. I was thinking it was the alK but when I first started my tank and my Monti lasted 6 months I never dosed alk or tested. So I guess I am just looking for some suggestions and guidance from you guys who have been successful. I did post this in the general area a few weeks ago but this sub I feel is more specific for what I'm looking for. Thank you guys !

 

[JustAnotherNanoTank]

Well I feel like your params are a bit low.. big question is how is your magnesium? Montipora LOVE magnesium.

 

[vanpire]

This is just one person’s anecdotal experience, bit high ALK caused me a lot of issues with my Montis. Once I lowered ALK to around 7, they did great.

 

[OpenOcean33]

Honestly, I am not sure I have not tested in a little while I won't lie but my last reading was in March and it was 1460 on redsea test kit. My Mg has always run between 1380 and 1480 every time I tested. I will definitely test it tomorrow. Also would a tiny frag of Montipora need that much Mg? I also agree my reading are a little low and im slowly rising them I like to keep my cal between 400-420 and alk between 8.5-9.5dkh. However, this also docent seem to work, unless there is a swing during the day that im not noticing between lights on and off?

 

[OpenOcean33]

This is just one person’s anecdotal experience, bit high ALK caused me a lot of issues with my Montis. Once I lowered ALK to around 7, they did great.

I wish I knew what It was when my tank was new lol then I would have more success since I didn't test then. Also this is true every tank is different with all sorts of variables. I think my tank hates SPS lol. Also I am still a new reefer only 1 1.2 years in I have a lot to learn.

 

[JustAnotherNanoTank]

Well idk what Dino x does or I’d love to help you! Best o luck! Happy reefing!

 

[Ernie C]

How’s your ph, temp and salinity? I have a red monti, sunset and Superman under hydras. I also had dinos and I thought they had died. Once I got the Dinos under control, next step was to get all my parameters stable. To my astonishment after a month or two of stability, they started to come back from small tiny patches that managed to survive. I was testing water every couple of days but I wasn’t doing water changes for a while because I have low nutrients and just wanted thing to stabilize. Do you do a lot of water changes? Stability makes a big difference I think.

 

[OpenOcean33]

Well idk what Dino x does or I’d love to help you! Best o luck! Happy reefing!

This was done over a year ago, but thanks for the advice!

 

[Edp251]

Been crawling out of the same challenge myself and feel i have just turned the corner. What appeared to work for me was running more carbon, i used BRS Rox to decrease any random contaminants and any chemicals from other corals, and slowly upping my salinity to SG 1.026. Small tweaks over weeks but great positive effects in my tank with all sps, especially montis. Best of luck!

 

[Kodock]

Is there a specific type of montipora species that you had issues with? I have great luck with monti caps, but never with any other types. Specific montis and millies never make it, everything else survives or thrives.

 

[EMeyer]

Well I feel like your params are a bit low.. big question is how is your magnesium? Montipora LOVE magnesium.

Interesting. I've been having trouble with montis in one tank lately, and moving them to a different tank where they do better. I just tested to confirm that these tanks run about 90 ppm different Mg, stable for the last month or so (1260 vs 1250). Since I have considered both of these within the acceptable range I havent adjusted. But I've been struggling to explain the consistent difference in Monti health in the two tanks.

Since you advocate Mg for montis, what level do you consider ideal? Do you think ~1250 vs ~1350 is enough to cause an effect?

 

[OpenOcean33]

Been crawling out of the same challenge myself and feel i have just turned the corner. What appeared to work for me was running more carbon, i used BRS Rox to decrease any random contaminants and any chemicals from other corals, and slowly upping my salinity to SG 1.026. Small tweaks over weeks but great positive effects in my tank with all sps, especially montis. Best of luck!

I do have two toadstools, maybe possible chemical warfare? interesting, running more carbon could help and maybe something interesting to look at here.

 

[OpenOcean33]

Is there a specific type of montipora species that you had issues with? I have great luck with monti caps, but never with any other types. Specific montis and millies never make it, everything else survives or thrives.

I think It may be sps in general... I try 3 red Monti caps cause they seems to be the standard, 1 seasons greetings, and I've also tried a stylophora who's polyps never opened and he died after a short time.

 

[Zero1091]

Just some things I noticed that were touched on but my two cents
Cal is a little low I personally run 450 doesnt need to be that high but mine are thriving. Most importantly stability, keep the same numbers.
Lighting is a little up there in percentage, thats ok but do you light acclimate them a bit before in a low spot before putting them higher in the tank? Most can take getting put anywhere and blasted by light in the tank but there is a chance of shocking them. I run 45% blues max peak afternoon on my hydras and max 8% peak hours and get a par around 300 at the top.
Last is trace and minor elements, iodine very important, low iodine and ive had montis pale out and almost die out from near zero iodine. Dosing it immediately showed color coming back especially Reds.
Then try some amino acid, ACRO POWER dosing it can do wonders to not only SPS but all corals keeps good source of nutrients in the tank. Hope that helps bud.

 

[JustAnotherNanoTank]

This was done over a year ago, but thanks for the advice!

Oh shoot! How strange! And yes consumption of elements can accelerate and slow depending on many factors, so I’ve been told.

 

[OpenOcean33]

Just some things I noticed that were touched on but my two cents
Cal is a little low I personally run 450 doesnt need to be that high but mine are thriving. Most importantly stability, keep the same numbers.
Lighting is a little up there in percentage, thats ok but do you light acclimate them a bit before in a low spot before putting them higher in the tank? Most can take getting put anywhere and blasted by light in the tank but there is a chance of shocking them. I run 45% blues max peak afternoon on my hydras and max 8% peak hours and get a par around 300 at the top.
Last is trace and minor elements, iodine very important, low iodine and ive had montis pale out and almost die out from near zero iodine. Dosing it immediately showed color coming back especially Reds.
Then try some amino acid, ACRO POWER dosing it can do wonders to not only SPS but all corals keeps good source of nutrients in the tank. Hope that helps bud.

I agree for best stability would you recommend weekly testing or more often?I agree that my Cal is low right now and I am slowly rising it. I actually thought my lights were a little lowers because redsea recommends 100% on the blues not 70% I do light acclimate as well by placing them at the bottom and moving them up to the middle slowly over a week. Lastly, I have never tested for any of those trace elements such as iodine but something I could look into for sure.

 

[OpenOcean33]

Oh shoot! How strange! And yes consumption of elements can accelerate and slow depending on many factors, so I’ve been told.

So many variables and so much to know, I always feel like I need more knowledge on this haha

 

[OpenOcean33]

I think what I will do is stabilize out my alk calcium mg over the next few weeks add some extra carbon for possible chemical warfare and see what happens from there.. then do some further testing possibly.

 

[Zero1091]

I agree for best stability would you recommend weekly testing or more often?I agree that my Cal is low right now and I am slowly rising it. I actually thought my lights were a little lowers because redsea recommends 100% on the blues not 70% I do light acclimate as well by placing them at the bottom and moving them up to the middle slowly over a week. Lastly, I have never tested for any of those trace elements such as iodine but something I could look into for sure.

Test more often until you see how much your tank consumes daily then dose based on its need and what you want to keep everything at. Your percentage is cool but I will say that I have tested Par ranges raising the percentages and noticed that even at blues being 50% with whites barely at 5% I was getting par readings between 300-350 at the top. Its hard to test for those elements and most arent accurate.
Although, Saliferts iodine test which isnt again the most accurate did show me results of having iodine in my tank in the recommended range when I knew I had good levels. Salifert also close to accurately showed me when my levels were getting low.
Wouldnt hurt to do a Triton ICP test either man. It would cut some guess work and lead yah in a good direction.

 

[OpenOcean33]

Test more often until you see how much your tank consumes daily then dose based on its need and what you want to keep everything at. Your percentage is cool but I will say that I have tested Par ranges raising the percentages and noticed that even at blues being 50% with whites barely at 5% I was getting par readings between 300-350 at the top. Its hard to test for those elements and most arent accurate.
Although, Saliferts iodine test which isnt again the most accurate did show me results of having iodine in my tank in the recommended range when I knew I had good levels. Salifert also close to accurately showed me when my levels were getting low.
Wouldnt hurt to do a Triton ICP test either man. It would cut some guess work and lead yah in a good direction.

I am absolutely all about cutting out guess work, especially after fighting Dinos last year just followed a standard way with no guessing which made my life much easier and saved myself a lot of $$$$$. lol The weird thing is tho the life of the Monti's are so different from 6/7months to 2 weeks and lighting is the same, however maybe I can rent a PAR meter and also Trition may be good once I stablize all my level over the next few weeks.