Can this Red Monti Cap be saved?

[kn701222]

Hello everyone! I've been using this forum as one of my greatest resources to learn about reefing over the last 5-7 years. However, I've never posted anything. So this is my first post and I really need to figure out if my Red Monti Cap can be saved by changing a few things in the tank so it will make a come-back. A bit of history about the Cap. I bought a whole set up from a guy to upgrade from a 90G system to a 155G system. Due to time and space constraints, I had to move the Cap from his tank to my 90G first then picked up the 155G tank from him after. The Cap looked awesome in my 90G system. It was seated directly just about 6" under a 150W MH and a 4 bulb T5 fixture for a few weeks. I then picked up the 155G and moved it over. It was doing just fine for a few days in the 155G tank, then I came back after work just to see about 70% of the Cap had bleached.

90G system parameters:
pH= 8.0-8.2
Nitrate= 0
Phosphate= 0
Cal= 380
Alk= 9

When I moved the Cap over from the 90G to the 155G, I could not match all the numbers though.
Current 155G system:
pH= 7.8 (will try to bring up)
Nitrate= 20 (will try to bring down)
Phosphate= 0
Cal= 380 (will try to bring up)
Alk= 9
Current lighting: it's just under a 2 bulb T5 fixture with a Current Orbit Marine (considering upgrading lighting to all LED or using the old MH again)
I have no idea what could have bleached it. Can't be lighting cause it was doing great under a much brighter lighting system. one 150W MH and 4 bulbs of T5's just shot straight down on it from a height of only 6". The current 2 bulb T5 with a cheap LED fixture could not do that much damage right?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts about this.
When it was in the 90G system:

When it was in the 155G system when I fist spotted the bleaching:

Here it is now in the 155G system:

 

[SJ Blane]

Sorry about your monti! It looks like it was doing incredibly well. I would frag the areas that still have coloring and ditch the rest. Based on your last photo it looks like most of the colony will not recover. What I love about monti caps is that when they are growing, they grow so quickly! Not sure what could have caused this colony to die. Did you acclimate it to the new lighting? Even though your t5s were not as powerful as previous lighting, maybe the change shocked the coral? Not sure.

 

[JaimeAdams]

Welome to Reef2Reef! The monti can be saved. I doubt that it will ever regrow over the dead areas, but the live parts can be saved. I agree I would probably frag off the live tissue.

 

[kn701222]

Welome to Reef2Reef! The monti can be saved. I doubt that it will ever regrow over the dead areas, but the live parts can be saved. I agree I would probably frag off the live tissue.

Thank you!

 

[kn701222]

Sorry about your monti! It looks like it was doing incredibly well. I would frag the areas that still have coloring and ditch the rest. Based on your last photo it looks like most of the colony will not recover. What I love about monti caps is that when they are growing, they grow so quickly! Not sure what could have caused this colony to die. Did you acclimate it to the new lighting? Even though your t5s were not as powerful as previous lighting, maybe the change shocked the coral? Not sure.

Thanks for your reply. I also thought it was due to the change too. I guess the 155G was "too new" for it. As for the lighting, it was under the same exact set up as it was with its previous owner. basically, I took the whole system from the guy. I guess it is what it is, I've been depressed about this but it's time to move on and try to save some of it. Mannnnn, it is a huge colony (22"x17").

 

[kevin_e]

Welome to Reef2Reef! The monti can be saved. I doubt that it will ever regrow over the dead areas, but the live parts can be saved. I agree I would probably frag off the live tissue.

It will. I had several montis do this and regrow over dead areas. It grows as a new layer though.

I had a monti with what I though were no polyps come back from the dead. Apparently there were still a couple.

 

[SJ Blane]

I'm in a similar situation with a coral I've had for a long time. I love this hobby but there are moments when it is incredibly frustrating. Best of luck with your monti!

 

[SeaDweller]

Welome to Reef2Reef! The monti can be saved. I doubt that it will ever regrow over the dead areas, but the live parts can be saved. I agree I would probably frag off the live tissue.

I’ve had Montis grow back from one single polyp, and over the original structure, so it can be done and saved.

 

[kn701222]

I’ve had Montis grow back from one single polyp, and over the original structure, so it can be done and saved.

This is promising. Did you have to adjust anything in your tank? How long did it take?

 

[Backreefing]

Your nitrates and phosphate at 0 alarms me , get some nutrients in there quick, fragging it may help but it may return . Montipora can come back from a single polyp

 

[Backreefing]

Sorry for skimming and not reading current status. My bad

 

[SeaDweller]

This is promising. Did you have to adjust anything in your tank? How long did it take?

On two occasions I’ve had plating montis come back full swing, each from one single polyp. I think it was from my source water. The first time was a red plating Monti: grayed our completely and died, somehow there was one single polyp somewhere that grew back over the original colony. This colony did this twice, but I ultimately lost it when I had a crash and didn’t care after that... that was the sole surviving SPS.

The second (third) time I’ve had it come back was with an Idaho grape. Same issue. Grayed out then came back full swing (again, might have been source water). It was probably over several short months. I don’t recall that part but time I took it for dead.