Flame monitpora digitata not looking so good

  • Thread starter Thread starter JoJosReef
  • Start date Start date
  • Tagged users Tagged users None

JoJosReef

There's some lovely filth down here!
View Badges
Joined
Sep 27, 2021
Messages
20,798
Reaction score
81,316
Location
Orange County, CA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi all,

Having a go with SPS. "Flame Spitter" montipora digitata has been in my 10g nano under an AI Prime for 11 days now. Started out on the sand bed for a few days, then midway up the tank, then top of the rocks next to the mint potato chip pavona (which seems to be doing well and has been on the top rock for a few months now).

Sorry for the blues, don't have my filters:
IMG_20220927_170520378.jpg

You can kind of see that orange polyps are still there tucked way down inside. It has been like that all day. Yesterday, orange polyps out.

Today's parameters:
Alk: 7.3 by Red Sea Pro test (before first addition of AFR, which I add 1.5mL before noon and 1-1.5mL before leaving office)
NO3: less than 2ppm but >0ppm by Red Sea
PO4: ~0.03-0.1ppm by Salifert--really hard to tell, but not 100% clear

I added a bit of NeoNitro today, given that the tank usually runs 2-5ppm NO3, leaning toward 2ppm most of the time.

Only running filter pad and Roxx carbon in the AIO media basket.

I have an emerald crab, that I did see on top of the rocks on Friday, but I don't heavily suspect the emerald of molesting the monti. The nem crab is king of that rock, so emerald can't do all that much.

Nothing else that I can see that might be stinging the monti. It is about an inch and a half away from a potato chip pavona, and it is about a half inch up and inch away from a crocea clam. AI Prime is running a modified Saxby schedule with AB+ spectrum topping in low 70%s.

Not panicking yet, but I'm happy to take any advice you SPS experts might have! Thanks!

P.S. shot of the monti in full several days ago on the sand bed:
IMG_20220916_152233311.jpg
 
Check your alk and calcium levels and assure salinity not elevated
Medium light and water flow
 
Check your alk and calcium levels and assure salinity not elevated
Medium light and water flow

Forgot to put down salinity: 1.026 bang on. Might have gone up to 1.027 on Monday when I came in after weekend (bottle ATO runs out on Monday AM).

Ca, I haven't checked in a while since it was steadily around 490-500 with HW salt and addition of AFR kept it up despite heavy consumption from LPS and clam. Will check tomorrow!

Mg runs very high. This batch of HW salt mixes >1600 at 1.026sg. That is tested with Red Sea and with Salifert. Not sure what to do other than change salts.

Thanks!
 
Your three essentials are elevated
While not dangerous level on CA, you want 409-440, mag 1350, high salinity will upset some coral and assure phos not high
 
Your three essentials are elevated
While not dangerous level on CA, you want 409-440, mag 1350, high salinity will upset some coral and assure phos not high

Any recommendations on reducing Mag? I also think it is hard on my inverts.

For CA, I also have a crocea clam, so went with a salt that was higher in the CA side. Clams do OK at 440 CA?
 
Any recommendations on reducing Mag? I also think it is hard on my inverts.

For CA, I also have a crocea clam, so went with a salt that was higher in the CA side. Clams do OK at 440 CA?
Mine loves it at 468 ca
For mag, don’t add any.
 
Last edited:

TOP 10 Trending Threads

WHAT’S YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE WITH A CORAL THAT LOOKED LIKE IT MIGHT NOT MAKE IT?

  • I’ve seen a dramatic comeback. I would have sworn it was a goner

    Votes: 16 44.4%
  • A slow recovery, and it got back to looking healthy

    Votes: 5 13.9%
  • It came back some, but never looked as good as it used to

    Votes: 3 8.3%
  • I tried to save one, but it didn’t make it

    Votes: 6 16.7%
  • Mine is still struggling...no comeback yet

    Votes: 3 8.3%
  • I’ve never had a coral in serious trouble

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • See, this is why I don’t keep corals

    Votes: 1 2.8%
  • Other (Post in the comments)

    Votes: 2 5.6%
Back
Top
Home
Post thread…
Market
What's new