Monti Bleaching

[Brant W]

Recently my Monti has started to show bleaching and I am wondering what is up with it. I think it is being caused by low nitrates and possibly salinity.

Levels:
Salinity: 37ppt
Alk: 8.2 dkh
Calcium: 385ppm
Magnesium: 1350ppm
Nitrates: 0.0 ppm
Phosphates: .33 ppm

All my other corals, fish, and inverts look great (besides a goni I’ve been dealing with for a while now), and coralline algae is going crazy on the glass. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

Your salinity is high, your calcium is low, your Nitrates are low, and your Phosphates are very high. How long have you had the monti and how old is the tank?

 

[Brant W]

Most of that is true. Tanks been running for 2 years 9 months, and the monti has been in that spot for a year and a month. Grew from a small piece that was broken off a frag.

 

[Dburr1014]

Recently my Monti has started to show bleaching and I am wondering what is up with it. I think it is being caused by low nitrates and possibly salinity.

Levels:
Salinity: 37ppt
Alk: 8.2 dkh
Calcium: 385ppm
Magnesium: 1350ppm
Nitrates: 0.0 ppm
Phosphates: .33 ppm

All my other corals, fish, and inverts look great (besides a goni I’ve been dealing with for a while now), and coralline algae is going crazy on the glass. Any help is appreciated.

Why did you write that salanity was to low? Or did you mean just low nitrates and salanity in general?
Could it have possibly gone higher than 37? When it hit 38, my coral hated life in general.

Got to get that down a bit.
PO4 also.

 

[Brant W]

Oh I didnt mean that salinity was low i just meant it might be the problem since it is higher than normal. There is a chance it could have gotten higher for a period so I will bring it down later today with a water change. I can feed less and see if that helps bring PO4 down.

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

Most of that is true. Tanks been running for 2 years 9 months, and the monti has been in that spot for a year and a month. Grew from a small piece that was broken off a frag.

Have you checked for rusting magnets? I would recommend a series of large water changes to get your parameters in better ranges. Since the coral was growing well, there has to be something that has changed in the water. I have experienced issues in the past when magnets have rusted, but either way you definitely need to lower that PO4 and get some readable NO3 in the tank.

 

[Brant W]

I will check for anything while doing a water change today. The main change that has happened was a month and a half ago when I had to start dosing 2 part to help my alkalinity and calcium stay up. 2 months ago my PO4 was at .11 ppm and Nitrates at 2 ppm, so slightly better. I will lay off of feeding Reef Roids to see if anything changes and also dose some neonitro, + the water changes. Thank you.

 

[Rmckoy]

Why did you write that salanity was to low? Or did you mean just low nitrates and salanity in general?
Could it have possibly gone higher than 37? When it hit 38, my coral hated life in general.

Got to get that down a bit.
PO4 also.

35 is where you want salinity .
35ppt or 1.026 sg

Cal is on the low side and I prefer keeping mine at 425
Feed the fish a little more to increase nitrates a little
My system runs at <5ppm for nitrates
425 cal
7.5 dkh
1.026 sg

 

[Brant W]

35 is where you want salinity .
35ppt or 1.026 sg

Cal is on the low side and I prefer keeping mine at 425
Feed the fish a little more to increase nitrates a little
My system runs at <5ppm for nitrates
425 cal
7.5 dkh
1.026 sg

Yeah I am working on bringing the salinity down, and raising calcium with my 2 part. For the Nitrates I am trying to feed more and do small doses of neonitro, nothing crazy. Thank you for your opinion

 

[Rmckoy]

Yeah I am working on bringing the salinity down, and raising calcium with my 2 part. For the Nitrates I am trying to feed more and do small doses of neonitro, nothing crazy. Thank you for your opinion

If you increase feeding . Try one thing at a time .

Battling different things with multiple solutions never ends well .

Adjusting salinity alone could also fix the calcium level . Depends what salt you’re using . It should have the levels printed on the package if mixed to the proper salinity

 

[Dburr1014]

If you increase feeding . Try one thing at a time .

Battling different things with multiple solutions never ends well .

Adjusting salinity alone could also fix the calcium level . Depends what salt you’re using . It should have the levels printed on the package if mixed to the proper salinity

A low calcium reading at a high salanity will only mean that it will go lower with a lower salanity.
OP needs to address both. I recommend fixing the SG, test cal, and adjust.

 

[Rmckoy]

A low calcium reading at a high salanity will only mean that it will go lower with a lower salanity.
OP needs to address both. I recommend fixing the SG, test cal, and adjust.

I thought of that after posting .
But was also thinking ..
is it possible to precipitate at higher salinity ?
Depending on what salt it doesn’t make sense to have high salinity and low cal unless 1) high demand
Or
2) precipitate

 

[Rmckoy]

Or 3) testing error testing salinity

 

[Brant W]

I use Fritz Rpm blue box and calibrate my refractometer every 2 weeks using the BRS Calibration Juice. My levels all got low before I realized I had to dose, instead of just wc’s, and I have been slowly trying to bring them up. It really could be any 3 of them.

I can bring some water to an lfs next week for them to test the salinity.

Also taking the earlier advice of just doing one thing to raise nitrates.

 

[Dburr1014]

Or 3) testing error testing salinity

Or calcium test error

 

[Dburr1014]

I thought of that after posting .
But was also thinking ..
is it possible to precipitate at higher salinity ?
Depending on what salt it doesn’t make sense to have high salinity and low cal unless 1) high demand
Or
2) precipitate

True enough

 

[Dburr1014]

Love the OP badge, just noticed it!

 

[Dburr1014]

I use Fritz Rpm blue box and calibrate my refractometer every 2 weeks using the BRS Calibration Juice. My levels all got low before I realized I had to dose, instead of just wc’s, and I have been slowly trying to bring them up. It really could be any 3 of them.

I can bring some water to an lfs next week for them to test the salinity.

Also taking the earlier advice of just doing one thing to raise nitrates.

Have you tried to make RHF calibrating fluid?
After a month or 2, fluid can go screwy.

https://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/rhf/index.php

When I test my wc water, I also test my tank water to make sure everything is in line. Just something to think about.

 

[Brant W]

Have you tried to make RHF calibrating fluid?
After a month or 2, fluid can go screwy.

https://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/rhf/index.php

When I test my wc water, I also test my tank water to make sure everything is in line. Just something to think about.

No I have never heard about that before but I will try it now. Thanks

Yeah ill start doing that, used to only check every couple water changes.

 

[Brant W]

Have you tried to make RHF calibrating fluid?
After a month or 2, fluid can go screwy.

https://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/rhf/index.php

When I test my wc water, I also test my tank water to make sure everything is in line. Just something to think about.

It says to use mortons iodized salt but would it be the same if i just used a different generic iodized salt?