Monti Covered in White?

[TeeSquared1214]

Howdy! I went on vacation for one week over the holidays and everything was fine when I returned except for my monti frag that I’ve had for about a month or two now. It has this white look to it now on about 75% of it, but I can still kind of see color under it. It doesn’t come loose or off when touched. Is it bleaching? Pictures are with an orange lens on my phone. Here are my parameters:

Alkalinity- 7dKH

Calcium - 450ppm Salifert

PH - 7.8

Nitrite - 0ppm

Ammonia - 0ppm

Nitrate - 0/2ppm (API Test)

Salinity - 1.022

Phosphate - 0ppm

Magnesium - 1175 ppm

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

What kind of lighting and flow do you have?

 

[TeeSquared1214]

What kind of lighting do you have?

Two AI Hydra 32HDs. I rented a PAR meter about a month ago and it was about 250 par at that frag

 

[Uncle99]

Zero phosphate?
If correct, I’d bump that up to say 0.5-.1ppm, so we are feeding those things which feed the coral.

Likely not the cause, but certainly a contributor, zero nutrients may coincide with pest type stuff like Dino’s as well.

MG reads low, 1300-1400 would be better.

250 is a lot of par for a small frag.

 

[FUNGI]

I'm not a Monti expert...but IMO.....
Nitrate - 0/2ppm (API Test)
Phosphate - 0ppm
Magnesium - 1175 ppm

I run No3 at 10~12ppm
PO4 at 0.2~0.3
Mag at 1350~1400
and my Montis are growing like crazy


and yes, its bleached

 

[tbrown]

I'm not a Monti expert...but IMO.....
Nitrate - 0/2ppm (API Test)
Phosphate - 0ppm
Magnesium - 1175 ppm

I run No3 at 10~12ppm
PO4 at 0.2~0.3
Mag at 1350~1400
and my Montis are growing like crazy


and yes, its bleached

Montis usually use nitrates and phosphates for a food source. It's potentially starving currently.

Bleaching is definitely a possibility but I've had Montis in higher PAR that were growing and colored beautifully.

 

[TeeSquared1214]

Thanks everyone! I turned off my protein skimmer and purchased a Hanna nitrate checker to see what my nitrates are specifically. As for phosphate, it’s always read 0 on the Hanna checker. I have the low range and not the ULR. I thought the low range would still show 0.X but maybe I’m wrong?

I’m determined to save it if I can, so I’ve had the protein skimmer off for the last few days and bumped my lights down a notch to potentially help.