Orange Digitata

[pdiehm]

I was given an orange digitata frag a few weeks ago, and unbeknownst to me at the time, was battling dinoflagellates. 3 days of darkness appears to have cured that.

Anyhow, The digitata frag polyps stopped coming out, and the color started to fade from a deep orange to now a very pale orange.

It's my first SPS, and I know it's not doing well, what I don't know is why, and I did expect it to die off to be honest, but now I need to find out why it is dying.

These are my parameters at last test (last thursday).

Salinity: 35 ppt
Nitrate: 10ppm
PO4: .02
Alkalinity: 9.5
Calcium: 430
Magnesium: 1350
pH: 8.2

Tank: Coralife Biocube 29

For lighting, I have an AquaIllumination Prime, running at 100% 20k (B, DB, UV, V at 100%, G, R, W at 17%). My BTA appears to be doing very well and enjoying the light.

For Flow, I have a Jebao RW-4 running at speed 4, pulsing, a Koralia Nano 240, and the coralife return pump.

For placement, I placed it on the sand for a week, and then moved it half up the rocks, and eventually on the top of the rocks under the Prime light.

I think the flow and lighting are good enough...but then again, I don't know much about corals, and am very very close to just having 2 FOWLR tanks at this point.

 

[CastAway]

Can you post a picture?

 

[pdiehm]

 

[CastAway]

As far as I know, the montipora digitata are pretty hardy. My orange is the slowest growing of all my digi's however. I'd give it some time, and not move it. I think movement can be the enemy when it comes to any SPS, as they'll acclimate to a variety of conditions. Just have to let them. ;)

 

[maroun.c]

I'd say keep it in low to medium light and medium flow and give it time. They're pretty hardy usually.

 

[mcarroll]

If it's your first coral it would be a good idea to see if you have too much light.

Buy ($15) or borrow a lux meter to get an objective reading.

Medium light would be around 40,000 lux.

Anything from around 20,000 up should be perfectly acceptable. Around 80,000+ lux is "direct sunlight" and should be way more than needed.