sps alive or dead?

[garra671]

ill post pictures if this posting gets enough replies. i have 2 sps frags in my tank that i got for free. and im just trying to figure out if they are alive or not... 1 of them is starting to bleach and the other looks the same as the day i got it. i just bought a small birdsnest today and on the birdsnest i can see small polyps which helps me to see if its doing well or not. but the monti cap doesnt have any polyps on it that i can see is there anyway i can tell if its dead or not? it doesnt feel slimey or anything like LPS corals do.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Does it have color to it? With monti cap, you have to look close to see the polyps. I use a magnifying lens to see them on mine.

 

[garra671]

Does it have color to it? With monti cap, you have to look close to see the polyps. I use a magnifying lens to see them on mine.

yeh it still has coral but when i pulled it out today for the birdsnest to take its place it had some blotches of bleaching on it.

 

[garra671]

Does it have color to it? With monti cap, you have to look close to see the polyps. I use a magnifying lens to see them on mine.

is it not noticeably dead until its completely white and bleached out?

 

[hart24601]

It can be surprisingly tough to tell between bleached and dead. Sometimes at night with a flashlight it's easier to see if there are any polyps, but still tough. I got to taking the frags out and checking for slime and smell to tell. It didn't happen often, but from time to time.

 

[TUSI]

Monti caps do that sometimes. If it's a blotch only it will heal and regrow but if it all white then most likely it's gone. Pics will be better to verify

 

[1fstnsx]

I've had sps totally white, looked like they were goners...left hem in my tank, 2 weeks later started browning, polyps coming out and magically came back. Took awhile for color to come back, but, ya never know.