SPS Turning white

[tuggerlake26]

I have a montipora digitata that has been turning white slowly the last three weeks. My tank parameters are below. What should I do? Do I give it a dip? Just pray for the best?

There is what looks like some cyano on the tip of it, which is odd as I have no other trace of cyano anywhere in my tank.

Tank: Fiji cube 32 gallon
Light: XR 15 pros, on AB+ setting
Placement: top near flow
Alk: 8.9
Ca: 420
Mag: 1350
Salinity: 1.026
Nitrate: 2
Phosphate: .08

 

[GSnake]

Could be alk shock stn, how old is setup. How do you dose alk

 

[Uncle99]

Too much light.
Better no higher than mid way the digitata.
Bottoms fine as well.

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

Hard to say it's too much light as we don't know how high the light is mounted or what intensity?

Usually when one turns white, it's not enough light. What is your intensity.

 

[GSnake]

You can also offset high light with more nutrients. Although im still experimenting with this myself

 

[ckozma]

Hard to say it's too much light as we don't know how high the light is mounted or what intensity?

Usually when one turns white, it's not enough light. What is your intensity.

I wouldn't necessarily say that, I have seen many SPS corals bleach due to too much light and I accidently did it myself just a few weeks ago to a PC Rainbow frag. Had to move it way down. What percentage is the light running at?

 

[Pistondog]

Coral rule of thumb, white is too much light or something else, brown is too little light.
But I've never had a monti brown from too little light.
Move to a darker spot temporarily and see if bleaching stops.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Reasons coral bleach:
Warmer water temperatures can result in coral bleaching. When water is too warm, corals will expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues causing the coral to turn completely white. This is called coral bleaching. When a coral bleaches, it is not dead. Corals can survive a bleaching event, but they are under more stress and are subject to mortality.
- alk too high or spiked
- Ph Low
- Calcium too high or low
- Lights too bright ( digita- moderate light )
- Stress
- Nudibranch or flatworms present)
- High salinity

Your issue has been gradual and I would therefore suspect water temp or lighting issue

 

[tuggerlake26]

I have a doser for Alk and Ca. Been testing both daily and it's consistently at the same number.

I have my lights on the AB+ setting at 100%. They're mounted with the "official" Radio mount.

Temp is around 79 degrees.