Too much light?

[Luan B.]

Hello everyone, yesterday I’ve noticed my green montipora digitata looking like this, I’ve dimmed my lights but not sure if that was the issue…

I dose 4 part Red Sea program
NoPox
Ab+

Salinity 1.025
Alk at 9.7-10
Phos 0.01
Nitrates 10
Temp 25 Celsius
Calcium 450ppm

The light on top was 350-ish par, brought down to 250

The other monti just beside is doing just fine and I add them together a couple weeks ago.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Most of the coral looks dead, I would cut off that branch that looks healthy. Personally I don't feel this is a lighting issue, and 350 par should not be 'too much'.

 

[Dburr1014]

Hello everyone, yesterday I’ve noticed my green montipora digitata looking like this, I’ve dimmed my lights but not sure if that was the issue…

I dose 4 part Red Sea program
NoPox
Ab+

Salinity 1.025
Alk at 9.7-10
Phos 0.01
Nitrates 10
Temp 25 Celsius
Calcium 450ppm

The light on top was 350-ish par, brought down to 250

The other monti just beside is doing just fine and I add them together a couple weeks ago.

Most of the coral looks dead, I would cut off that branch that looks healthy. Personally I don't feel this is a lighting issue, and 350 par should not be 'too much'.

I agree with MOJO rising.

How long have you been at 0.01 po4? That could be a big issue.
That number could very well be a zero. SPS typically need 0.02 minimum for survival but more is better in a closed system.

 

[twentyleagues]

I agree with MOJO rising.

How long have you been at 0.01 po4? That could be a big issue.
That number could very well be a zero. SPS typically need 0.02 minimum for survival but more is better in a closed system.

Most of the coral looks dead, I would cut off that branch that looks healthy. Personally I don't feel this is a lighting issue, and 350 par should not be 'too much'.

I think the "dead" part is rock. I could be wrong and if I am then what @Dburr1014 and @Mr. Mojo Rising said. If I am not wrong could you post a more clear pic?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I think the "dead" part is rock. I could be wrong and if I am then what @Dburr1014 and @Mr. Mojo Rising said. If I am not wrong could you post a more clear pic?

now that you say it, it does look like rock lol.

 

[landlubber]

Test kit variation means that you could be running zero phosphate which is going to cause you grief. Whether or not this is the reasoning behind that specific coral's struggles is unclear but it is a dangerous game to play opening the door to starved corals and dinos.

 

[Dburr1014]

I think the "dead" part is rock. I could be wrong and if I am then what @Dburr1014 and @Mr. Mojo Rising said. If I am not wrong could you post a more clear pic?

I thought that at first too but there's a little piece @ 2 o-clock from the living base that makes me think it's the whole thing.

I guess a white light picture is the only way to know for sure...

 

[twentyleagues]

I thought that at first too but there's a little piece @ 2 o-clock from the living base that makes me think it's the whole thing.

I guess a white light picture is the only way to know for sure...

bubble algae.

 

[twentyleagues]

Yeah until we know more I dont see anything wrong. But if that whole branch is the coral then ok something is wrong. We dont know the age of the tank po4 that low isnt good at any age but if its a new tank it may still be developing.

 

[Dburr1014]

Oh, didn't even think of that.

bubble algae.

 

[Luan B.]

That is the coral frag the rest is just rock and a spot of bubble algae, I was just wondering if something was wrong since the coral is “retracted” in some spots, maybe I’m just overthinking and is doing his thing… I didn’t now about phos at least 0.02, was actually stable at 0.04 but I start dosing nopox since I was having too much algae and my nitrates were around 15, maybe I should just deal with the algae and stop dosing nopox…

 

[Dburr1014]

That is the coral frag the rest is just rock and a spot of bubble algae, I was just wondering if something was wrong since the coral is “retracted” in some spots, maybe I’m just overthinking and is doing his thing… I didn’t now about phos at least 0.02, was actually stable at 0.04 but I start dosing nopox since I was having too much algae and my nitrates were around 15, maybe I should just deal with the algae and stop dosing nopox…

Nopox works well with high nutrients but not so much with near zero of one or the other.

Too reduce nitrate, simple water changes can work.

How bad is the algae problem?

On the coral; I see polyps. What exactly is the problem?
It looks like it's coloring up but your blue light tends to skew the colors.
The, what looks like, purple tips are actually growth.

 

[audioTom]

Please keep in mind that the combination "high alk and low phosphates" isn't the best and may cause issues. If you have phosphates this low, don't go over 8 alk.
Typically you want higher alk cause of better growth, but low phosphates is totally counterproductive.

 

[Reef_at_Sea]

That rock looks suspiciously new, how old is the tank?

 

[Luan B.]

That rock looks suspiciously new, how old is the tank?

That’s just a new “section” I added on the existing rock couple weeks ago, tank is almost a year old, coralline just started to grow.

Update* the light sorted the problem, I know they can take a lot of par but wasn’t acclimated for that much, is just a new frag that I got from my LFS recently

 

[Reef_at_Sea]

That’s just a new “section” I added on the existing rock couple weeks ago, tank is almost a year old, coralline just started to grow.

Update* the light sorted the problem, I know they can take a lot of par but wasn’t acclimated for that much, is just a new frag that I got from my LFS recently

Did the coral acclimate itself or did you move it down?

 

[Luan B.]

Did the coral acclimate itself or did you move it down?

I’ve dimmed down my lights about 15% so far, I’m gonna leave like this for a while and then go up 5% every week back to where it was.