Monti digi help.

[jsul]

my monti digi has started to look like the pic below over the last two weeks since I placed it on the rock. Prior to it was doing well in the same spot on the frag with polyps out. Am I getting to much or to little light? Or is it flow? Other sps polyp out, Goni full extension.

Tank info/param
IM 20g peninsula
XR15 pro reef dude schedule but only run whites at 25 green/red 15. 53% intensity with rms standard mounting height
Mp10 with pulse setting.

5 gallon water change weekly

I test every week and levels are the roughly this
Alk-9.4
Ph-8.3
Po4-0.12-0.18
No3- 6.8-8.1
Cal-430
Mg-1420-1440

Fish
2 clown
1 tail spot blenny
Standard clean up crew

 

[vetteguy53081]

my monti digi has started to look like the pic below over the last two weeks since I placed it on the rock. Prior to it was doing well in the same spot on the frag with polyps out. Am I getting to much or to little light? Or is it flow? Other sps polyp out, Goni full extension.

Tank info/param
IM 20g peninsula
XR15 pro reef dude schedule but only run whites at 25 green/red 15. 53% intensity with rms standard mounting height
Mp10 with pulse setting.

5 gallon water change weekly

I test every week and levels are the roughly this
Alk-9.4
Ph-8.3
Po4-0.12-0.18
No3- 6.8-8.1
Cal-430
Mg-1420-1440

Fish
2 clown
1 tail spot blenny
Standard clean up crew

Phos a bit high and nitrate a little low. This type of coral best is a well established and stable tank. Also with your IM tank. lighting is often insufficient- what light are you using?

 

[jsul]

Phos a bit high and nitrate a little low. This type of coral best is a well established and stable tank. Also with your IM tank. lighting is often insufficient- what light are you using?

G6 XR 15 pro reefdude schedule but I lower the whites. It’s at 55% intensity

 

[vetteguy53081]

G6 XR 15 pro reefdude schedule but I lower the whites. It’s at 55% intensity

Blue should be higher than whites and lower whites to 45% and see how coral responds, If it responds.
This is mine under Orpheks

 

[Lavey29]

Check your par. I have XR15 lights and they are weak. I run mine at 100% intensity on AB plus schedule just to get minimal par for SPS.

 

[jda]

You won't be able to give a monti too much light with a xr15. The spectrum might not be good, but that unit does not have enough power to give too much output. Most montipora do not need this much, but they can grow out of your tank at 1200 PAR.

Not all branching montis are easy. Some, like the ORA German Blue, are more demanding that the typical orange, green, purple and some others "easy" types like poci, stylo and birdsnests.

Tank looks pretty new - don't see any coralline on the glass or frag rack or anything. While some brag about awesome corals in new tanks, many have troubles without any definitive answer and just have to wait for the ecosystem to develop more. This might not be anything that you are doing, so don't get too upset if the tank is newer.

 

[vetteguy53081]

You won't be able to give a monti too much light with a xr15. The spectrum might not be good, but that unit does not have enough power to give too much output. Most montipora do not need this much, but they can grow out of your tank at 1200 PAR.

Not all branching montis are easy. Some, like the ORA German Blue, are more demanding that the typical orange, green, purple and some others "easy" types like poci, stylo and birdsnests.

Tank looks pretty new - don't see any coralline on the glass or frag rack or anything. While some brag about awesome corals in new tanks, many have troubles without any definitive answer and just have to wait for the ecosystem to develop more. This might not be anything that you are doing, so don't get too upset if the tank is newer.

Agree - Not a PAR issue

 

[jsul]

You won't be able to give a monti too much light with a xr15. The spectrum might not be good, but that unit does not have enough power to give too much output. Most montipora do not need this much, but they can grow out of your tank at 1200 PAR.

Not all branching montis are easy. Some, like the ORA German Blue, are more demanding that the typical orange, green, purple and some others "easy" types like poci, stylo and birdsnests.

Tank looks pretty new - don't see any coralline on the glass or frag rack or anything. While some brag about awesome corals in new tanks, many have troubles without any definitive answer and just have to wait for the ecosystem to develop more. This might not be anything that you are doing, so don't get too upset if the tank is newer.

Ya I scrap the coraline that builds on black part where it grows and on the return nozzle. The frag rack I just put in is new. I feel it’s more a wait and let the system grow more.

 

[Lavey29]

Agree - Not a PAR issue

Actually it is a par issue. He is only running his light at 53% intensity. He probably only has 100 par at that intensity

 

[jsul]

Actually it is a par issue. He is only running his light at 53% intensity. He probably only has 100 par at that intensity

I was leaning that way but the digi is only 5 in from surface

 

[Dburr1014]

Where is that power head in relation to that bald spot?
Is it pointing at the frag, blasting it?

I agree to up the lights.

 

[jsul]

Where is that power head in relation to that bald spot?
Is it pointing at the frag, blasting it?

I agree to up the lights.

The digi is in middle of tank at the highest point of the rock work. The mp10 is on the wide away from return with pulse at 2 sec 40% and the other side gets hit from random flow from return nozzle there are white spots on both sides

 

[vetteguy53081]

Actually it is a par issue. He is only running his light at 53% intensity. He probably only has 100 par at that intensity

Without a PAR reading, undetermined and one side bald and rest ok does not convince me on PAR at 5" below light however Flow may be in place as would be low levels of minor traces/ alk, salinity and temperature changes as well as low dissolved oxygen. To insist on PAR without a PAR reading is an assumption. There is tissue loss and as Dburr also mentioned, flow based on one side is a suspect

 

[Dburr1014]

The digi is in middle of tank at the highest point of the rock work. The mp10 is on the wide away from return with pulse at 2 sec 40%

As long as it's not blasting the flesh off.

Couldn't tell. But if it's not the powerhead then most likely shading/not enough light.

No3/po4 numbers are fine with your alk dkh. Other parameters good to.

 

[Lavey29]

I was leaning that way but the digi is only 5 in from surface

As mentioned above. You can't give them to much light. My XR15s were running at 70% and I was shocked how low the par was when I finally got a par meter.

 

[Lavey29]

Without a PAR reading, undetermined and one side bald and rest ok does not convince me on PAR at 5" below light however Flow may be in place as would be low levels of minor traces/ alk, salinity and temperature changes as well as low dissolved oxygen. To insist on PAR without a PAR reading is an assumption. There is tissue loss and as Dburr also mentioned, flow based on one side is a suspect

Not an assumption, I have the same lights, same coral, same results when my intensity was to low so I have direct experience as the OP over and above you for this problem but you do have extensive reefing experience and knowledge too.

You can see my digi corals at the water surface under 100% intensity with XR15 getting blasted by MP40s

 

[vetteguy53081]

Not an assumption, I have the same lights, same coral, same results when my intensity was to low so I have direct experience as the OP over and above you for this problem but you do have extensive reefing experience and knowledge too.

You can see my digi corals at the water surface under 100% intensity with XR15 getting blasted by MP40s

And a different tank and age and to Conclude without a PAR reading is Yes an assumption and is misleading as for example if its an alk issue and you have concluded its a light issue is placing a reefer at risk of losing other coral

 

[revhtree]

Please stop bickering. Thank you.

 

[Lavey29]

Hey OP try the free Photone app with your phone and see what par is at the water surface. I compared it to a par meter reading and it's not to bad for a phone app. Gives you a decent ballpark reading to work with.

 

[jsul]

Hey OP try the free Photone app with your phone and see what par is at the water surface. I compared it to a par meter reading and it's not to bad for a phone app. Gives you a decent ballpark reading to work with.

I just downloaded and will try once I’m home