monti cap fading - too much light?

gte539f · 04/16/2011, 11:29 AM

I picked up an orange and green monti cap frag off craigslist. They've been losing color and flesh has been flaking off. My water parameters are below:

Mg - 1425
Ca - 400 (dosed to raise this)
Alk - 10.7
pH - 8.2
SG - 1.027
PO4 - 0 (I'm sure there's some)
NO3 < 20 ppm (cheapo test strip)
NO4 < 0.5 ppm (cheapo test strip)
NH3/NH4 < 0.5 ppm (cheapo test strip)
temp 79-81

All my other softies and LPS are doing fine.

My tank is 30 gal, I run a carbon/GFO reactor, and have a Koralia 2 (I think it's a 2) for flow. My lighting is an AquaticLife T5 VHO fixture, 4x39W.

I read that monti's like light so I put them on the top of the tank, about 1 foot from the fixture. Is that too close, are they getting bleached out? I can't pinpoint any other reasons why they would be dying. I've moved them down to the bottom to see if they'll recover.

Pics aren't that great

Snowsrfr · 04/16/2011, 11:33 AM

Do you know what kind of lights they were under before and where they were placed in the previous owners tank (high, med, low in tank). T5's put out serious PAR and can shock corals that come from different lit tanks.

gte539f · 04/16/2011, 12:25 PM

Not sure but they definitely didn't appear to be as bright as my lights.

I'm going to try and rig something up to raise my fixture, in the meantime I'll leave the montis on the SB. Is there any issue w/that?

Snowsrfr · 04/16/2011, 07:41 PM

It will be fine on the sand bed. Just keep an eye on it to make sure fish, corals, snails, etc. don't start covering it in sand.

04/16/2011, 11:29 AM	#1
gte539f Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Alexandria, VA Posts: 99	monti cap fading - too much light? I picked up an orange and green monti cap frag off craigslist. They've been losing color and flesh has been flaking off. My water parameters are below: Mg - 1425 Ca - 400 (dosed to raise this) Alk - 10.7 pH - 8.2 SG - 1.027 PO4 - 0 (I'm sure there's some) NO3 < 20 ppm (cheapo test strip) NO4 < 0.5 ppm (cheapo test strip) NH3/NH4 < 0.5 ppm (cheapo test strip) temp 79-81 All my other softies and LPS are doing fine. My tank is 30 gal, I run a carbon/GFO reactor, and have a Koralia 2 (I think it's a 2) for flow. My lighting is an AquaticLife T5 VHO fixture, 4x39W. I read that monti's like light so I put them on the top of the tank, about 1 foot from the fixture. Is that too close, are they getting bleached out? I can't pinpoint any other reasons why they would be dying. I've moved them down to the bottom to see if they'll recover. Pics aren't that great

04/16/2011, 11:33 AM	#2
Snowsrfr Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: 801 Posts: 412	Do you know what kind of lights they were under before and where they were placed in the previous owners tank (high, med, low in tank). T5's put out serious PAR and can shock corals that come from different lit tanks. __________________ 60 Gallon Cube

04/16/2011, 07:41 PM	#4
Snowsrfr Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: 801 Posts: 412	It will be fine on the sand bed. Just keep an eye on it to make sure fish, corals, snails, etc. don't start covering it in sand. __________________ 60 Gallon Cube

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04/16/2011, 12:25 PM	#3
gte539f Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Alexandria, VA Posts: 99	Not sure but they definitely didn't appear to be as bright as my lights. I'm going to try and rig something up to raise my fixture, in the meantime I'll leave the montis on the SB. Is there any issue w/that?