[jsgates]

My tank has been up for about 9 months or so now and I have added my first SPS coral. I have VHO T5 lighting, and the SPS corals are placed high in the tank. I had some misforturne with LiveAquaria recently but they made good on it. My order got delayed on the overnight shipment, and my orange montipora arrived dead. It's just all white and has been in my tank for a couple of weeks. Coralline algae has started to grow on it, and I have noticed some orangy-brown growth. However there is no visible symbiotic algae on this coral so I'm assuming it is dead. LiveAquaria replaced it due to the shipping issue, but I received a green montipora this time. This coral has been in my tank about a week and it is just white in color with a dirty yellow tint. When the moonlights are on at night the symbiotic algae on this coral is the brightest in the tank, so I know it is living. Water parameters are good, and the coral is in a high flow area of the tank. Am I doing something wrong? Does it take this coral a while to encrust and become colorful? I am really confused. I have 3 acroporas also that are doing well that came from LiveAquaria's Diver's den. This order wasn't delayed, and the acropora is doing well. Calcium level is about 420. Any suggestions? All other corals are doing great in the tank, including the higher maintenance Flower Tree Coral. I am also feedign DTs every other day. Thanks for any help. Oh yeah, and temps stay right around 80 degrees.

[jimw369]

Not that it is real important but is this Monti capricornis or Digitata? Doesnt sound good. I am relatively new to SPS but I have monticap. Its been my experience if I could blow off any discoloration on the coral with a turkey baster all went ok. If not the coral kept going down hill and needed to be fragged to save it.

I love the sps but I am learning its a whole new world than softies and leathers. Lot more fickle and more things to go wrong. Always QT those corals and dip them at least twice before entering them into the DT. It doesnt matter who you buy them from! Do it to be safe. The wrong stuff comes in on those corals you will not have any sps in that tank untill you start all over again.

Good luck!!!!

[WILLIAM1]

I recently got some montipora and thought it was dead, completely white no color after about 3 or 4 weeks it just started to gain some colors. And I can see the little polyps.

[ChrisR33]

Originally Posted by jsgates

about 420.

haha 420

[prototypep2p]

getting dead corals suck!

[WILLIAM1]

Ya that does suck. I really try to not overlook the obvious just becuase I want something new.

[ciaccmo]

I've had some experience with monti's getting funky with changes.

I had made a tank change, and moved my orange, green, and purple montis into a new tank. They went from a MH system to a T-5 system, with similar (almost identical) watts per gallon. I found that the Par must have been drastically different (I do not have the equipment to test this), and while my acros and such were thriving, my monti's were getting burnt / washed out. Some white spots started to form on the green monti's but nothing else... i think it was a bit of RTN.

What i did to salvage these, was move them to a bit of a less aggressive flow to allow FPE (full polyp extension), and an area of lower light levels (lower in the tank, or shaded). The green monti's i had to break off the RTN, and did a quick dip in lugols (im not sure if this was beneficial at all...). All of them are coming back strong... the orange in the lead.

Occasionally, i would supplement feed the tank with some phyto / oyster egg (something like Rod's food)... since the coral is not photosynthesizing as much with depleted coloration (speculating here), I feel like it helps to provide some sort of food source. This might just pollute my water more than it helps, because the polyps are so small on most monti's... but i feel like it made a difference.

basically, don't give up on the corals... if they are bleaching try to find them a calmer environment, and nourish them back to health. My $0.02... hope its helpful.

[ciaccmo]

also i didnt look at the time stamp to realize that was over a year old.... well i hope that monti is better.