Brown Polyps on my green monti cap

[reefnewbie83177]

Hi All,
new to reefing and really new to sps. First my tank conditions:

90 gallon mixed
40 gallon sump with fuge
SG - 1.024-1.025
NH4 - 0
NO2 - 0
NO3 - 0
Ca - 430
Alk - 9
Mg - 1340
pH - 8.0-8.3
temp - 78.6
Lighting - DIY LED's 72 cree 3w LED's (24 Cool White, 38 Royal Blue, 6 Blue, 4 Cyan)

I bought this Montipora capitata on a spur of the moment kind of thing. I put it in the bottom of the tank and then slowly moved it up. The polyps have never really opened up too much. at night they come out and the whole thing looks quite brown. The polyps are always brown, and the rest is green. The tips are white which I assume is growth, but I am concerned about the brown polyps. This was the color that they were at the LFS as well. I read somewhere that the polyps should be more blue in color.

Any advice on this? sorry for the crappy pic, but you get the idea.

Thanks,

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[reefnewbie83177]

anyone??

 

[MammothReefer]

well it's not a cap, it could very well just have brown polyps.

 

[reefnewbie83177]

Do you know what it is? I got it from my LFS, but they didn't seem to know what it was other than "acro". I was looking at pics on line, and it looks like a capitata to me when I do a google search for green montipora capitata.

Thanks,

 

[Reef Bass]

I'm wondering why you're testing for ammonium (NH4) instead of ammonia (NH3)?

+1 for simply brown polyps

 

[RichardinMa]

It looks like a M. capitata to me (some people may thing you are erroneously referring to M. capricornis). Coloration of the coral and polyps can vary depending upon culture. It could be that your individual has brown polyps or at least brown polyps under your lighting/chemistry combination. Leave it be and watch what happens over the next several months. How long have you had it?

P.S. I assumed you are testing for Ammonia- don't sweat the typo.

 

[MammothReefer]

Oops I thought when you said Capicornis. I read the title, and read the rest to quickly.

 

[reefnewbie83177]

I'm wondering why you're testing for ammonium (NH4) instead of ammonia (NH3)?

+1 for simply brown polyps

typo

 

[reefnewbie83177]

Thanks Richard. I am new to SPS and this is my first one so I am being a bit over cautious. I have only had it for a few weeks. I think it is happy. I see the polyps in the early morning, they are just small. Here is a better pic of it. Am I correct in thinking that the white tips are new growth? One of my concerns has been weather I am getting any bleaching or any tissue necrosis. Does it look healthy? Thanks

 

[RichardinMa]

From what I can see it looks good. Areas of growth do typically have a more pale color. Tissue necrosis looks different- bone white- and you can usually see a spongy appearing bare skeleton exposed. Montipora are not too tough but mine seem particularly sensitive to Alk drops. Those and my Seriatopora are the first ones to get bare patches and STN if my Alk falls too low. My Acros seem to be less prone to react that way. Keep your Alk and Calcium stable and give it time to adjust and it should be fine.