I have a two montis I'm having issues with, they have browned out over the couple of months I've had them, the spongode has started to bleach a Lil. I have them in the middle of my 95 gal at mid depth maybe 18" below my light source. I have 4 T5s and 2 T8s for lighting. I have 4 maxi jet 400 powerheads for flow, my nitrates are 0, ammonia 0, ph 8.3, dkh 11, calcium 400, phosphates had become a problem in the past but I just added a phosban reactor and now my phosphates stay at 0 instead of . 25. I do keep the media at a non tubling flow rate. Salinity was at 30ppt and when they started to brown out I had my salinity at 35. I've moved these guys all over the tank and I have yet to see improvement. Can anyone help me w this I'm goin nuts over it!
Help with montipora denesa? (Superman) and montipora spongode!!!
- Thread starter Talissy
- Start date
I have both those corals and found them to be tough but of course the issue is keeping the color with the Superman and the growth form with the spongodes.
My mistake was giving them too much light, which browned out the superman and mad the spongodes plate endlessly without forming any of the cool branching structures. I now have the Superman on the bottom of the tank (I run 400W MH) and I shoved the Spongodes over to the end of the tank. The Superman recovered its classic color (well, its sort of orange and blue) and the spongodes is making those cool branches again!
Try a less lighted spot. If it's the phosphates it will take some time for the corals to recover (IME) think weeks, even months.
gofor100
New member
Not sure which superman you're talking about, but mine LOVES light. I know there are plenty of different superman monti's out there, so each might be a little different. I got mine as a frag of the "Original Superman" out here in California, which does well in a variety of lighting, but the polyps will become more vibrant red in higher lighting, and a darker red in lower lighting.
I would probably start it off on the bottom, then raise it higher and higher. Course, since you have T-5's, you might want to start it off a little higher than the bottom.
I think a majority of issues like this begin with light acclimation...
Good luck!
Huh I replied but I guess it didn't post?! Ok well here's the deal w my lights I have 2xT8 one blue one white, I think they are by zoomed. My T5s are 54watt guisemans, one of each spectrum, totaling 4 T5s. So should I move my montis lower? It sucks cause they are attached to the same huge rock. So should I try to break them apart? I tried moving them down a while ago but then my superman started to bleach!!!! So should I move them higher or just shorten my photo period?
I have quite a bit of flow in my tank but maybe not enough for the superman. So I guess move them higher and closer to the powerheads or return?? I have a monti cap(I think it's a cap) that was actually kinda dull tan but when I got it and placed it high in my tank, it's now getting pinkish in color and it's rims are turning bright purple!
