I have been trying to search for information on why my Montipora confusa turned completely brown in my tank. When I bought it about 1,5 years ago it was very beautiful, green with only thin brown stripes (as they usually are). It was like this in the tank I bought it from and it was the same for some time in my own tank. But soon it started to go brown and now it has been completely brown for a loooong time. It has now been moved into a bigger tank but the colour is, of course, still the same.
In the new tank some other corals seem to be losing colour too but I'm not really sure.
Despite the colour I think the montipora is doing great, it is at least five times bigger than it was when I bought it and it's polyps are extended all the time. My tank specs should be fine, and the old tank was fine too.
Here's some specs (new tank):
- tank size 180l
- light: Giesemann infiniti, 1x150w HQI (Arcadia 14 000k) & 4x24w T5 (2x Korallen-Zucht Coral Light New Generation 14 000k & 2x Giesemann Powerchrome actinic plus 22 000k), HQI is on for about 6 hours a day and T5's about 11 hours. + there's a led moonlight that is on at night.
- salt was at first Tropic Marin Pro-Reef, switched to Red Sea Coral Pro
- I'm not at home so I try to remember.. pH ~8, NO3 ~0,2, KH/Alkalinity I cant remember but it's above 9 and the alk. above 3, PO4 0, Ca/Mg 400/1100, salinity 1,025.
- Foods Tropic Marin Pro-Coral Zooton & Phyton, frozen microplankton, JBL Maris premium flakes, frozen mysis, Ruto marine quintet, marine crustacean mix etc
- I use Ro-water and run matrixcarbon & phosguard in the tank
Old Tank (where the problem started):
- 96l
- Salt Tropic Marin Pro-Reef
- Aqualight Mini 400 150w HQI with 14 000k bulb
- pH ~8, NO3 0, KH/Alk. about the same as in the new tank, PO4 0, Ca/Mg 400/1200, salinity 1.025.
- Foods the same
- water was not RO-water
I am very confused, what could have ruined the colour of the montipora.. In the old tank it was near the bottom, with medium flow. Same in the new tank.
In the new tank some other corals seem to be losing colour too but I'm not really sure.
Despite the colour I think the montipora is doing great, it is at least five times bigger than it was when I bought it and it's polyps are extended all the time. My tank specs should be fine, and the old tank was fine too.
Here's some specs (new tank):
- tank size 180l
- light: Giesemann infiniti, 1x150w HQI (Arcadia 14 000k) & 4x24w T5 (2x Korallen-Zucht Coral Light New Generation 14 000k & 2x Giesemann Powerchrome actinic plus 22 000k), HQI is on for about 6 hours a day and T5's about 11 hours. + there's a led moonlight that is on at night.
- salt was at first Tropic Marin Pro-Reef, switched to Red Sea Coral Pro
- I'm not at home so I try to remember.. pH ~8, NO3 ~0,2, KH/Alkalinity I cant remember but it's above 9 and the alk. above 3, PO4 0, Ca/Mg 400/1100, salinity 1,025.
- Foods Tropic Marin Pro-Coral Zooton & Phyton, frozen microplankton, JBL Maris premium flakes, frozen mysis, Ruto marine quintet, marine crustacean mix etc
- I use Ro-water and run matrixcarbon & phosguard in the tank
Old Tank (where the problem started):
- 96l
- Salt Tropic Marin Pro-Reef
- Aqualight Mini 400 150w HQI with 14 000k bulb
- pH ~8, NO3 0, KH/Alk. about the same as in the new tank, PO4 0, Ca/Mg 400/1200, salinity 1.025.
- Foods the same
- water was not RO-water
I am very confused, what could have ruined the colour of the montipora.. In the old tank it was near the bottom, with medium flow. Same in the new tank.
