Montipora foliosa...Help Needed

[FishDad2]

About 5 weeks ago I added this Montipora foliosa to my tank. As you can see from the picture, which was taken just a few days after I put it in the tank, the piece has nice color and looks healthy. Since it's introduction though, the color has faded somewhat and the edge appears to be turning white.

It's my first Montipora, so I have no prior experience with this particular species and am wondering if I have a problem on my hands with the fading color and the white edge.

Tank parameters are pretty good:

pH 8.15 - 8.25
Alkalinity 938 dkh
Calcium 390 - 430 ppm
Temp 78 (+/- 0.2)
Nitrate less than 1 ppm
Phosphate undetectable

The piece is well illuminated, as it's situated not quite directly under a 250 watt 20K metal halide...the light is ~6" off the surface and the piece is ~8" under the surface. It also gets a fairly good current where it sits.

Should I be concerned? Does it need to be moved?

Guidance from those with experience would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[naka]

looks fine to me. white edges looks like new growth.

James

 

[Sk8r]

The growth edge will be somewhat paler than the rest of the frag.

you'll see the whole piece warp and change a lot as it grows, and it will start wanting calcium, so watch that level in your tank.

Also it's way fragile. I just spent a morning gluing several unintentional frags on a digitata, a related type.

 

[menard]

Not to worry man. Its growing.

 

[FishDad2]

Thank James, but that picture is 5 weeks old...showing what it looke dlike when I first put it in. It's faded somewhat from that and the white edge is wider now.

I'll try to go snap a new picture and post it a.s.a.p.

Tha paranoid in me fears it's a problem, while my more rational side says it's just adjusting its zooanthale production to adapt to its new environment.

 

[Sk8r]

It may be reacting to much stronger light. You're pretty strongly lighted, and while montipora likes light, there's a limit. I've seen it bleach from a lighting accident, and I note you've got quite a lot. Move it either lower or into a lower-light area and see if it improves. Mine is happy in a 52g under a single 250 10000 mh, with 2 actinics.

 

[FishDad2]

Here's a pic I just snapped...not a good one, but that's what happens when I rush.

Hopefully the opinions are still the same...healthy and growing. That's certainly the answer I was hoping for.

Assuming for the moment that everyone still thinks it's doing well, the question becomes, how do I get that dark orange color to come back? One suggestion a firend made was to move it lower in the tank, thereby giving it less light and forcing the coral to increase its zooanthale production and therein get more color.

Does that suggestion have merit? Suggestions?

Thanks everyone for the rapid responses!!

Chris

 

[FishDad2]

Looking at the new pic, it's not a good representation of the current color...it's not really that faded. I need to get out the tripod and work on getting a better picture.

But, the even though this pic is a but washed out, the fact remains that the color is not as dark and rich as it was 5 weeks ago (the first pic in the thread).