Bleaching Monti: Can It Be Stopped?

[christyf5]

Hey guys,

I came home to this this evening. I just got it last weekend. I started lightening up on Saturday. I thought maybe it was changing in color due to being under different wattage MH (or different temp MH) but this is completely white and devoid of polyps. Should I move it lower in the tank or is it too late??



TIA
Christy

[Aquattro]

Christy, does it still glow under actinics? If so, the tissue is still intact. If not, or you've seen the tissue slough, you can snip off the dead area with side cutters. Looks just bleached though. Montipora are fairly hardy and there is plenty of live tissue there to recover. Make sure it isn't too far off the lighting it came from (if known) and keep a decent current in the area to remove toxins/slime and provide O2 and food. It should be OK.

[christyf5]

Brad,
Well the polyps glow under the actinics but in that area there are no polyps so no glow. I think the tissue is completely gone from there. Can't I just leave the dead area and have the tissue regrow over it?? Or is the tissue still there and just bleached? Sorry I'm new to this sps stuff. But with my fabulous new course I will soon have all the answers 8) :P

I just looked up Lees specs (he was coral sitting for me) and I didn't realize he has 175W bulbs (for some reason I thought he had 400W). Mine are 250W so I guess the difference was a bit much for it to take. I moved it a bit lower so hopefully that will help.

Thanks

Christy

[Aquattro]

Christy, I suspect the tissue is still there. If you see no further recession and/or tissue actually falling off, you can leave the "dead" part. If there is a pathogen causing this, you want to cut it off from reaching live tissue.
However, I think you're OK just lowering it a bit and watching. I think the tissue is still intact. If it stays white for more than a day or two, the tissue is for sure still there....no tissue = diatoms.

[ldzielak]

Sorry to hear your not having much luck with that one. I did not have that coral in directly under my lights, but maybe off to the side and about a depth of 10 inches. How are the other doing? I did have it under good flow.

Lee

[christyf5]

The others are doing great Lee. I was getting kind of worried about the acropora as it didn't have its polyps out for 2 days after you brought it down but I guess it was getting accustomed to the light as well because the polyps are totally out and it looks awesome. I didn't even realize that the polyps got so big on acroporas. The pocilipora looks great too. Its pretty cool seeing them close up and in my tank. I used to give them only a passing glance but I'm practically glued to the glass totally checking them out all the time now I'm getting addicted. I can see a calcium reactor in my future plans

Christy

[ldzielak]

Can you post a full tank pic to see where all the corals are? Maybe that would help to get it in the same lighting. Also can you remind me how many lights you have.

Lee

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by christyf5

I didn't even realize that the polyps got so big on acroporas.

Christy, surprise them at 5 in the morning with a flashlight!! Then you'll see polyps :shock:

[Jack]

It was me that had the 400w halide Christy. Hope that coral gets better, I loved that one too, it was a nice yellow/bright green when I had it. I would like0 a Ca reactor soon (Lee you gotta help me hook one of these things up :shock: ).

Brad do you still make the Ca reactors?

[christyf5]

Yes Brad, do you?? I'd like to try building one but I can't quite figure these things out.

Christy