I have had the 45 gallon tank running for almost two years. I have had montipora in there for about a year. They are not growing like weeds but are growing. Most seem to develop very bright coloration but then the fluorescence slowly fades (not browning out). Now some of them are almost white. They continue to grow and the fading is going very slowly, over months, so I don't think it is bleaching of any kind.

I use Brightwell: Reef Code A and B, Magnesion, Zooplanktos L, Phytochrom, KoralColor, Replenish, and Restor. I feed New Life Spectrum Thera+A, Hikari Rotifers, and H2O Oyster Eggs.

If this coincides with any changes it is when I first ran out of KoralColor. I tried to not use it because I didn't think it was doing much, but that was about the time the fading became more noticeable.

Since I have had the montipora I have switched from a 2x96watt compact fixture to a 4x96watt compact fixture. Overall everything is doing very well. I have a Derasa and a crocea clam, both have been in the tank for months, both are growing well and are very colorful. My LPS (Frogspawn Euphyllia, Fungia, Cycloseris, and Symphyllia) are all doing well. Mushrooms, Zoanthids, Ricordea, etc. are all doing well (but not too well).

Thanks in advance.

What are your water parameters and test kit brands? Are you keeping up on water changes? You seem to be adding a lot of chemical supplements...

Lighting could be another issue.

I use API kits. Calcium 450, Alk 12, phosphate 0.0, Nitrate 0.0, 5 gallon WC weekly with Tropic Marin @ 1.025.

What could the supplements be doing?

What about the lighting might be an issue?

It looks like those water parameters are okay (0 nitrates for a long period could indicate low nutrient problems). However, you don't list magnesium, even though you're dosing that.


This should be your primary focus, especially before you dose things. You should research every product, know why you should be dosing them, whether they add other compounds that could accumulate, and how to accurately test and dose them.


In general, SPS do better under stronger lighting than power compact fluorescents.

I suggest reading this guide to water chemistry
Part 1: The Saltwater Itself
Part 2: What Chemicals Must be Supplemented
Part 3: pH
Part 4: What Chemicals May Detrimentally Accumulate

Thanks for the links.

Yes, SPS need a lot of light, but so do the clams which are both doing very well (growing well with great colors). At 4x96 watts thats over 8wpg, a lot of light. Most of the monti are up very high (some on frag racks only 2" from the surface).

You stated that I seem to be adding a lot of chemical supplements but what is the concern there?

What would be the problem of low nutrients over a long time? And that doesn't seem to be an issue since all the zoanthids, mushrooms, sponges, scallop, feather dusters, and LPS seem to all be doing very well.

Any other information?

Most of the time dosing is not needed. Or just a plain calcium/alk/mag booster would be the best plan.

We really don't go by WPG in saltwater. You may have a lot of watts for those PCs, but a 150w halide may have more par.

How long have you had the clams?

I have had the clams for about six months now.

I have always read that per watt there is not significantly more light per watt with halides versus HOT5 or compacts (some but not significant). The halides just concentrate it is such a small output that anything under the halide gets more light.

Again, the montis are up very high so they are getting tons of light.

I like to try things so I get this or that from time to time. I go through one bottle and then stop. If I don't see a difference I don't keep using it.

Watts per gallon rule means nothing. On my 55 gallon I have a 2X65 watt PC fixture that is going to be replaced with a LED light I am building. The LED will have ~ 108 watts total. With the 108 watts it will only be ~ 2 watts per gallon but able to keep SPS happy. The amount of watts isn't the most important way to rate lighting, its really PAR.

My guess would be going from the 2 bulb to the higher intensity 4 bulb PC lighting. Most Montipora are not as demanding of higher light as many other SPS, but they will slowly adapt by lightening up (color wise)..

Case in point. An LFS had a couple Sunset Monti frags that were creamy white on the base with very light green polyps. The owner said that they came from a very high light intensity tank and that in a lower light system they would change back to the normal orange base with florescent green polyps. I bough one and within 2-3 months the coral did assume the characteristic colors of the type.

Drop them down lower in the tank and see if they darken up.

Thanks. I was thinking that based on how they colored up first (going from brick red to hot pink and then fading out to almost white). I will try a couple of them lower and see how it goes.

I have some Orange Monti in three different places.
One = mid level full light
Another = mid level part shade
Another = off to the side in shade.

The first one is a light orange = maybe a little too much light
The second is a deeper orange = looks good
The third is a deep, almost red.

They all have good polyp extension.
My dkh = 9-10 / Cal = 440 - 450 / Mg = 1350 - 1400 / SG = 1.026
This was under 6x39 T5. I just switched to 2x150 MH 20K + 2x39W T5...so I expect some changes.

I'm guessing monti caps. Lightning of color isn't due to to much light, if you feed like you say and water quality is what you say, which I personally don't belive in 0 much less 0.0. But at 2 years, I would suggest TDS, 5 gallon water changes are proportional to very little, 25% twice a month is better than 10% a week, yeah don't make much sense but if you work the theory of detiriating values or something like that. how old are the bulbs?