Help with green plating montipora

[InAtTheDeepEnd]

Hello, I was given a very small frag of green plating monti on the 11th of this month, I messed up the placement by putting it too high up on my rockwork and it bleached somewhat. I moved it down and the bleaching has not progressed any further but the remaining coloured pieces of flesh now have white edging to them. I also can't see more than a very few individual polyps at any one time.

Do I assume it's dead? How do I tell? 

 

My parameters are 

 

Phosphate 0.025 (API)

Nitrate 5 (API) 

Calcium 325 (salifert)

Magnesium 1410ppm (salifert) 

 

Pics were yesterday morning.

[seabass]

21 minutes ago, InAtTheDeepEnd said:

the remaining coloured pieces of flesh now have white edging to them. I also can't see more than a very few individual polyps at any one time.

Do I assume it's dead? How do I tell?

Your description of its current state indicates that it's recovering.  If it were dead, there would be no flesh.

 

23 minutes ago, InAtTheDeepEnd said:

Phosphate 0.025 (API)

API's kit goes from 0.0 to 0.25ppm.  So if is showing positive at all, then phosphate is on the high side (but still nothing to worry about).

 

26 minutes ago, InAtTheDeepEnd said:

Calcium 325 (salifert)

Calcium is on the low side (should be closer to 400ppm).

 

With SPS, stable alkalinity is key.  You should consider getting a Salifert alkalinity test kit too.

[InAtTheDeepEnd]

Thank you. I did know Ca should be nearer 400 (I want it at 425?) and magnesium nearer to 1200 but didn't want to start chasing specific values until I had the more accurate test kits; the salifert kits have been ordered, unfortunately my post is horribly slow so they aren't here yet. Will the monti be ok in the current parameters until I can get more accurate values and start dosing/changing things as needed? Thank you  very much for your help! 

[seabass]

6 hours ago, InAtTheDeepEnd said:

Will the monti be ok in the current parameters until I can get more accurate values and start dosing/changing things as needed?

From your description, the current parameters don't appear to be causing immediate harm.  If the parameters were to be kept stable, then it should be OK.  However, there is no way to determine alkalinity stability or dosing amounts until you get your alkalinity test kit.

 

6 hours ago, InAtTheDeepEnd said:

magnesium nearer to 1200

There is nothing concerning about your tank's current magnesium level.

[InAtTheDeepEnd]

3 hours ago, seabass said:

From your description, the current parameters don't appear to be causing immediate harm.  If the parameters were to be kept stable, then it should be OK.  However, there is no way to determine alkalinity stability or dosing amounts until you get your alkalinity test kit.

 

There is nothing concerning about your tank's current magnesium level.

Okay, thank you - I did think that magnesium ought to ideally be between 1280 and 1350ppm for SPS though?

[seabass]

12 hours ago, InAtTheDeepEnd said:

I did think that magnesium ought to ideally be between 1280 and 1350ppm for SPS though?

That's a pretty common range, but I'm not aware that SPS would suffer at the elevated levels which you have in your tank.  Low magnesium causes much more problems, as magnesium allows you to keep alkalinity and calcium levels at proper levels.  With low magnesium, dosing one will push the other out of suspension.

 

Alkalinity levels (and stability) are the most important of the three.  And if alkalinity is low, try not to increase it by more than 1dKH per day.  Again alkalinity swings are tough on stony corals.