Bleached monti Cap?

Your alk is a OK. Your calcium is way too high (aim for around 450). What is your MG level? Testing for alk or calcium is futile without knowing MG.
Your salinity is too low (try to keep it around .024-.025). Your temp is high also, and that can cause bleaching of SPS.
What exactly is your nitrates? More than 20 can be a lot of different things, doesn't really give us an idea. Or was that supposed to be less than?

 

82 degrees is not high. Gets much hotter in the indo-pacific where the montipora originates. Ranges from like 60F-90F. Quick drops and rises on the other hand are very stressful to most corals. As long as your temp is kept within a couple of degress you'll be ok at that temp.

I would also suggest bumping your salinity up to 1.025. This will keep the calcium higher for the monti to continue growing fast.

Your pic looks like a nice growth spurt! T5s all the way!!!

 

I did mean the Nitrates were less than 20. It is hard to be more exact than that with the kit I have. It is between 10 and 20.

My temps are steady between 80 and 82.
I will bump up the salinity...it may be higher today after my water change.

Should I lower the calcium or just let it come down on its own and not supplement until it is within normal levels?

It sounds like it would be OK to take the egg crate off and give it full light?
MG is magnesium? I will add that to my tests.

 

I have heard of a few people switching to T5s and complaining about their montis lightening up and turning pastel. I guess with time it will adjust to the extra light.

Your salinity is not a problem, but keeping it higher will keep your calcium levels a little higher. Slowly increase over a span of a week. Best way is to top off with slightly salty water. Get a refractometer too! they are much more accurate and I have heard of so many people saying that they measured with the hydrometer and it was 1.022 and with a refractometer it was 1.028 or similar stories. So raising it that much could be deadly if your using a hydrometer and its not accurate.

I would take the egg crate off...not needed unless your fish are jumpers. FYI it doesn't really difuse the light much either unless its black egg crate.

MG=magnesium

 

Thanks. I will work on the salt levels and try to get a refractometer.

The egg crate is black and I was partly keeping it on for some zoas and a hammer that looked like they might be getting too much light.

I will get the Magnesium test. What is the connection with the Calcium and Alkalinity?

 

Calcium and Alkalinity are kind of on a see-saw. If one goes up, the other one wants to go down. Mg helps to keep that see-saw effect more balanced.

 

Curt, that is a very helpful explanation. Thank you. I will get the magnesium test ASAP.

 

Well, I am not sure if this will be seen or if I need to start a new post but I wanted to give an update. The Monti has turned much more white again today. I have had it under a shorter light cycle and black egg crate and it continues to lighten? Is it possible it is not getting enough light??? Is it possible, if it is bleaching, for it to recover? Is there anything else that can be done?

Thanks for any help that can be offered.

 

For what its worth - i've never had much luck with Monti cap - Monti confusa however i have great success with.

Perhaps you should offer it more light and remove the egg crate - it may help.

 

I kinda thought those pictures looked like STN. Usually when montis grow, they aren't that white...