monti cap bleaching in spots

[datsunfiveten]

hey guys i have searched around and have found information that contradicts each other about bleaching. so i have 3 monti caps one orange encrusting and a green and a purple cap. my purple one has started bleaching in spots in random sizes and place among it self and i am not sure what the issue is. heres the back round.

180 gal tank. 40 gal sump 2 cheap skimmers to do the job of one. replacing them this week with a reef octopus. uv sterilizer phosban reactor. started with 3 metal halides and 2 vhos. i just got kessils about a month and half ago and have been doing light acclamation since. i have had the encrusting monti for quite some time with no issues. i got the green and purple about 2 weeks ago. at this time i was at about 60% brightness on kessils. once i noticed bleaching about 4 days ago i have brought them down to about 20% have seen no improvement nor continued bleaching.

water parameters
ph 8.2
nitrite and nitrate 0
cal 500
kh 12
amo 0
phosphate 0
been awhile since i tested mag and it was around 1200 to 1250 last i checked.

fish
naso tang
foxface
2 clown
lawnmower blenny (read he could be the cause of bleaching)
small blue damsel
red scooter blenny

thanks for help sorry pictures are bad ill turn off flow tomorrow and get better pic

 

[doosiec]

You may have monti eating nudi's.
Were you able to closely look if there are any?

 

[datsunfiveten]

I will look as soon as I get home. I have 2 other montis with no issues. but I will check if I do how do I kill them

 

[doosiec]

Usually only happens to one monti at a time, unless you have a huge outbreak.
Nudi's travel in groups, because their eggs are laid in a clutch.

They'll get eaten by wrasses or other fishes if they're exposed in the open by means of travel.

You can only kill them by flipping the coral over and letting a wrasse eat it (Six Line, 8 Line and Coris) from what I've experienced. Or pull out the coral and dip it in some revive, coral rx or Bayer for the risk takers.

 

[doosiec]

Just to add, they're not that easy to remove, what most people do is cut their losses and just start over with a fresh frag.

What I mean is, pull that entire piece out, frag the healthy and no infested part and remount. Toss the rest due to eggs not being visible to the naked eye.

 

[datsunfiveten]

 

[datsunfiveten]

here is how it looks. looks bad compared to other ones the botom of other caps is on color

 

[doosiec]

When there the monti's are manifested with pests, they'll stress, lose color and possibly STN to death.

 

[datsunfiveten]

Do they look like they have pests? Or is this normal?