Monti cap Trouble

[jgsensor]

I have a monti cap that is starting to head south after falling on top of some xenia and don't know what is going on. After I first found it upside down on top of my xenia, it had a small white spot about the size of a dime where it had made contact. About two days later that spot has spread dramatically. I tested the water and all seemed ok, except for phosphates which I have been fighting for some time now. I have not noticed any critters on it, but I may have missed them since I have never seen any before.

Water parameters:
Temp - 80
Salt - 1.025
Nitrate - 0
Amon - 0
PH - 8.2
Alk - 8.7
Calc - 450
Mag - 1375
Phosphates - 2

The tank is a 375gal which has been up and running for just under a year now. Most of the critters where transfered from a 180 I had. Lighting is 4x250w MH 10K and 4x96w PC actinics. There are 4 6100s in the tank controlled by a 7095. Filtration is a 55gal sump with 2 MRC MR-2 skimmers, a 75 gal refugium (sand, rock, cheto - 96w PC 6500), MRC CR-2 Calcium reactor, MRC FMC 620 Fluidized media chamber (not currently running). Return pumps are 4 Rio HF20s.

Any ideas of what may be the problem? Should I try fragging it?

 

[Sk8r]

You could get two fair-sized frags from that situation, and they'd probably grow faster than it might heal itself---Anyone?

 

[Freed]

Take it out quick and put crazy glue along the line of the necrosis so that you see dead skeleton on one side of the glue and live tissue on the other side of the glue. This will stop the coral from dying.

 

[XeniaMania]

Interesting, does the thickness of the glue matter because I'd imagine the watery type would just run everywhere, but the thicker ones would take longer to cure.

 

[Freed]

Gel type will harden in about 5-10 minutes but skins over instantly once submerged and doesn't run easily unless tilted quite a bit.

 

[jay24k]

I would use a razor blade and score right around it. It tears through caps. To me, why even risk losing more when you can frag it right now.

Superglue doesn't always work for me.

 

[jgsensor]

Never heard of the super glue trick, it sounds interesting though. I guess I will have to try fragging it. Never thought about just cutting out the dead section and leaving the rest intact. I will have to give that one a try tonight.