Montipora Cap tissue loss

ekford

New member
Hey y'all. Orange Monti cap has two white area where the tissue has disappeared. Overall, the coloration is good and I am seeing a good creamy growth ring around the entire edge of the coral. It has been in my tank for about a month. I've watched for nudis at night and haven't seen anything. The spot started very small (eraser-head size) about 2 weeks ago. It is now about 1.25 - 1.5 inches wide.

Tank Parms:
Alk 3.1 meg/l (I'm working on getting the up...it was as low as 2 meg/l two weeks ago)
Ca 460
Ph 7.92 (Related to my alk issue...has come up from 7.6 two weeks ago)
Mg 1,440
NH4, NO3, NO2 and PO4 all 0.

Mazarra Maxspect P LED lighting.

A little help please.

Thanks in advance
Erik
 

Attachments

  • FullShot.jpg
    FullShot.jpg
    82.6 KB · Views: 1
  • CloseUp.jpg
    CloseUp.jpg
    65.7 KB · Views: 1
Do you have any hair algea growth, red slim, or cyno? You alk raise may be what is causing the problem. Could you have a pest eating at it?
 
I'm currently dealing with nudis, and that is almost exactly they type of damage I am experiencing. The only difference is that my dead spots are originating from the edges and working their way in.

The nudis are white, which makes them difficult to see if they're sitting on a section of the coral that they've eaten. They're just as difficult to see when you pull the cap out of the water as they no longer really look like they do when they're in the water. However, I will say that out of the water, nudis look very similar to that white fuzzy blob in your close-up image. I would check again, and be sure to check the underside of the cap as well. I find most of them there.
 
ChrisKirkland - Hair algea growth has been stopped. There is still some present in the tank...i've been cleaning and suctioning it out and all this is really left is the back glass. It was growing fairly think a few weeks ago. No red slime/cyano. Regarding the alk raise, do you mean that me increasing the alk may be the cause?

cl800 - I didn't even notice the "blob" until you pointed it out. I guess that since I've never seen one, I was looking for something bigger. I'll inspect the cap again this evening. I had the cap out of the tank last night because I was dipping a zoa colony that's been closed up tight for about a week and decided that dipping the cap couldn't hurt anything. I took the pictures BEFORE I dipped it. If that is/was a nudi, do you think the dip erradicated it/them? I'm using Two Little Fishes Coral ReVive. BTW - I did find a zoa-munching nudi on the zoa colony. Big guy. Looked well-fed.
 
Hollister - I have just perched him higher up in the tank to get it into better water flow, so we'll see if that helps him.
 
100% Nudis as you can see them in the picture! Is a little strange as they do often start from underneath or edge, check the undersides too
 
THx Cl800
But i am still wondering if there is anything will potentially eat the bloody nudi?

My montipora have there for months and are attached to rocks, not willing to pull them up if there is an option.
 
Wrasses seem to be the "go to" fish for consuming them, but I have not tried one yet. Wrasses come with their own caveats as well. They are known jumpers and my tank is an open top tank. And your cap looks grown out enough such that there are areas that will be difficult for a wrasse to reach. Some wrasses can be aggressive, go after other inverts, etc...

That being said, I have heard positive things for the Melanarus, yellow Coris, and Christmas wrasses.
 
Thanks mate. I will give it a go and fingers cross

bTW would anyone please be kind enough to put up a photo for these wrasse (as well as neon wrasse)

Funny enough when i google them i can see at least few different types of wrasse for each of the above mentioned wraase and i am confused...
 
If it is nudi's, I would pull the entire coral, frag large unaffected pieces, QT and once you sure then start over. I know it sounds harsh but you will loose this fight any other way. I was lucky to save a small colony of plate by removing it every second or third day and tooth brushing the little buggers away before they could lay more eggs, thus braking the life cycle. I tried wrasse like yellow coris and 6 line but cant say I ever saw them eat a nudi. Nudi's come out at night while wrasse go sleep.
 
Thx mate.
It is like 2:30am i cant really sleep due to the worms...yea i know it sounds silly
One good news is that i spotted a nudi just now and killed it...

Anyway i will try one of those wrasses tmr first thing in the morning!
 
Back
Top