Montipora Stellata Losing Tissue

[drw94]

This is kinda wierd. The coral is losing tissue on the underside. The areas that face the light look great, with good polyp extension. All other corals in the tank look great and have good growth. Here is my current set up and test result.
AI Sol Blue light
KZ Small Skimmer
2 part dosing
ZEOvit addatives

 

[drw94]

ph- 8.3, Calcium 410, Alkalinity, 7.5, Nitrate 0, phosphate 0. I have not done any new changes in that last few months. I do have an orange cap and green slimer that are fights for space, but it is on the other side of the tank. The tank is also a 60 gallon cube. An input would be great.

 

[drw94]

Here are some picture

Here are some picture

Here are some pictures. All pictures are untouched. The stellata is one with the small green polyps with a bluish/brown tissue. All other pictures are to show the relative health of the other corals in the the tank

Thanks

 

[drw94]

More Pics

 

[Reefsi]

Do you know of any issues possibly pests in the tank like AEFW? Take the coral out and put it in a white container and turkey baster it. If there is any FW on it it will come off and you will see. If you have FW there aren't many ways of getting rid of it that are guaranteed, but to stick it in a quarantine tank. There is some talk and i have witness some Mandarins picking and eating the FW. There are also other species that may eat them as well.

There is also one more thing that could cause it. Its a disease and its called(Cant remember the specific name)Rapid Tissue Necrosis.

 

[drw94]

I haven't changed anything or added anything in the last few months. From what I have read RTN usually starts from the base and goes up. This is different, the tissue or the stringy things in the pictures are only in areas that recieve no light directly. Some of the polyps still seem to be there only retracted. This is obvious discoloration. I believe this can be seen in the pictures. Just strange. It has been happening over the last few days. Everything else in the tank is just exploding with color and growth. I wonder if some of the slim from the other corals just doesnt agree with this one. The current is going in that direction. There is a Orange Cap and Green Slimer having issues with each other. They are up current from the stellata. I guess I will just have to wait and see as I leave for a 10 day Vacation in 3 days.

 

[Piper27]

You won't have acro eating flatworms on a montipora. Look for monti eating nudis if you think it could be pests, its hard to see the pics are kinda blurry.

 

[gon08]

Is your alkalinty usually that low? If it is fluctuating it could cause STN which is what it looks like to me. Although tissue recession usually begins at the base it doesn't always. I have several acros with tissue loss in different areas of the corals.

If you have had the coral for a while and haven't added anything new then I don't think it would be nudis.

Also your corals look a bit pale in the pics. This could be from running a low nutrient system. I don't see any fish which means there is little to no addition of nutrients added to the tank. Try feeding the corals and it should improve their colors.

 

[gon08]

I take that back about the fish. Just saw the tang, clown and chromis.

 

[drw94]

I do feed the fish twice or so daily, so that helps with feeding the corals. I add a few KZ suppliments to aid in color and growth. These also feed them. I don't think it is any pest. My alk is usually 6.5 to 7.5. Lately it has been running 7. Havent had any issues with anything lately. It is odd that the slime or tissue lose is on the underside of the coral that doesn't get light

 

[drw94]

Corals are not that pale. Trying to learn a new camera. IMO the corals look better in my tank than they did in the LFS, just MO

 

[UTCReefer]

Too much flow to the underside of the coral maybe? I had recently moved a coral into the path of a powerhead and it lost tissue because of too much flow. It wasnt being blasted or anything either.

 

[drw94]

Thanks for all the info everyone has put out. It has givin me a starting point. This just doesnt make sense to me.

 

[MammothReefer]

what's your mag, montis are sensitive to mag. I've found branching montis also to be sensitive to to much flow.

 

[drw94]

Mag is 1350. No change in flow over the last 5 months. I am off to work tomarrow so I will see how it changes when I come home on thursday.

 

[brad65ford]

Wonder how this guy made out?

 

[drw94]

The coral did die as well as the whole tank. I was able to frag a piece and give to the LFS. I believe the tank crash was due to a biological imbalance when I took zeovit offline.
The tank was never torn down. I just threw away all the old live rock out and started with new. A few sps survived as well as a clam and the fish. Tank is doing great beside a little stn at the bases of some acros. It has always stop and corals heal. Other than that, just letting the corals grow out.
Thanks for the interest in the outcome of the coral. Sometime s$$t happens and you just have to role with it.