Multiple Digitata dying (Others look great) – don't know what to do.

[illjoshlli]

Multiple Digitata dying (Others look great) "“ What should I do?!

Hi,
I have a 3 montipora digita in my tank that are quickly dying. I also have about 6 or 7 more that are doing great. The 3 corals in question have been in the tank for months and I have had some growth. They are dead center under my light.
I will upload pictures in a few. This started about 3-4 days ago. One of my digita (center of the tank) got a huge white (rot) spot on the lower half and looked very smooth (still red but no polyps). 2 days ago another digitata relatively close to this one started lighting up extremely quickly. No rot spots but the whole thing is extremely ligh (almost white)t with very little sign of polyps (no extension, almost gone). Today another one (a frag of the first) looks pale and smooth. I have 5-8 pieces of montipora (non-digita) that are doing great.
I'm not sure what to do and could really use some help. My tank stats are as follows (tested tonight)
Alk-143, cal-373, ph 8.2-8.4, P04=0, ammonia=0, Nitrate=0,Nitrite=0, temp = 80, salt=1.025
I have had a few issues with my alk over the past few months (major swings) caused by issues with my dosing pump and RKL. However, I have finally gotten it level for the past 3 weeks. It is low but it has been a constant 143 for 3 weeks straight. My Cal is the lowest I have seen it. It has always tested at >450. So, maybe that is it.. However, no other corals are effected.

MY tank is a 58 gallon with 30 gallon basement sump where I run a skimmer and Refuge along with Alk dosing (2 part 11ml a day). I do weekly to biweekly water changes with RC about 10 gallons.
I run a 250w MH 8.5 hours a day with two stunner strips at sunup and sundown.
I have not added any corals to my tank for 2-3 months, maybe longer. I have added two peppermint shrimp, and a wrasse within the past 2-3 weeks along with some more cheto for the sump.

I have a large mix of corals including lps, leathers, SPS. Fish = 1 coral beauty, 2 Maroons, fire fish, 2 cleaner shrimp, GreenBTA

 

[illjoshlli]

Pics of dying coral.
On left is the digita with rot spot, on the right is the one that has gone white with almost no polyps

Fts

Other monti(on right under fish, its doing great)

Small red digita in center not looking good(frag from first digita

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[illjoshlli]

I forgot to add that I vodka does 3to6 drops a couple times a week. I have started heavy spot feeding these corals incase they are rtn/going pale due to low nut.

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[CJ 1098]

Look for monti eating nudi's.
Google them and you will see a pick of them.

 

[illjoshlli]

I had thought of that but is it posible to go so long without any sign and then in 3 days cause so much damage? Ill try to dip the one not attached tonight

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[CJ 1098]

Have you added any new montis? Could be another coral stinging them to.
Take a look at your tank at night when the lights have been off for several hours and see if some sweeper tentacles are hitting them.

 

[illjoshlli]

Thanks CJ. nothing is close. (2-3 inches away). I have not added any new montis for about 3 months.

 

[swannyson7]

Have you added any other new corals? Monti eating nudis or their eggs could have piggy backed in on any new additions, not just montis.

 

[illjoshlli]

No new corals for about 3 months. I added two peppermint shrimp, a wrasse, and cheto to the sump within the past 2 weeks. I did NOT add the store water and I rinsed the Cheto before I added it to my sump... Could they have tagged along there?

 

[stevedola]

I had thought of that but is it posible to go so long without any sign and then in 3 days cause so much damage? Ill try to dip the one not attached tonight

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if youve noticed them or any bite marks in the past then most defintely it could be that they caused this amount of damage in 3 days. They ahve a life cycle where the adults die off and the eggs are unhatched. Once the eggs hatch *not sure the amount of time needed 15-20days) the babies will emerge hungry for monties. Usually they hide under the monti caps but they could be anywhere really. But their life cycle is one where it allow the coral to rebound and heal, lead you to believe they are gone, and then all of a sudden strike.

Do some inspection at night to see if you see any frilly little b**tards on your monties.

 

[illjoshlli]

Well, no Nudi’s found after dip…
I pulled and dipped the two red corals today for 15 min. I also fragged the taller red one hoping that some of it will live. I searched and searched in the dip water and I could not find any life form and definitely nothing that looked like a Nudi’s. I dipped in a very clear glass bowl and viewed on all sorts of different surfaces with different high powered lights and I found nothing

I will also observe at night. I’m a little lost at the moment.

 

[Gills 619]

As far as I know, nudi's only affect caps and not digi. Your ALK is 143???? Is this meg/L or dKH, should it be 14,3 dKH?? If so, thats high for someone that is carbon dosing.

 

[illjoshlli]

My alk is 143 PPM (hanna) which is 8 dkh. I like to keep it higher; so I am very slowly raising it. (another 1 or two dkh over a few weeks)

I had major alk swings up until 4 weeks ago. However, for the past 3-4 weeks it has been extremely stable. This issue started about a week ago now.

Maybe the huge swings effected them and they just started showing now.. I’m not sure..

The huge swings came from my RKL and my BRS dosing pump and 2 part Alk. I didn’t know that the 2 and 3 outlets on the RKL use a different type of switching mechanism and ½ the time my BRS pump would turn on but not turn off due to a little current still being produced by the RKL when the outlet was ‘off’. Here is a thread on that:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2124724

My Cal has always been a stable 450ish without dosing and weekly water changes. So, it is finally dropping so I’m going to start dosing 2 Part Cal once I can manually get the level back up over the next week or so.

 

[Gills 619]

Ok, that sounds good. I have just seen that nudi's do in fact attack digi! The pic's I have just see look similar to your's so don't rule them out. I myself have not had the best of luck with monti's and have lost plates to nudi's and digi to stn. I now have a small digi that is holding on by a thread.

 

[Gumma 1]

The alk swing is probably your issue. With zero nitrates you most likley do not need the vodka.Your tank looks clean,maybe try shorting your halides to 7 hours and feeding some rods foods.

 

[illjoshlli]

Ok, that sounds good. I have just seen that nudi's do in fact attack digi! The pic's I have just see look similar to your's so don't rule them out. I myself have not had the best of luck with monti's and have lost plates to nudi's and digi to stn. I now have a small digi that is holding on by a thread.

I'm going to keep watching and dipping every few days. The Frags I cut don't look very good. They are now white at the base. The taller one that was "˜light' all over with the 4 or 5 branches up top looks the same. Very light and no PE at all. But, it hasn't degraded either"¦

The alk swing is probably your issue. With zero nitrates you most likley do not need the vodka.Your tank looks clean,maybe try shorting your halides to 7 hours and feeding some rods foods.

Thanks. I was starting to think this too. I've stopped the vodka a few days ago and I will reduce my photo period to 7h. I started feeding the corals with Oyster feast every other day for now and I'll monitor my levels(alk,cal,Nitrate, etc.) to make sure they stay consistent.

 

[Gills 619]

Gumma 1 has a good point. If they are light in colour, your tank may be too clean. Monti's do far better in a "dirty" tank. Your orange plate still has good colour in the pic so cant be 100% on that. My plates colour always goes first if the "nutrients" gets a bit too low. Monti's become pale and look washed out, not sure if that is what you are experiencing?

 

[illjoshlli]

Gumma 1 has a good point. If they are light in colour, your tank may be too clean. Monti's do far better in a "dirty" tank. Your orange plate still has good colour in the pic so cant be 100% on that. My plates colour always goes first if the "nutrients" gets a bit too low. Monti's become pale and look washed out, not sure if that is what you are experiencing?

Hey gills,
The other Monti's in the tank do look good. I have a few red/metallic (the orange one you're referring to) and two different purple and they look great. I am starting to think that the Digi's I'm having issues with may be a combination of the alk swings from a while ago weakening them and then a combo of low Nutrients and to much lighting. They have been in the same spot for quite a while but maybe they finally crossed that threshold that was to little (nutrients) and too much (light). I have/had them dead center and mid-level in the tank with a newer 250W MH only 5-6in above the water. I also did replace the reflector a month or two ago.

I appreciate the help everyone