Whats happening to MY Monti...

[Chicagoreef2016]

So maybe a similar problem as the other guy just posted. My sunset monti has been going great and growing like a weed when all of a sudden it started to whiten over. Then some cleared up over a few days, then it came back. I tried blowing it off with a turkey baster and nothing to blow off so to speak.

My parameters have been stable, ALK at 8, SAL 1.026, Mag 1380, calc 460, no nitrates registering. Only changes I can think of is I skipped a water change one week, and I started dosing small amounts of Acropower, although not sure how amino acids would impact a monti negatively. Thoughts?

 

[DiscusHeckel]

Have you bought new corals with plugs or rock base recently? It is possible that you may have mdntipora eating nudibranches. Please inspect the affected coral in the dark with a torch.

Are you doing organic carbon?

 

[Chicagoreef2016]

Have you bought new corals with plugs or rock base recently? It is possible that you may have mdntipora eating nudibranches. Please inspect the affected coral in the dark with a torch.

Are you doing organic carbon?

No organic dosing here. Some of my other SPS do not look to well either..polyp extension not where it was. I will check tonight with a torch to see if there are any bugs on there. I haven't gotten any new plugs for a couple months before that. And I dip everything before it goes in. Would emerald crabs cause something like this?

 

[DiscusHeckel]

No organic dosing here. Some of my other SPS do not look to well either..polyp extension not where it was. I will check tonight with a torch to see if there are any bugs on there. I haven't gotten any new plugs for a couple months before that. And I dip everything before it goes in. Would emerald crabs cause something like this?

In my experience emerald crabs would not damage to corals. You need to think about what you have changed in your tank recently (let's say since last month)? Have you checked salinity? has there been any sudden fluctuation of alkalinity? What are you dosing to your tank? Could there be overdosing/underdosing of any salts/trace elements?

 

[Chicagoreef2016]

In my experience emerald crabs would not damage to corals. You need to think about what you have changed in your tank recently (let's say since last month)? Have you checked salinity? has there been any sudden fluctuation of alkalinity? What are you dosing to your tank? Could there be overdosing/underdosing of any salts/trace elements?

Started dosing Acropower, less than recommended amount per the instructions. And started feeding Zoplan and frozen, alternating daily. Used to feed frozen 1-2 times per week prior to that. Algae growth is limited to my sump so don't think that could be it. I skipped a water change one week 2 weeks ago, then noticed the monti going sideways, so did a small water change right away. I typically do 10% water changes per week, so I picked that back up. Other than that I can't think of any changes. I had one frag that I got a couple months ago, was doing really well, start to go sideways on me over night. Not dead at this point, but polyps gone and hovering on life/death so to speak.

Only dosing BRS 2 part for ALK/Calc. Run carbon and GFO in a reactor and swap that out every 3-4 weeks. Salinity 1.026.

 

[DiscusHeckel]

Started dosing Acropower, less than recommended amount per the instructions. And started feeding Zoplan and frozen, alternating daily. Used to feed frozen 1-2 times per week prior to that. Algae growth is limited to my sump so don't think that could be it. I skipped a water change one week 2 weeks ago, then noticed the monti going sideways, so did a small water change right away. I typically do 10% water changes per week, so I picked that back up. Other than that I can't think of any changes. I had one frag that I got a couple months ago, was doing really well, start to go sideways on me over night. Not dead at this point, but polyps gone and hovering on life/death so to speak.

Only dosing BRS 2 part for ALK/Calc. Run carbon and GFO in a reactor and swap that out every 3-4 weeks. Salinity 1.026.

Thanks. I cannot see Acropower causing any issues. Let's explore activated carbon and GFO. What is your current phosphates reading and how do you measure it? How much GFO and GAC are you fluidising? What is the net volume of your tank?

 

[Chicagoreef2016]

Thanks. I cannot see Acropower causing any issues. Let's explore activated carbon and GFO. What is your current phosphates reading and how do you measure it? How much GFO and GAC are you fluidising? What is the net volume of your tank?

Phosphates have always, I mean always read undetectable on my Salifert tests. But at times I knew that wasn't true, as I have growth of GHA in my sump and or my chaeto has growth. Nitrates have always been at less than 1 as well, almost undetectable too.

I have roughly 70 gallons in my tank I would say given sump/rock into consideration, but that isn't a scientific measurement. I use BRS GFO and BRS Lignite carbon. I mix them both together in my reactor, and put 8 tablespoons of carbon, and roughly 14 tablespoons of GFO in there. I try and dose based on 64 gallons of total water volume, figure a little less is ok.

 

[DiscusHeckel]

Phosphates have always, I mean always read undetectable on my Salifert tests. But at times I knew that wasn't true, as I have growth of GHA in my sump and or my chaeto has growth. Nitrates have always been at less than 1 as well, almost undetectable too.

I have roughly 70 gallons in my tank I would say given sump/rock into consideration, but that isn't a scientific measurement. I use BRS GFO and BRS Lignite carbon. I mix them both together in my reactor, and put 8 tablespoons of carbon, and roughly 14 tablespoons of GFO in there. I try and dose based on 64 gallons of total water volume, figure a little less is ok.

Because you are replacing both GFO and carbon at the same time and quite frankly quite a lot of media at once, it is possible that you are stripping organics and phosphates quite suddenly. This can stress corals without doubt. Unless you have a pest like Montipora eating nudibranch, I would like to suggest that you halve the amount of GFO you are currently using and instead of fluidising carbon in a reactor put it in a filter sock and then leave it in a fast flying area of your sump. This new arrangement will provide much gentler adsorption of organics.

By the way I forgot to ask, if you have changed your light setting/specification recently?

 

[Chicagoreef2016]

Because you are replacing both GFO and carbon at the same time and quite frankly quite a lot of media at once, it is possible that you are stripping organics and phosphates quite suddenly. This can stress corals without doubt. Unless you have a pest like Montipora eating nudibranch, I would like to suggest that you halve the amount of GFO you are currently using and instead of fluidising carbon in a reactor put it in a filter sock and then leave it in a fast flying area of your sump. This new arrangement will provide much gentler adsorption of organics.

By the way I forgot to ask, if you have changed your light setting/specification recently?

Ok, good to know. I just dropped my T5s an inch, but that was literally 2 days ago, they are now a little over 6" from the water line. Well after this started.

 

[rjjr1963]

Looks like Moni Nudi's. There is a group of them at the 1:00 position on that center part. Use a cell phone camera and zoo in as close as you can. A couple pics to help id them. If confirmed get the coral out of there fast and pray they haven't infected any other Monti's. You can not destroy the nudi's and the eggs. They will plage your tank. Potassium permanganate dips will kill the nudi's and eggs but probably the coral too. I tried using various regiments but none of the coral survived.