Whats up with my Montipora Confusa

[lee_d_m]

Hi,

I have this Confusa which I've had for 4 or 5 months. It's been growing well in that time and has probably doubled in size.

However, I've noticed in the last week or so that it's going pale from the center outwards, and where it's pale, there's no polyp extension.

It's placed in medium light and medium flow, and has always been in this area of the tank. I did notice today that there's an aptasia underneath one side of it, I'm not sure that an aip could cause this though.

I would appreciate any suggestions as to what this might be and what I can do to help it recover.

Thanks.

Here's a pic of it taken today

 

[markalot]

Unfortunately that looks like Monti eating nudi damage. Can you get a good macro shot of the pale areas?

 

[lee_d_m]

Hi,

Unfortunately I don't have a macro lens. I can only describe the areas as looking as if they were bleaching, with no polyp extension. I can't see any nudi's on them, do they usually only come out at night ?

If it is the nudi's what is my best course of action. I have other monti's but they are undamaged.

Thanks

Lee

 

[potterjon]

Yep that does look like nudis. I can see them I think in the photo.

 

[twon8]

Can't be certain but I think I see nudis in several places. Get some wrasses, break up that colony and toss any parts with eggs on it.

 

[lee_d_m]

ok thanks guys. First time battle with these for me, so not sure what I'm looking at. From Google it seems that they should be white spikey little things ? If I look closely, I'm can sort of see something like that on it, but I'm not sure.

I have a Halichoeres wrasse in the tank as well, gonna have to give him a talking to as he's obviously getting lazy.

So will a dip of the coral in Coral RX kill them ?

 

[markalot]

ok thanks guys. First time battle with these for me, so not sure what I'm looking at. From Google it seems that they should be white spikey little things ? If I look closely, I'm can sort of see something like that on it, but I'm not sure.

I have a Halichoeres wrasse in the tank as well, gonna have to give him a talking to as he's obviously getting lazy.

So will a dip of the coral in Coral RX kill them ?

Best google it. You can kill the nudis fairly easily but the lay zillions of eggs.

I let them have the run of my tank and they killed a few large pieces and then vanished. I had a sixline in the tank the entire time and added a Ruby headed wrasse who I never see pick at anything, but the nudis vanished. Maybe a wrasse combination is key? I am still stumped.

 

[dadummy]

best way to find them is a couple hours after lights out or in the morning, look at that area with a flashlight, and check other Monti in the tank as well.

 

[potterjon]

I have dealt with them before and they can be no fun. You have to dip and scrub each coral everyday for a week or so. As Markolat stated above, it's the eggs you are trying to remove. They can be tiny and hard to see. If you don't have a lot of montis I would prob just toss it and leave the tank monti free for a while. Without a montipora to host them they will die off. If you have a lot of montis you want to save, then I feel your pain. I have dealt with them in two different tanks over the years. Once in a frag tank and it was a real pain but I did get rid of them eventually.

 

[aromano]

yellow coris wrasse and blue leg hermits are reported to eat the nudis. Dip for the adults and eggs using 50 ppm potassium permanganate seems to work it did for me. dip and scrub with soft toothbrush to dislodge eggs. Minimum 6 weeks monti free tank to starve them out.

 

[lee_d_m]

Thanks guys. I took the coral and the rock that it was encrusted on out of the tank last night. I had a very close look at it and I could not see anything that resembled the nudis that I'm seeing on Google. Regardless, I dipped the rock and coral in coral ex for 10 minutes and then chopped off a few of the healthy parts and put them back in the tank after carefully examining them. I've put the rock and what remains of the coral in my QT tank, just to see if the coral recovers or I can find the nudis.

One question I had was, is it not a bit strange that the coral appeared to bleach from the centre outwards in quite a uniform pattern or is this symbolic of nudi infestation ?

Thanks

Lee

 

[aromano]

the nudis typically start at the base and hide in crevices and folds. As the infestation progresses they eat in an ever increasing outward zigzag along edge of living tissue leaving damaged tissue and when bad enough white skeleton in their wake.

 

[Moser]

I've seen them many times on monti's, in several tanks.

Wrasses, almost always kill them off. I would suggest silver belly or banana wrasses.
A dip will kill them, but not eggs.

Breaking them up and daily scrubs is a little drastic and not always needed in my experience. Wrasses eventually get them.
The usually hide underneath the coral and come out at night.

Mo

 

[lee_d_m]

Ok thanks chaps. I do have a silver belly wrasse already who has already eradicated a flatworm infestation for me, which makes me wonder whether this is nudis I'm dealing with , especially as I couldn't see anything on the coral. I have some other monti caps which are currently unaffected so I guess I will now wait and see and keep a close eye on the corals , especially at night