white patches on bonsai

[mikenam]

I have this bonsai that has white patches. Looking for some opinions. I'm guessing because it is patches of white spots there might be some sort of pest. I picked up some Bayer and thinking about taking it out of my tank to dip. I will also use coral rx.

A couple months ago I saw a pair of tentacles on top of a rainbow monti which quickly went back into the rocks when I tried to take a closer looks. a couple days later the monti bleached. I moved it to the other side of the tank and it is starting to recover. The same rock work I had a coral bleach overnight. Now my Bonsai, which is on the same rock, has the white patches.

From my observations, it seems like a pest. The black tentacle looking thing, I wasn't able to get a good look but I'm thinking it might be some starfish or some type of worm (2 of them). I don't know if there is a starfish or worm pest that will eat corals, but it seems like its just happening to some corals on one side of the tank. It is a small reefer 170, but I do have 2 different rocks structures in my tank.
every other coral is doing visibly well. Red dragon has grown into a nice large colony. Same with the Copps hulk, the Walt Disney frag is growing fast. My Maxima clam seems to be doing well.

My Alk is usually around 8.1 - 1.3
Calcium 400-410
MG around 1220
Nitrate - is around 0
no ammonia
250 W Phoenix and AI prime for color supplement
2 mp10.


Bonsai white patches by Mike Ngo, on Flickr

 

[Pife]

Doesn't look like a pest to me. Looks like swings on parameters and/or starving then it is stning.

 

[polywise]

that coral is very stressed out.. The skin should be super dark purple with green polyps if it's a Bonsai

 

[jda]

I don't see any signs of anything more than STN. I don't see any AEFW bite marks. Red bugs don't make tissue disappear.

Typically, once a starfish or other invert wants to eat on a SPS, they won't leave it... you find it there on the SPS while it is snacking.

 

[mikenam]

Doesn't look like a pest to me. Looks like swings on parameters and/or starving then it is stning.

Thx Pife. When you say starving do you mean nitrates and phosphates are too low? I do have an ULNS and was thinking of dosing TLF acropower or Red Sea amino. My parameters are pretty stable using a GHL doser with BRS Alk, calcium, mg. I have been testing and recording those parameters daily at first and then a month ago I just measured weekly weekly.

that coral is very stressed out.. The skin should be super dark purple with green polyps if it's a Bonsai

Actually the other side of the coral has all the green polyps and lots of them. It's odd that one side has green polyps while the other side doesn't and has white patches.

I don't see any signs of anything more than STN. I don't see any AEFW bite marks. Red bugs don't make tissue disappear.


Typically, once a starfish or other invert wants to eat on a SPS, they won't leave it... you find it there on the SPS while it is snacking.

The rainbow monti that was starting to turn white, I dipped in Bayer but didn't see any floating AEFW. When I placed it back into the display, I placed on the bottom of the tank on a frag stand on the other side of the tank. This monti is starting to recover. I don't think it was the bayer, but maybe it was the location that helped.

 

[outssider]

I don't think i'd be dipping him at this point unless I was sure he had bugs. He is not a happy camper and disturbing him at this point could finish him off......

 

[jda]

AEFW do not go for montipora.

 

[polywise]

did something fall on that side of the coral?

 

[mikenam]

I don't think i'd be dipping him at this point unless I was sure he had bugs. He is not a happy camper and disturbing him at this point could finish him off......

I'll hold off on taking the frag out to dip. I stopped by the LFS and pick up reef fuel amino. Hopefully this will help the coral recover. I'll be sure to update in a couple weeks on any progress or further decline.

did something fall on that side of the coral?

Not that I know of.