Leptoseris tissue damage?

[AFHokie]

A couple weeks ago I noticed what looked like some white sloughing on specific parts of my leptoseris. Since then it’s turned dark. Other parts of the lepto are growing quite well still. It’s very hard to tell if it’s getting better or worse. Some days seems better, some worse. It also looks very different under blue and white light. Much more pronounced under blue. Hard to see under a more full spectrum.

I have a Longnose hawk that loves to perch on coral and the way the dark areas are lined up makes me wonder if he’s perching across it.

The only other idea I have is that “around” the time I noticed it I hit some aiptasia with a pickling lime slurry. The aiptasia aren’t near the lepto but flow could have taken any paste and blown it up across the lepto.

The oddest part to me is the location of the damage.

A couple months ago I started fighting some dinos but none ever grew near the lepto. I did reduce lighting and ramped back up.

1.026
KH: 9.6 (did reach up to 10.6 10 days agobut I don’t think it was a sudden spike, unless my aiptasia paste caused it. I think what happened is I didn’t compensate my dosing for reduced lighting after dinos. Have come down to that 9.6 over those 10 days).
Ca: 410
Mg: 1280
NO3: 5-10
PO4: .06
PAR: Around 100 at lepto (use Photone as I don’t have a PAR meter)

What does everyone think? Physical damage? Something else?

 

[tinyfellows]

My lepto is doing the same thing so I am interested in what people say

 

[AFHokie]

My lepto is doing the same thing so I am interested in what people say

Interesting. Any specifics in your case much different from mine? Similarities?

 

[Dburr1014]

A couple weeks ago I noticed what looked like some white sloughing on specific parts of my leptoseris. Since then it’s turned dark. Other parts of the lepto are growing quite well still. It’s very hard to tell if it’s getting better or worse. Some days seems better, some worse. It also looks very different under blue and white light. Much more pronounced under blue. Hard to see under a more full spectrum.

I have a Longnose hawk that loves to perch on coral and the way the dark areas are lined up makes me wonder if he’s perching across it.

The only other idea I have is that “around” the time I noticed it I hit some aiptasia with a pickling lime slurry. The aiptasia aren’t near the lepto but flow could have taken any paste and blown it up across the lepto.

The oddest part to me is the location of the damage.

A couple months ago I started fighting some dinos but none ever grew near the lepto. I did reduce lighting and ramped back up.

1.026
KH: 9.6 (did reach up to 10.6 10 days agobut I don’t think it was a sudden spike, unless my aiptasia paste caused it. I think what happened is I didn’t compensate my dosing for reduced lighting after dinos. Have come down to that 9.6 over those 10 days).
Ca: 410
Mg: 1280
NO3: 5-10
PO4: .06
PAR: Around 100 at lepto (use Photone as I don’t have a PAR meter)

What does everyone think? Physical damage? Something else?

Are you talking about the blue spots? (blue spots are what I see)
One at the top and one in front?
Edit: looks like a dead area. Almost like something is also growing on it as I see little balls for lack of a better word.

 

[AFHokie]

Yeah they appear more blue here. With the naked eye they are more black. Very top and along facing edge.

 

[AFHokie]

 

[Dburr1014]

I edited my first response and I also have this question.

 

[AFHokie]

I edited my first response and I also have this question.

That’s bare rock with little snaily like things. Those little white spirals that grow all over. Not sure their actual classification. The lepto doesn’t go down that far.

I’ll see if I can get a better pic of that part.

 

[AFHokie]

I edited my first response and I also have this question.

It’s these….

 

[Dburr1014]

It’s these….

Is it possible the lepto got stung?

 

[AFHokie]

Is it possible the lepto got stung?

There’s nothing at all in front of it that could sting it there.

 

[AFHokie]

Are you talking about the blue spots? (blue spots are what I see)
One at the top and one in front?
Edit: looks like a dead area. Almost like something is also growing on it as I see little balls for lack of a better word.

That is the whitish tissue/slime looking stuff that seems to be sloughing off. It doesn’t look like something growing but I suppose it could be. I assumed it was part of the lepton’s reaction to whatever is happening.

 

[AFHokie]

If it is something else or a bacterial infection or something the top nub is easy enough to clip off but that front part will be tricky unless I pop the whole frag off. I’d hate to rip off that front right section growing onto the rock but if it’s that or the whole thing I’ll have to.

 

[tinyfellows]

Mine currently is mostly sloughing off white stuff and when my tank is just blues at the end of the day there are some dark spots like yours. I’m battling low ph in my tank so that’s kinda what I’m thinking it is for me at least

 

[AlgaeBarn]

If you don't have anything close that would through off sweeper tentacles, I would assume the tissue damage is from Vermetid snails stinging it

 

[AFHokie]

Mine currently is mostly sloughing off white stuff and when my tank is just blues at the end of the day there are some dark spots like yours. I’m battling low ph in my tank so that’s kinda what I’m thinking it is for me at least

Mine is around 8.1 in the afternoon, 7.8 after lights out. This frag has been in my tank for several months without issue so I’m not thinking it’s that.

 

[AFHokie]

If you don't have anything close that would through off sweeper tentacles, I would assume the tissue damage is from Vermetid snails stinging it

I do have some vermetids, I’ll look close and see if any are there where they’d hit the lepto.

 

[Dburr1014]

Vermetid ‘Tubeworms’ Are Bad for Aquariums, AND Coral Reefs | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

We’ve hated vermetids for as long as we’ve been reefing, and now science has given us the last nail in the coffin for this unwanted aquarium critter. Although they look like tubeworms…

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I think this may be the problem

 

[AFHokie]

So, interesting observation.

I tried blowing off that white stuff with a bulb coral feeder. It didnt blow any off but everywhere that I blasted turned white right away just like the dark parts. Clearly it didn’t like the blast of water.

Could there be a too strong current passing up along it? That would account for the way the damage is in a line.

 

[Dburr1014]

So, interesting observation.

I tried blowing off that white stuff with a bulb coral feeder. It didnt blow any off but everywhere that I blasted turned white right away just like the dark parts. Clearly it didn’t like the blast of water.

Could there be a too strong current passing up along it? That would account for the way the damage is in a line.

Picture?