Monti Cap Acclimation

[CarolinaShoreReef]

Can’t seem to find much out there on what a normal monti looks like when going through the acclimation process.


I picked up this large Idaho grape cap from a local reefer on Saturday and dipped it as normal, and then added it to the bottom of my tank (about 30 degrees from directly below the lights). I forgot to run my acclimation settings on my prime.


I came back the next morning and found the cap had a nice layer of mucus and had browned up.




I contacted the local reefer to see what their params were: 8.5KH and 420 ppm Ca2+.


Tested mine to be at, 7.33KH and 520 ppm Ca2+. Also, salinity was at 1.027 (slowly bringing it back down, at 1.026 today). This should also bring calcium down too, I believe.


I also attained their light setting which were on a hydra 26.


I have my lights at these settings on a prime. On acclimation mode for a week


To get to the point now that most bases have been covered, is this what you’d expect from an acclimating monti cap? I’ve been having great success with all other lps coral in this tank, especially the chalice, which is why I felt confident enough getting the monti. It is in a moderate flow area atm and will be moved to a higher flow area as it moves up.


Day of pick up:



Btw, I don’t dose regularaly. Only when I know I won’t be able to do a WC for at least a month. Regular WCs weekly of 33%; I have been wanting to do that twice a week and found a way to fit that into my schedule now.


Heres a pic from today.

 

[CarolinaShoreReef]

Bump

 

[Tuffyyyyy]

So you have a single AI Prime on your tank? I think you're doing everything you can at this point. Maybe go ahead and move it up in your tank and add another week to your acclimation mode.

 

[CarolinaShoreReef]

So you have a single AI Prime on your tank? I think you're doing everything you can at this point. Maybe go ahead and move it up in your tank and add another week to your acclimation mode.

Yes a single prime. I was also informed to put it in higher flow and will try that.

 

[VSVP bet]

When it comes to acclimating monti caps or any sps, i keep them in a shaded part of the tank for half a day, then expose them to moderate light for a day. After that, I usually move them up slowly, however, with monti caps, Ive never really had an issue.

In the monti pic you shared, it looks a little bit rough. However, I have had montis basically come back from the dead. As long as it does not have an infection/pest, once you put it in favorable conditions, im guessing it will come back.

Also, I have found that montis and sand do not mix well. When detritus settles on caps, an infection can occur that will result in tissue loss. I would just glue it in a well lit area of the tank with ample flow and off the sandbed.

 

[CarolinaShoreReef]

When it comes to acclimating monti caps or any sps, i keep them in a shaded part of the tank for half a day, then expose them to moderate light for a day. After that, I usually move them up slowly, however, with monti caps, Ive never really had an issue.

In the monti pic you shared, it looks a little bit rough. However, I have had montis basically come back from the dead. As long as it does not have an infection/pest, once you put it in favorable conditions, im guessing it will come back.

Also, I have found that montis and sand do not mix well. When detritus settles on caps, an infection can occur that will result in tissue loss. I would just glue it in a well lit area of the tank with ample flow and off the sandbed.

Thanks! I’ve got it off the bed now and sitting on a rack. I positioned my pump on it and turned it up a bit. I guess time will tell.

 

[VSVP bet]

Thanks! I’ve got it off the bed now and sitting on a rack. I positioned my pump on it and turned it up a bit. I guess time will tell.

when a coral slimes, it is almost always reacting to something. Some corals slime when fighting occurs, some slime to deter a predator, and sometimes they slime to get rid of some type of infection. If I had to guess, the monti cap may have been subjected to some type of bacterial thing. Rapid tissue loss, discoloration, and slime from a monti cap is not normal. You could try dipping it again, however, as I stated before, I have had caps seemingly come back from the dead (one frag was lost under the sand for a week and bleached, now its a colony). Hopefully, better conditions will cause it to come back.

 

[CarolinaShoreReef]

when a coral slimes, it is almost always reacting to something. Some corals slime when fighting occurs, some slime to deter a predator, and sometimes they slime to get rid of some type of infection. If I had to guess, the monti cap may have been subjected to some type of bacterial thing. Rapid tissue loss, discoloration, and slime from a monti cap is not normal. You could try dipping it again, however, as I stated before, I have had caps seemingly come back from the dead (one frag was lost under the sand for a week and bleached, now its a colony). Hopefully, better conditions will cause it to come back.

What would be better conditions to strive for?

Btw I have had this encrusting monti for a while with no issues.

Also added an orange cap the day before I added the grape and it didn’t react at all. (That’s a piece of the grape that broke off when adding to the tank behind it).

So that’s really why I’m confused as to why this happened to it so drastically.

 

[VSVP bet]

I mean monti caps are the hardiest sps IMO. So if you have a stable reef, thats all a cap needs to survive. Rapid tissue loss, slime, and discoloration are indicators of something like a pest or an infection. Idk if the monti caught something or what. At this point, the only thing to do would be to treat a potential infection, or just leave it and hope for the best.

That being said, im not 100% sure its an infection of sorts, but thats my thinking. The symptoms being exhibited is nothing a normal coral would do under a standard acclimation.

 

[Justfebreezeit]

All my monti's browned out when introduced to the tank, took a month or so to start coloring back up. Are you in florida? I think I remember seeing that for sale on craigslist.

edit: I see your name now..

 

[CarolinaShoreReef]

I mean monti caps are the hardiest sps IMO. So if you have a stable reef, thats all a cap needs to survive. Rapid tissue loss, slime, and discoloration are indicators of something like a pest or an infection. Idk if the monti caught something or what. At this point, the only thing to do would be to treat a potential infection, or just leave it and hope for the best.

That being said, im not 100% sure its an infection of sorts, but thats my thinking. The symptoms being exhibited is nothing a normal coral would do under a standard acclimation.

Yep just going to leave it and hope for the best. It still has some tissue on it.

 

[CarolinaShoreReef]

All my monti's browned out when introduced to the tank, took a month or so to start coloring back up. Are you in florida? I think I remember seeing that for sale on craigslist.

edit: I see your name now..

They look anything like this or darker?

Haha

 

[Justfebreezeit]

Hard to tell with how blue the picture is. It was pretty brown though. Are those white spots in the middle and not near the edges sand or some kind of debris? If its skeleton showing its not a good sign.

Regardless like mentioned above, get it away from sand (or a debris collecting area) and give it decent flow. Just wait it out.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

They look anything like this or darker?

Haha

I bought a tank used and when moving everything into totes to bring home I found a Monti under the sand also and completely bleached. It took a few months but for the last year it’s been doing doing great

 

[Graffiti Spot]

Looks like it was dipped to long or to strong of a dip. What did you use and for how long?

 

[CarolinaShoreReef]

Looks like it was dipped to long or to strong of a dip. What did you use and for how long?

Yeah that’s what some ppl thought on NR too. Dipped in revive, could have lost track of time. No longer than 20min.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

Oh yeah anything longer than 8 min burns corals up I'm with revive.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

Ime with revive I meant. It is a good dip though.

 

[CarolinaShoreReef]

Snapped this this morning under all white.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

You have a few that don’t look so good. What is kicking the sand all over everything?
Have you tested your water parameters?
Was this pic taken right as the lights came on?