Montipora Bleaching - Help!!!

[drblank1]

I've had this coral for about 9 months and its growth has been really good and color excellent. I've fragged it a couple of time with no ill effect. But in that last 2 days, 50% of the coral has bleached. The only change to the system is I added a copperband butterfly and one spot rabbitfish last Thursday. I have no issue with any other corals. There was an emerald crab living under the center ridge and even he has moved out. Maybe a coincidence? I don't know.

Params
Ca 420
dKH 10.9
Mg 1550
Sal 36 ppt
Nitrate 5
Phos .09
Temp 79

I've kept these parameters fairly stable for the past year. Any ideas?

 

[bushdoc]

RTN, I unfortunately suppose, possibly bacterial and can happen anytime. Introducing new fish might've brought new bacteria strain causing STN.
You have a shot if you frag healthy part, you could dip it in iodine too. I know some use Antybiotics, but I do not have personal experience ( in use of antibiotics on no humans)
Good Luck!

 

[KrisReef]

That looks like perhaps another coral is waring with it, eating it alive with sweeper tentacles?

And if that isn't the case, then I agree that a frag of the health end should be taken to prevent a possible total loss.

Sorry

 

[drblank1]

That looks like perhaps another coral is waring with it, eating it alive with sweeper tentacles?

And if that isn't the case, then I agree that a frag of the health end should be taken to prevent a possible total loss.

Sorry

I am so stupid!!!. There is another coral there that it encroached upon. I didn't even think about that. I kept fragging it to keep it away from the SPS but went away for a couple of weeks and it had overtaken most of its neighbor. I gave up on the SPS figuring the monti would encrust over it. But maybe you're right and its fighting back. Thanks.

 

[Dburr1014]

Have you seen the sweepers on this guy?

 

[drblank1]

Have you seen the sweepers on this guy?

I did see them. I thought it was algae forming on the dead part of the coral. Totally makes sense.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Have you seen the sweepers on this guy?

Sweepers on a leprastrea?

 

[Dburr1014]

Sweepers on a leprastrea?

Hard to see what it is exactly in the blurry photo. Is that what it is?

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Hard to see what it is exactly in the blurry photo. Is that what it is?

Probably, looks like it to me.




though I do see that tang eyeing the monti, I think he has something to do with it lol

 

[drblank1]

Not the laptastea but the twigs and berries sps it crusted over (circled in yellow).

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Could be wrong but that looks like a vermited web.

Edit: just saw the new post. yes, that's your culprit

 

[drblank1]

Well, the monti is completely bleached. Very sad. Wednesday evening, I did frag a healthy piece far away from the bleaching and moved the frag to a new location. Now, that piece is also bleaching. So I'm not sure stinging sweepers were the issue. What is interesting is I have another piece of the monti that I fragged about a month ago and is thriving. So I'm wondering if the mother colony was diseased???

 

[KrisReef]

Well, the monti is completely bleached. Very sad. Wednesday evening, I did frag a healthy piece far away from the bleaching and moved the frag to a new location. Now, that piece is also bleaching. So I'm not sure stinging sweepers were the issue. What is interesting is I have another piece of the monti that I fragged about a month ago and is thriving. So I'm wondering if the mother colony was diseased???

Highly likely it was suffering from all the stinging and who knows what response that triggers in a colony. Lot to learn in reef interactions in the wild and in our tanks. Glad you already had a new colony started.

 

[drblank1]

Could be wrong but that looks like a vermited web.

Edit: just saw the new post. yes, that's your culprit

Well, your comment about vermited web piqued my curiosity and and looked up what that was. And low and behold, I found pictures on the web of what is growing next to my bleached monti. Two vermited snails. I believe you were correct. See pic below. They had webs coming out of the tubes. I ripped them off right before I took this picture. Now how to handle these pests???

 

[Dburr1014]

Bumble bee snails are natural.

How To Get Rid Of Vermetid Snails | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

In the early days of the hobby when we were just happy keeping anything alive, our next greatest joy was when we got something to reproduce. It could have been Caulerpa, Aiptasia…

reefbuilders.com

 

[drblank1]

I used superglue to seal the tubes shut.