Montipora Digitata - what causes this?

[marxman]

Hi all,

My LFS always seems to have some great montipora digitata frags. Great plugs with numerous branches, lots of polyps swaying, and amazing colouring..... needless to say I am ALWAYS a sucker for them.

I always seem to pick up a frag every couple of months, but never seem to be able to keep them alive for too long. I try to ensure that they acclimate to my lighting slowly, but for some reason they always seem to end up looking like this:

can anyone tell my what sort of conditions would cause the polyps to recede or die in this manner?

thanks in advance

 

[Om84]

Looks like a pocillopora. Do you have low nutrients? What are your nitrates and phosphates? I’m assuming your other parameters are in range (alk, ca, etc).

 

[marxman]

My tank is fairly mature - about 3 years, although i did just do a nice overhaul / refresh where I replaced some rocks and changed aquascape. I have Neptune Trident so the Ca, dKH, Mag levels are all pretty consistent. Nitrates are about 6ppm and Phosphates about 0.1ppm.

 

[Om84]

It’s interesting because I have a similar issue. I keep a SPS dominant tank where all acropora are doing well. For whatever reason same thing happens to my birdsnests, stylophoras, and pocilloporas.

Millepora doing well

Stylophora doing not so well


I have been told it is likely an issue with nitrates and phosphates. My nitrates also stay around 5-10 and phosphates about 0.1. I wonder if it’s a trace elements issue. I’m going to start checking ICP tests and dosing trace elements and see if that makes a difference. The other possibility is a bacterial infection. Would love to hear what everyone else has to say.

 

[Lavey29]

It’s interesting because I have a similar issue. I keep a SPS dominant tank where all acropora are doing well. For whatever reason same thing happens to my birdsnests, stylophoras, and pocilloporas.

Millepora doing well

Stylophora doing not so well


I have been told it is likely an issue with nitrates and phosphates. My nitrates also stay around 5-10 and phosphates about 0.1. I wonder if it’s a trace elements issue. I’m going to start checking ICP tests and dosing trace elements and see if that makes a difference. The other possibility is a bacterial infection. Would love to hear what everyone else has to say.

That looks like fish or crab bites

 

[Lavey29]

Hi all,

My LFS always seems to have some great montipora digitata frags. Great plugs with numerous branches, lots of polyps swaying, and amazing colouring..... needless to say I am ALWAYS a sucker for them.

I always seem to pick up a frag every couple of months, but never seem to be able to keep them alive for too long. I try to ensure that they acclimate to my lighting slowly, but for some reason they always seem to end up looking like this:

can anyone tell my what sort of conditions would cause the polyps to recede or die in this manner?

thanks in advance

What par I'd it in and flow?