SUNBURST MONTİPORA BLEACHING

[Trueruby]

Hi everyone,
I observed something like bleaching but I am not sure if it is really a bleaching so your opinions are precious. Any suggestions for what to do in this case will be preciated.

So, I have this frag for 2 months perhaps, for last 2 days i observed that it was loosingflesh partially. Today it is a bit more and I can see that some skin is going off. At the same time ends are still growing.
i was not at home for 3 weeks that I assume the temperature went high around 27 C for a week due to high temperatures around here. Right now i set it 25C then tissue lost started. I have other montiporas and their middle got darker and sides looks fine.
i also carried the frag somewhere on top where I think has higher PAR then previous placement.
My water parameters are;
Ca 425
KH 7.7
Mg 1350
Temperature 25.1 C
Po4 : 0.03 ppm-0.06 ppm it fluctates from morning to night.
no3 5 ppm

i use LED lights.
All other corals looks happy.
cheers!
The pictures below shows first day and 3rd day of coral

 

[JaaxReef]

I had the same type of symptoms on my montis in an old tank. Ended up being some tiny black bugs that were irritating them which spread to my acros and it didn’t end well. Luckily some other folks have experience with them too and have had some success irradiating them. Standard dips and even Bayer doe seem to phase them.

I would look very carefully at all those montis and other coral in your tank for tiny little black bugs.

Then check out this video if you find them:

 

[Trueruby]

I had the same type of symptoms on my montis in an old tank. Ended up being some tiny black bugs that were irritating them which spread to my acros and it didn’t end well. Luckily some other folks have experience with them too and have had some success irradiating them. Standard dips and even Bayer doe seem to phase them.

I would look very carefully at all those montis and other coral in your tank for tiny little black bugs.

Then check out this video if you find them:

Hi Jax,
I havent seen that bugs luckly. I am just thinking that if should I dip the coral or not? My biggest suspicious is temperature now. I gues the tank was around 27 for aweek or two.

 

[JaaxReef]

Hi Jax,
I havent seen that bugs luckly. I am just thinking that if should I dip the coral or not? My biggest suspicious is temperature now. I gues the tank was around 27 for aweek or two.

Hmm. Could be, but another option is sweepers from that hammer coral in the background. Because it is blotchy and the way it looks, to me it still looks like damage from a pest or perhaps another coral stinging it. Check the tank when it is dark at night and see what the hammer coral is up to.

 

[Trueruby]

Hmm. Could be, but another option is sweepers from that hammer coral in the background. Because it is blotchy and the way it looks, to me it still looks like damage from a pest or perhaps another coral stinging it. Check the tank when it is dark at night and see what the hammer coral is up to.

Its my bad. I moved the coral next to hammer corals so that i can take a good photo usually it stays alone with other monti on a one plate rock. So really curious what could be the reason..

 

[JaaxReef]

Its my bad. I moved the coral next to hammer corals so that i can take a good photo usually it stays alone with other monti on a one plate rock. So really curious what could be the reason..

It really doesn’t look like bleaching to me. So if you haven’t had any alkalinity or parameter swings and you already looked at it under a microscope for black bugs and checked under the coral for Montipora nudibranchs, it could be the temp swing? It doesn’t look like stn like from a swing though, and the blotchy loss of color still screams pest, coral sting, or something is picking at it and damaging it.

What else is in the tank (fish, inverts, etc.)?

 

[Trueruby]

It really doesn’t look like bleaching to me. So if you haven’t had any alkalinity or parameter swings and you already looked at it under a microscope for black bugs and checked under the coral for Montipora nudibranchs, it could be the temp swing? It doesn’t look like stn like from a swing though, and the blotchy loss of color still screams pest, coral sting, or something is picking at it and damaging it.

What else is in the tank (fish, inverts, etc.)?

Hi Jax,
Sorry for late reply I couldnt check it.
Today I dip the monti And saw smth like black acro eatimg bugs please see the picture. They were under frag stones.
the most interestimg thing was that My bicolour blenny was nipping the monti so many times that I even took a video! I am not sure if he is the issue but for sure seem has part of it.
I have
1 brown tang
1 naoko wrasse
2 canary wrasse
4 anthias
2 springer damsel
2 ocellaris
1 mandarin fish
1 cardinal
1 bicolour blenny ( the *******)
Conch snail,
Nassa snail,
Stomella snail

 

[JaaxReef]

Hi Jax,
Sorry for late reply I couldnt check it.
Today I dip the monti And saw smth like black acro eatimg bugs please see the picture. They were under frag stones.
the most interestimg thing was that My bicolour blenny was nipping the monti so many times that I even took a video! I am not sure if he is the issue but for sure seem has part of it.
I have
1 brown tang
1 naoko wrasse
2 canary wrasse
4 anthias
2 springer damsel
2 ocellaris
1 mandarin fish
1 cardinal
1 bicolour blenny ( the *******)
Conch snail,
Nassa snail,
Stomella snail

Oh man… sorry I was right about those black bugs. I’m guessing since the bugs are stressing out the coral, the bi-color thinks they smell extra tasty too.

I have heard of other people’s bi-color blennies nipping sps before, including monti cap. I would rehome the blenny and treat your tank according the the YouTube video I attached.

Good luck!