# Monti is having problems



## altcharacter

So in the last week or so I've had a problem with a Monti cap that I picked up at CRS. It seems that either something is eating the colored part or its somehow being strippedcleaving the calcium white skeleton. It seems to have spread to my ORA purple Monti as well and its starting to worry me.

In had dipped them to see if that would work but it seems like its still happening. I'll try to get some picks in the morning


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## zoapaly

Monti cap the easiest for keeping , check your alk , cal, mag with good test kits


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## jkoot

Dave that's so weird

I was away all this weekend and my green monti colony, my tyree undata frag and one of my poker stars are experiencing the same thing. My red colony and the ora purple frag (I got from you) are fine.

All my acros and LPS are looking fine


I'm going to have to check my levels as something is not right. Don't understand why only my montis are affected breing the easier sps to keep while my acro colonies are unaffected.

>jason


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## altcharacter

Montipora eating nudibranch.....awesome...

I'm going upstairs now to see what's going on and I'll have to put all my monti's in a QT tank for the next 2 months or so.


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## jkoot

Oh snap you do have those?? Confirmed?? Think they could have hitchhiked on that purple Ora cap I got from you??

I cant quarantine mine........

J


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## altcharacter

I don't think they came from those frags I gave you months ago. I'm assuming they came from Ryan's shipment that we both bought from. I dipped mine in CoralRx when I got home but from what I've read that dip doesn't kill the eggs...just the bastard nudi's


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## aln

i had that happen to my pink monti cap i had when i started the tank. its like blotches of white patches right? it might just be a water/light issue cause mine is starting to colour right back up when i turned the intensity of the lights up. Hopes its not nudis :\


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## altcharacter

I'm hoping the same, I've been dipping and cleaning like a mad man to save all my other monti's!


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## jkoot

Oh yea. It has been awhile. Times flown. Sorry Dave.

I hope there are not nudis


Anything I can do if I can't take min out. I have full blown colonies encrusted that can't be removed.


Regards


J


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## jkoot

I got them too. Any one have a quarantine tank that could house some of mine? I don't have a second setup with light etc


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## altcharacter

I am setting my qt tonight


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## jkoot

Would nudis or eggs hitchhike on a table acro and efflo?


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## wildexpressions

Hope that is not what you have. 

I've only had monti eating nudi's once and they ripped though my systems before I knew what hit me. Killing the Nudi's is easy but the eggs are the problem. 

I ordered potassium manganate but by the time it arrived it was over. I presume they were in one of the systems for a few weeks laying eggs and nibbling on the monti's and then the eggs hatched and it is probably shortly after that when I noticed them. I guessing because 4 weeks after I noticed them they went from a minor plague to an explosion that wiped out approx 120 frags and 3 large colonies in a week flat, roughly $2000 worth of monti's. 

I never even got around to testing the potassium manganate. It is supposed to kill the eggs with out killing the coral.


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## altcharacter

I'm hoping it's not these bastards but if it is then i'm ready for battle!!! I've been dipping my monti's and scrubbing. 

I'm setting up my frag tank tomorrow and hopefully will be able to move them on monday or so.


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## Bayinaung

wildexpressions said:


> Hope that is not what you have.
> 
> I've only had monti eating nudi's once and they ripped though my systems before I knew what hit me. Killing the Nudi's is easy but the eggs are the problem.
> 
> I ordered potassium manganate but by the time it arrived it was over. I presume they were in one of the systems for a few weeks laying eggs and nibbling on the monti's and then the eggs hatched and it is probably shortly after that when I noticed them. I guessing because 4 weeks after I noticed them they went from a minor plague to an explosion that wiped out approx 120 frags and 3 large colonies in a week flat, roughly $2000 worth of monti's.
> 
> I never even got around to testing the potassium manganate. It is supposed to kill the eggs with out killing the coral.


WOW seriously? they go through that fast? good thing I don't got any montis. how long do these nudis live without any monti to eat?


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## altcharacter

Their incubation time is 2-4 days and they can go a week or so without eating. So a safe bet to clean your tank is 3-4 weeks


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## jkoot

Pretty sure I have/had them living in one of my colonies....not many though indicating that I have only been affected for a short while. I removed and fragged the colony not allowing any spots for them to hide. I dipped and scrubbed each piece. I also removed my smaller (than my large green) red colony dipping and scrubbing. Pretty sure I removed one small egg sack from my large green colony, though it could have been small monti shards from the colony breaking apart stuck in the mucus......who knows. 

I vacuumed the area on the rock and the surrounding area including the Sand bed. (I rarely vac my sand bed but I thought it was a good to do so)

I will keep and eye out. But removing my largest colony where only the damage was I believe I contained my problem.

Jason


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## liz

Not to hijack this thread but I have a purple monti that has turned green? 
Any suggestions?


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## altcharacter

Interesting Liz...

I know that monti's and all SPS will change colors depending on lighting. Alex had a few coral that changed color when he switched to LED. Just yesterday we were talking about one of his coral that had completely changed color over the last 2 years.

It also might be a nutrient problem in your tank but this depends on what you're feeding it? Do you feed phyto or any other additive?

Liz, I have some purple ORA caps if you're interested in...
Here's a frag that was sold but you'll get the idea


003 by relax142, on Flickr


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## jkoot

Dave, Did you confirm if you have a nudi problem?

>jason


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## altcharacter

I have watched a few videos and from what I can see I can't positively say that I have nudi's. I've gone during the day and night to see if there are any critters on my monti but nothiing that I can confirm.

I've moved my Sally Lightfoot crab to the sump to see if it might have been him/her and so far it seems that there is no more damage to the corals.


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## aln

thats some good news! hope the monti bounce back asap! then you can sell us more lol


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## ameekplec.

If it's montipora eating nudis, be prepared for battle. I recommend Tropic Marin pro Coral cure. It's harsh, but works. All my SPS get a dip. 

When I battled montipora eating nudis (twice.....), I began with twice daily examination and scrubbing/dipping. After two or three days, once a day, after a week, every other day, then every few days after that for a few weeks. Takes a lot of diligence, but they can be beaten, provided you cover all your months and can treat them all. 

If you're not successful, I've got you covered for whatever you'd like to grow back.


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## altcharacter

Thanks alot for the info Eric! I've cleaned and dipped the coral twice already and I'll give them another dip on monday.

I haven't seen any new damage to the monti's and I haven't seen any creatures so hopefully it really was just my SLF crab.


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## Steel_Wind

Nudibranchs problem? Solution: _Sea Grass Wrasse_.

See this thread:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=533167&perpage=25&pagenumber=1


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## jkoot

Anyone seen a seagrass wrasse up for grabs anywhere?

I "thought" I seen something in my one monti colony but didn't want to take a chance. 

I fragged out the colony showing some damage and removed problem areas. I dipped all of my monti's and scrubbed all of them with a toothbrush on the underside of the corals.

I added a small 6 line wrasse as well.

I haven't seen anything but happy with what has been done to correct the possible issue.

Looks like my mag, alk, and cal were a tad lower than I would have liked so I've done some water changes to boost it back up.

Non of my acros are showing any issues. Even the efflo I got that wasn't doing well is pushing the polyps out like a champ now

Jason


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## altcharacter

Another day and no damage. I'm going to extract the months today and do another scrub.


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## Nightstar

A monti cap I purchased from SUM for $10 a year ago came with a full compliment of montipora eating nudibranchs. I moved it to my desktop nano for quarantine and was able to eradicate the nudis in a couple weeks by removing the colony daily to a measuring cup where I turkey basted it vigorously. After replacing the monti in the tank the nudis are extracted from the measurin cup with said turkey baster and the water returned. Total cost 0$, complete nudibranch eradication.


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## jkoot

I got them and I am not winning the battle.

To much of the large colony that was encrusted to the rock had them and I can't dip that part. The colony's and frags I can remove have been dipped.

Don't know how to proceed. 

I've lost my huge green colony only because it was encrusted, I kept some larger places, lost good portion of my red.....my neon green hasn't shown any on it yet, worried about my superman monti, sunset, red digi, and purple Ora caps.

Also lost my tyree undata.....I think I have to many montis to fight and I don't have a quarantine tank.

>jason


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## altcharacter

I have a 20g you can setup as a QT tank. If you need you can borrow a powerhead as well and a heater. Just save them boys!!!

I'll also offer you this...if you want to bring the monti's to my place I can set up a QT tank for a month or so.


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## aln

hows your monti doing? im left if a 1/4" by 1" frag


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## altcharacter

So far the monti's are healing up. One of the neon green ones that was about 2x2 was half dead but now is actually growing back.

Al, if you want just come back and get another piece. It's the least I could do.
I don't know if it's my fault but I can't handle people not being happy


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## jkoot

I don't have a light for the Qt tank Dave. I don't know if I should just keep dipping.

I dunno, getting frustrated, just not a good time right now for this to be happening.


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## aln

altcharacter said:


> So far the monti's are healing up. One of the neon green ones that was about 2x2 was half dead but now is actually growing back.
> 
> Al, if you want just come back and get another piece. It's the least I could do.
> I don't know if it's my fault but I can't handle people not being happy


Im pretty sure its not your fault since you provided me with a beautiful frag  maybe I was my phosphate sponge bringing my phosphate down to fast which i read could be a problem. Ill see if the piece that i fragged will make it if not then ill head down to your place! Since i still owe u some aquavitro fuel! Lol i might be going down on wednesday but not to sure yet with work


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