Monti and acro problem

[John Paul Rai]

hi my names John and I have a 32g biocube with 2 damsels, Monti cap, and 2 encrusting montiporas. They were doing outstandingly well until I started seeing white spots come on the acro and on the sunset montipora(encrusting). I don’t know if theyre bleaching or getting picked on by bugs. Some I’m hoping some of you will help me out. On the sunsets montipora I noticed a tube like thing pop up from underneath it. Not to sure what it is. Maybe an egg sack? just as an FYI I dip all my corals in coral revive.

 

[Crabs McJones]

First off, Welcome to R2R!!

Can you start us off with your water parameters, and you lights and lighting schedule?
Thanks

 

[John Paul Rai]

Hi my light is a AI prime I run it for 8 hours a day at full power I have white at 30% blues at 60% red and green at 100% and violet at 60% uv 20%, I also fluval protein slimmer, a jbj ato, I run carbon and have seachem matrix in the back chamber with bio balls. My parameters are salinity 1.025, temp 78, ph 8.3, alk 9 dkh, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 1, phosphate .2, calcium 420, magnesium 1300.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Hi my light is a AI prime I run it for 8 hours a day at full power I have white at 30% blues at 60% red and green at 100% and violet at 60% uv 20%, I also fluval protein slimmer, a jbj ato, I run carbon and have seachem matrix in the back chamber with bio balls. My parameters are salinity 1.025, temp 78, ph 8.3, alk 9 dkh, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 1, phosphate .2, calcium 420, magnesium 1300.

So I got this straight
Whites at 30%
Blue at 60%
Red and Green 100%??
Voilet 60%
and UV 20%

 

[John Paul Rai]

yea I just got the light and have been asking around for correct settings. Any recommendations

 

[Crabs McJones]

yea I just got the light and have been asking around for correct settings. Any recommendations

No problem For starters drop the red and green down. You'll want to raise your blue, uv, violet, and add in white just until it looks pleasing to your eye #reefsquad any ai prime users out there with setting recommendations

 

[John Paul Rai]

Ok sounds good now back to the main problem. Monti and acro white spots any ideas ?

 

[29bonsaireef]

No setting recommendations, but I would look to other issues besides lighting in your case. Do your numbers ever fluctuate? Specifically your alk? Imo, if your water is good you should still have some PE. I would definitely lower the red and green spectrum way down, but also double check your parameters. How new is your tank?

 

[DSC reef]

No problem For starters drop the red and green down. You'll want to raise your blue, uv, violet, and add in white just until it looks pleasing to your eye #reefsquad any ai prime users out there with setting recommendations

Unfortunately I have know experience with that light. I'm in the dark ages, I just turn a switch on and off;Hilarious

 

[Crabs McJones]

Ok sounds good now back to the main problem. Monti and acro white spots any ideas ?

White spots could be STN or RTN (Slow Tissue Necrosis or Rapid Tissue Necrosis) depended on how fast its spreading. Usually a sign of water quality issues.

 

[John Paul Rai]

Well my parameters I check weekly and the only thing that sometimes goes up a little is nitrates but by doing water changes I keep it at bay. My tank is coming up on 1 year mark too.

 

[John Paul Rai]

I don’t think it’s RTN or STN because my other montis are good ( monti cap and Superman monti ) but this is the first time I’m trying an acro and I’ve had it for about a month and now my sunset monti and the acro are getting white spots so idk I’m stuck. Any of you think it’s pest or no ?

 

[John Paul Rai]

No setting recommendations, but I would look to other issues besides lighting in your case. Do your numbers ever fluctuate? Specifically your alk? Imo, if your water is good you should still have some PE. I would definitely lower the red and green spectrum way down, but also double check your parameters. How new is your tank?

the acro has some polyp extension but the one sunset monti extends its polyps then pulls them back in so I’m not sure( all other montis have great poly extension). My alk doesn’t really fluctuate because I don’t dose and I keep up on my weekly water changes. I do from 1-3 water changes a week since it is a small tank and parameters might go out of whack if I don’t.

 

[29bonsaireef]

I dont think it's from pests seeing that your monti & acro are being effected, unless you have multiple types of pests. 3 WC a week is too many in my opinion. How many gallons do you change out? I have a biocube and change out 10gallons every 7 days, but all at once. If the water isn't exactly the same each time or very close you could be throwing off your numbers by changing the water that frequently. WC are a good thing, but they should be consistent and the same amount each time to be most effective, imo.

 

[John Paul Rai]

I like to change out about 9 gallons so i do 3gallons 3 times a week. maybe sometimes if I don’t have a lot of time I do 5 gallons twice a week because I don’t have time to do it 3 times. If it is RTN OR STN how do I prevent it from continuing. My montis and acro are some of my fav pieces and I would hate to see them go.

 

[29bonsaireef]

Test your water, post up your numbers. Continue to test it for a couple weeks to see if anything is changing, thats really all you can do. The water changes will help, but make sure the water you are putting in is same temp and salinity, and that other params are close if not the same. Always use from the same source, and make sure you use quality RO/DI for top off or mixing water.