Monti has white spots

[Dan P]

Anyone recognize what causes this? Seems to be increasing in number of spots, although it disappears at night. Have several other montis without any. The spots are a sticky substance, like what’s produced as a reaction to damage as it would if scratched.
Thanks!

 

[RobZilla04]

Check the underside for pests. They can be hard to see. I'm no expert but my guess would be monti eating nudibranches. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/montipora-eating-nudibranchs.296616/

Hopefully someone with more expertise can assist.

 

[niknik]

Maybe there's a crab there. When the lights go out after 45 minutes. Turn on a flashlight and see,or maybe some fish do it.

 

[Dan P]

Thank you for the responses, I’ll check with a flashlight after lights out. I read some of that thread, really hope it’s not those nudi’s. A new mushroom in the tank recently had filaments popping through its surface in random spots during the day as well which I thought could be related but I think is probably a separate thing.

 

[Dan P]

I think I’ll do an iodine dip to treat the sores anyway. It’ll give me a chance to inspect it as well.

 

[Livinlocal]

What fish do you have in your system? It could be something nipping at it.

 

[Crabs McJones]

I agree it looks like trama spots, either from a crab or a pest.

 

[Dan P]

1 clown is the single fish in the tank, ever since she killed the goby :/

What fish do you have in your system? It could be something nipping at it.

 

[niknik]

If it is parasites it will be from the underside of the coral. You only see it with light or you pull out the coral dip you do with coral rx and then if you have an adult you will fall into your bucket. If it goes to the top of the coral, then it's over. Its green color is the first to make.
But I think it's a bite of another thing

 

[Dan P]

Underside.

 

[niknik]

Look right at the union of the coral with his rock there is a white that does not look good in the light. There if you are. You see, I see a tangle in the center of the rock without being sure

 

[RobZilla04]

Look right at the union of the coral with his rock there is a white that does not look good in the light. There if you are. You see, I see a tangle in the center of the rock without being sure

Huh?

 

[alpha91_cn1]

do you have leather coral nearby?

 

[markalot]

On the bottom right of that pic is the edge, post a better pic of the edge on the underside. Also post a full size picture, R2R will resize it but we can still open image to view the larger version.

My guess is a crab, I got one with a wild monti years ago and the damage looked similar.

 

[Dan P]

No leathers in the tank, corals back in the tank and I don’t really want to wreck the pistol shrimps house again just yet but this might be a better screenshot.

I didn’t see anything last night after lights out either. I did find this hole in the back side yesterday though,

which is apparently covered by polyps when they’re not retracted.

Thanks for all the responses

 

[Oscar Bravo]

I have seen my acros get some spots like that with out seen any pest. The only thing I seen was some type of slim web like on them. Once I removed it, it heals back. I also think it can be crabs or the white little starfish. To this day, I still cant pinpoint the cause of the spots on my acro. I just guess..

 

[Ashley Kekua]

asterina starfish

 

[DSC reef]

I have seen my acros get some spots like that with out seen any pest. The only thing I seen was some type of slim web like on them. Once I removed it, it heals back. I also think it can be crabs or the white little starfish. To this day, I still cant pinpoint the cause of the spots on my acro. I just guess..

I'd start a thread with some pics. A slime webbing means there could be some vermetid snails nearby. Had asterina starfish eat zoas but no visible effects on the acros

 

[Dan P]

I haven’t seen any asterinas on the montis yet but they have started going for the zoas which is a new thing for mine. No new spots on the sunset monti, however the setosa is now losing tips during the night.

 

[tiomm]

I had a Diadema long spine urchin that used to take bites out of my Montipora. I got rid of it and the bite marks never reappeared.