Swollen Montipora edges...what the?!

[1979fishgeek]

Totally bizarre thing going on with a few of my Monti, the growing areas (tips on my digi and outer edges on my plates) have swollen up. It’s like a water filled bubble, proper bouncing about with the current, like weird blisters?!

Tested few parameters nutrients as usual, only change is over the month I’ve increased the calcium and Alk. Is it a reaction to the elevated Alk and calcium? First symptoms of burnt tips, these are the only sps effected EVERYTHING else looks best it’s ever looked ?

Calcium 490
ALk/KH 13.4/4.79
Phosphate 0.30
Nitrate 2
Sg 1.026
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Mag 1250

 

[mpsteve]

I got the same issue but it’s affecting my acros also. Little blisters it looks like

 

[1979fishgeek]

Also worth adding, I did a corals night feed last night, Reef roids and a sinking sps pellet.

 

[1979fishgeek]

I got the same issue but it’s affecting my acros also. Little blisters it looks like

I’ve got 5 Acro and they are normal at the moment. The effected Monti are the bomb proof hardy fastest growing species none of the high end more delicate varies? Weird.

 

[1979fishgeek]

It’s even more blistered today. Same corals:
Montipora digi silver
Montipora spongodes
Montipora capitata
Montipora capricornis purple rim
Montipora capricornis green

All other Monti’s and corals are looking great? Does anyone know that could be causing this? Where I prodded the blister on the tips of the Capitata the flesh popped exposing skeleton...so won’t me doing that again!

More photos

 

[jsker]

Just looked at your Alk and it if pretty high, has the alk change any on the past two weeks by rising fast?

Phosphates are also very high and the nitrates are low. Are you running a UNL system?

 

[1979fishgeek]

Just looked at your Alk and it if pretty high, has the alk change any on the past two weeks by rising fast?

Phosphates are also very high and the nitrates are low. Are you running a UNL system?

Yes it was increased slowly over a month as a experiment as keep hearing positive experiences with higher Alk, mines normally 8.5, but it went higher than I planned, I was only aiming for low 10’s but using a calcium reactor and got over confident and was not testing daily as I should have been. I switched the CO2 down but not off as knowing my systems calcium requirements it will fall to rapidly.

Phosphates are usually undetectable, but my nitrates are always around that level, I feed very heavy to avoid UNL or my zoa melt. I changed foods recently I normally stick to Reefroids night feed once a week and Vitalis sinking pellets for the fish three times a day plus the odd frozen mysis and feeder shrimps weekly. But I have been using a new krill powder and started dosing amino acids for a few weeks. I think the krill Powder has spiked my phosphates, but not sure if amino acids would have these side effects.

So to cut story short:
Alk is accidentally higher than I planned but is a increase over 5 weeks.
I’ve raised my phosphates unfortunately with the krill powder from undetectable to 0.30.
I’ve started dosing amino acids.

As a side note my lighting is mix of LED, T5 and MH totally 1200watts at high noon. Could the additional calcium, Alk, nutrients and light be causing the growth of the corals to fall out of balance? Tissue or skeleton not growing in sink?

 

[1979fishgeek]

I’m guessing no one really knows what this is?

I think I’m going to loose the Monti as it’s getting worse. No other corals appear effected yet and there’s also pocillopora, Porites, Pavona decussatus, Seriatopora guttatus, Seriatopora hystrix and Stylophora in the tank.

Bubbles forming in Monti flesh, skeleton underneath looks little thickened in new growth fuzzy and opaque.

I’m at a loss.

 

[1979fishgeek]

I’ve noticed the bubbles disappear at night, so I’m reducing my lights as a experiment. I removed some messy Clownfish not long ago and the water clarity is now crystal clear. Wondering if that’s the cause, more light getting to corals and photosynthesis is in overdrive to much o2 being created and not releasing from tissue causing bubbles....it’s just a guess.

 

[Ocean Lotion]

When in doubt do a water change and change carbon. Stop changes you made over the last few weeks and give it a chance to recover. I have had bad experiences when my alk got that high.

 

[kecked]

My Monti crashed hard when I increased alk. Total loss after year of growth. From quarter size to 12”

 

[ihavecrabs]

#reefsquad

This might be the newest bounce coral! Hopefully someone on the reef squad has an idea what this could be on the new growth you're getting on the montiporas.

 

[1979fishgeek]

When in doubt do a water change and change carbon. Stop changes you made over the last few weeks and give it a chance to recover. I have had bad experiences when my alk got that high.

That’s the first thing I did, changed out all my carBon in Reactor and GFO, then water changes. Even vacummed the sump. The light reduction has produced some improvement. But I don’t know if the damage is done.

 

[1979fishgeek]

My Monti crashed hard when I increased alk. Total loss after year of growth. From quarter size to 12”

It’s gutting! If I loose these I’d be devestated. So much work gone into th this reef.

 

[1979fishgeek]

#reefsquad

This might be the newest bounce coral! Hopefully someone on the reef squad has an idea what this could be on the new growth you're getting on the montiporas.

Lol, it does look exactly like a bounce, but sadly I think this is a bad thing.

 

[Dr_Steve]

Just a shot in the dark but maybe a bacterial infection. Perhaps it would help if you cut the edges off the effected pieces

 

[1979fishgeek]

Just a shot in the dark but maybe a bacterial infection. Perhaps it would help if you cut the edges off the effected pieces

Could be, I’ve thought that as well, but be a huge bacterial infection unique to Monti, unless they are the first to show symptoms. It’s across the whole surface of the corals and many are effected all showing signs the same time. I’m leaning towards something environmental?
100% light it part of the catalyst because when I reduced lights the bubbles reduce, lights off and there is no sign. But if it’s too much light, surely they just burn or polyps close up which is the normal reaction?
Perhaps something chemistry wise is causing the reaction with the lights? It as if photosynthesis by the algae in the coral is over producing oxygen and it’s not passing through the flesh like it should. It’s crazy odd, just hoping someone else has experienced it and new the cause for sure?

 

[Sabellafella]

#reefsquad

This might be the newest bounce coral! Hopefully someone on the reef squad has an idea what this could be on the new growth you're getting on the montiporas.

I'e had the same exact problems but never had a casualty over it. Still trying to figure out this phenomenon

 

[Sabellafella]

Could be, I’ve thought that as well, but be a huge bacterial infection unique to Monti, unless they are the first to show symptoms. It’s across the whole surface of the corals and many are effected all showing signs the same time. I’m leaning towards something environmental?
100% light it part of the catalyst because when I reduced lights the bubbles reduce, lights off and there is no sign. But if it’s too much light, surely they just burn or polyps close up which is the normal reaction?
Perhaps something chemistry wise is causing the reaction with the lights? It as if photosynthesis by the algae in the coral is over producing oxygen and it’s not passing through the flesh like it should. It’s crazy odd, just hoping someone else has experienced it and new the cause for sure?

I wish I knew. I'e had an acro for years with a section like this in its first few months. After a bit, that shaded area died off due to shadowing growth. I recently took it out to make room, and even the skeleton formation was different, sortove very very brittle after a year of growth in that area. Very weird, believe it or not higher flow kept this issue for me in shape. Wish I could give some more insight but that' all I know

 

[BoomCorals]

I believe this is considered a disease. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0097018

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4020768/