What am I looking at...

[Flexin]

The coral started to lose color. I have been testing light setting and have this one up high with others, and the setting was the same for a month. But looking closely, is there something doing this on the coral? Any help is appreciated. I dipped it over the weekend and have had it for a little over a month.

 

[tripdad]

Can you get any clearer pics? in the last two pics it almost looks like nudibranchs of some sort but is very hard to tell.

 

[Tahoe61]

Montipora eating nudibranchs by the looks. Manual removal and treatment is time intensive and not typically effective. Best remedy is to remove Montipora (consider it a loss) and keep the system free of Montipora until the nudibrach die off from starvation.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yep. ^^^^.

 

[Flexin]

Better pics

 

[Flexin]

From another frag

 

[Flexin]

From another frag

I think on this sunset it's just the sand grown into the monti..

 

[tripdad]

If they are monti nudi's they will fall off in a bayer dip, it may not kill them but usually knocks them off. Then you will know for sure. Sorry , the pics are still hard to tell for me.

 

[JaimeAdams]

I would say toss in the garbage can as harsh as that sounds.

They are in my big 3 of coral pests that may or may not be worth the time and effort into eradicating. If you decide to take the steps to save your monitor I wish you the best of luck.

 

[3mm3]

Why is everyone saying toss in garbage its a seriously easy fix as long as EACH montipora can be removed for treatment using a simple dip.

 

[JaimeAdams]

Why is everyone saying toss in garbage its a seriously easy fix as long as EACH montipora can be removed for treatment using a simple dip.

If every Monitora and Anacropora can be removed and placed into a QT tank and dipped every few days while the display tank runs fallow of montipora for several months. The nudibranchs only eat Montipora and some reports of them also eating Anacropora, however they do move around the tank. Removing the months is not going to remove them all from the system. The dips like most things will only affect the formed nudibranchs but will not affect the eggs as is common knowledge. Doing a series of dips and running the DT fallow can and will work to eradicate the nudibranchs, but it is up to the OP to decide if that is worth it or not.

The battle can be fought and won, however it is a lot of work to save what at this point is only shown to be 2 frags. Personally if I only had a few monti frags in a tank that was infected I would simply toss them and wait through fallow period.

 

[Flexin]

How long is the fallow period? How will I know wen that time has passed?

 

[3mm3]

If every Monitora and Anacropora can be removed and placed into a QT tank and dipped every few days while the display tank runs fallow of montipora for several months. The nudibranchs only eat Montipora and some reports of them also eating Anacropora, however they do move around the tank. Removing the months is not going to remove them all from the system. The dips like most things will only affect the formed nudibranchs but will not affect the eggs as is common knowledge. Doing a series of dips and running the DT fallow can and will work to eradicate the nudibranchs, but it is up to the OP to decide if that is worth it or not.

The battle can be fought and won, however it is a lot of work to save what at this point is only shown to be 2 frags. Personally if I only had a few monti frags in a tank that was infected I would simply toss them and wait through fallow period.

Simple to test how long they survive with zero food. Isolation in separate system of one individual or many and find the time till death. (probably been done) I do not think they will survive without food for months. Not at the rate they consume food.

 

[JaimeAdams]

Simple to test how long they survive with zero food. Isolation in separate system of one individual or many and find the time till death. (probably been done) I do not think they will survive without food for months. Not at the rate they consume food.

There have been other posts. There have been reports of them indeed living several months without montipora.

 

[3mm3]

There have been other posts. There have been reports of them indeed living several months without montipora.

Do you have links?
Life span of other coral eating nudis is 5 months at best. I just have a hard time believing they can go 3 months no food.
@Flexin if you have an iodine type coral dip it will kill the nudibranchs. I would give them a bath in separate container and then keep the montipora in a separate tank to observe and starve any remaining in the display. I go heavy on the meds and they die. Give them a bath every 2 or 3 days to ensure new hatchlings are also killed. You can save the montipora will just take some dedication. They are a tough coral.

 

[Flexin]

Thanks everyone for all the comments, I’m fine with direct comments too. I removed the Big one in the pics and think I will remove the strawberry fields and mystic sunset tomorrow. I have a large orange monti in my 32 that I frag and I love it and I can’t imagine having this happen there. I think the best thing is to remove all montis from my 65 and consider getting some in May. Now, when I go shopping again, my best defense is dip and visual inspection correct? The hard part may be looking for the eggs.