What is this?

Jtwinn26 · Oct 27, 2020

What are these white spots on my monti? I don’t ever see anything picking at it.

Jtwinn26 · Oct 27, 2020

Back pic

Dr. Jim · Oct 28, 2020

Would need to know water and lighting parameters. Hard to see in photo but if they are bare skeleton from tissue dying, my first concern might too much light....but need more info.

Jtwinn26 · Oct 28, 2020

Nitrates 0, phosphates 0, cal 400. I have AI prime lighting. My other frags are doing great

Bleigh · Oct 28, 2020

This may be silly, but did you see if it comes off if you blow it with a baster or something?

joseserrano · Oct 28, 2020

You also should test and list your alk, mag, salt, temp

vetteguy53081 · Oct 28, 2020

Either debris or spots where it is suffering from alk spike or other issues such as light burn. Calcium deficiency or flow issue

moderate light and water flow
Temp. 76-79
Salinity 1,025
Alk 8-9
Mag -1300
Ca 450
Ph. 8.1-8.3

ScottB · Oct 28, 2020

Jtwinn26 said:
Nitrates 0, phosphates 0, cal 400. I have AI prime lighting. My other frags are doing great

What is your test kit for phosphate?

I guess if both your kits are High Range measurement kits you might be OK, but all my corals require available nitrates and phosphates. I try to keep about 10 nitrates and .08 on phosphates.

To accurately measure PO4 you need one of the Hanna Ultra low range meters.

Dr. Jim · Oct 28, 2020

Jtwinn26 said:
Nitrates 0, phosphates 0, cal 400. I have AI prime lighting. My other frags are doing great

If your other frags are doing great, I would wonder if your NO3 and PO4 are really zero. Or, maybe just this coral is sensitive to such low levels. Which kits are you using?

lemonade · Oct 28, 2020

What's that below it, urchin? Might have been nibbling on it. Looks like bite marks more than anything to me

Bleigh · Oct 28, 2020

lemonade said:
What's that below it, urchin? Might have been nibbling on it. Looks like bite marks more than anything to me

very good point.

Softhammer · Oct 29, 2020

Photo isn’t clear enough but is there a slit in the white spots? That looks exactly like barnacles embedded in the frag. And yes, they’re not all huge and dome shaped like most think. Almost all of my wild indo corals have barnacles, the filter feeding appendage is only 1/8” wide when extended. Watch the spots for a bit a see if they wave at you.

vetteguy53081 · Oct 29, 2020

Softhammer said:
Photo isn’t clear enough but is there a slit in the white spots? That looks exactly like barnacles embedded in the frag. And yes, they’re not all huge and dome shaped like most think. Almost all of my wild indo corals have barnacles, the filter feeding appendage is only 1/8” wide when extended. Watch the spots for a bit a see if they wave at you.

Or could be tunicates. If stony- barnacle. If spongy- tunicates