ITR
02/26/2006, 10:36 AM
Quite a while ago, I purchased a quarter sized frag of a Sunset Monti from a store who didn't know what it was other than it was a Danae. They sold me the frag for $25. It was quarantined and then made it to my main setup where it is doing fine.
They also had the mother colony which was about a 6" x 6" peice which I asked to purchase as well. They declined and then recently, I went into the store to find the mother colony bleached out and not looking well. Needless to say, they sold it to me for the cost of the live rock $25. I dipped it and for 5 days the mother colony has been in a quarantine tank doing fine.
Then on day 6, one side of the colony started sliming over and began looking mushey. I dipped it again on day 6. By day 7, almost half was lost. I did an emergency surgery on it by cutting and chipping off all the dead skeleton and cut about a 1/2 inch into the good tissue. I then superglued the fresh cut edges in hopes that if a bacteria was eating it, this would stop it. Today is day 8 and the colony has continued to receed. The coral is dying from left to right and the far right looks fine, except the color.
Currently, it is in my 20 gallon quarantine tank with a 175w 10k metal hallide that is only kept on 1/4 of the day. I know the lighting is a bit much, but the frag made it fine this way.
My questions are:
1. I know of monti eating nudibranchs, but what other predator could be eating this?
2. Could this be bacterial?
I am thinking stable water parameters and lighting are the issue here, so would you:
A. Attempt to put the mother colony in your main set up and hope you aren't introducing anything to your other montis?
B. Frag the good side again and leave the frags in the QT with the hope they won't follow the fate of the rest of the coral, which they probably will?
C. Frag it and put the good frags in your main setup?
D. Leave it in quarantine and watch it all die?
I am really in a tough spot right now and I am going to be p!ssed to lose this whole peice. The only reason that I am considering putting it into my display is because the frag made it fine with no predators. Only difference was that the frage was not as bleached.
Temp is stable at 80.
Calcium 400, but old test kit used
PH 7.97
No other parameter checked yet because this is a QT tank.
They also had the mother colony which was about a 6" x 6" peice which I asked to purchase as well. They declined and then recently, I went into the store to find the mother colony bleached out and not looking well. Needless to say, they sold it to me for the cost of the live rock $25. I dipped it and for 5 days the mother colony has been in a quarantine tank doing fine.
Then on day 6, one side of the colony started sliming over and began looking mushey. I dipped it again on day 6. By day 7, almost half was lost. I did an emergency surgery on it by cutting and chipping off all the dead skeleton and cut about a 1/2 inch into the good tissue. I then superglued the fresh cut edges in hopes that if a bacteria was eating it, this would stop it. Today is day 8 and the colony has continued to receed. The coral is dying from left to right and the far right looks fine, except the color.
Currently, it is in my 20 gallon quarantine tank with a 175w 10k metal hallide that is only kept on 1/4 of the day. I know the lighting is a bit much, but the frag made it fine this way.
My questions are:
1. I know of monti eating nudibranchs, but what other predator could be eating this?
2. Could this be bacterial?
I am thinking stable water parameters and lighting are the issue here, so would you:
A. Attempt to put the mother colony in your main set up and hope you aren't introducing anything to your other montis?
B. Frag the good side again and leave the frags in the QT with the hope they won't follow the fate of the rest of the coral, which they probably will?
C. Frag it and put the good frags in your main setup?
D. Leave it in quarantine and watch it all die?
I am really in a tough spot right now and I am going to be p!ssed to lose this whole peice. The only reason that I am considering putting it into my display is because the frag made it fine with no predators. Only difference was that the frage was not as bleached.
Temp is stable at 80.
Calcium 400, but old test kit used
PH 7.97
No other parameter checked yet because this is a QT tank.