Introduction to Montipora Eating Nudibranchs:
Montipora Eating Nudibranchs are a type of aeolid nudibranchs which are known to feed on coral. It is important to keep these parasites out of our aquaria.
Montipora Eating Nudibranchs feed on the tissue of corals from the Montipora and Anacropora genus. These nudibranchs can destroy large amounts of coral in a very short time.
They can inflict damage quickly because they multiply at an astounding rate, and they store the nematocysts (stingers) of its ingested prey. Montipora Eating Nudibranchs are hard to get under control because of the rate of which the multiply.
What Montipora Eating Nudibranchs look like:
The white and frilly nudibranchs are small and grow to about 8 millimeters (1/3 of an inch) in length.
Typically Montipora Eating Nudibranchs are on the back side of a plating Montipora, notice how hard it is to distinguish between the Montipora Eating Nudibranch and the feather dusters.
Montipora Eating Nudibranchs like to hide in hard to find places, they particularly like the underside of plating Montipora and the base of Montipora sponges.
Life Cycle:
Montipora Eating Nudibranchs are thought to be asexual, not needing another nudibranch to reproduce. They lay about 100 eggs at a time, the eggs hatch in 36 to 96 hours. Once the eggs have hatched, they become full adults in less than a week. This makes them difficult to eliminate however, it makes them easier to spot in a quarantine tank.
Prevention:
A quarantine tank is the easiest way to prevent these ugly little reef critters from destroying your Montipora based reef tank. Ideally, Montipora corals should be left in quarantine for 3 months.
During the quarantine time, you should view the coral on a daily basis and watch for any white spots on the coral. Remember that Montipora Eating Nudibranchs like the underside of Montipora.
Whether or not quarantine is an option, a dip in CoralRx is highly suggested.
Treatment:
Treatment should be done in a quarantine tank.
- Move the affected corals to a quarantine tank; the quarantine tank should have good light and water flow.
- Setup your quarantine tank, then take your coral out of the main tank and dip it in Coral Rx.
- While the coral is in CoralRx take a turkey baster, and blast the coral with the dip. Making sure it is getting in between the plates and in all the cracks of the coral. Do this for approximately 5 – 10 minutes.
- Remove coral and discard the coral dip. Do not reuse the coral dip as parasites may release toxins.
- Rinse coral with clean saltwater and return to a quarantine tank.
- Repeat every 4-8 days till no more nudibranchs are found.
Leave the coral in your quarantine system for an additional 3 months before moving back to your aquarium. Additionally, adding wrasses to your quarantine tank will also aid in the treatment of Montipora Eating Nudibranchs.