Damage on acro colony

Auto-pilot · Nov 29, 2018

Hey guys I just wanted to see if anyone has any advise for me. I have never bought a acro colony before and recently bought a pink milipora colony because they are said to be a little easier. Long story short it's been in my tank for a couple of days and I notice a spot on it where STN has started tonight. I have had good luck with acropora frags

My parameters are and have stayed solidly at or around
Calc 450
Alk 140/ 8.0
Phosphates .05-.1
Mag 1350-1400
No3 is less than 1ppm
Ph8.0-8.1 during the day doesn't move much at night due to refugium and having lights on at night.

It looks like it died possibly where I touched it maybe that could have had something to do with it. It hasn't fully extended it's polyps yet.
What should I do?? Should I wait and see and not touch it anymore (current plan) or cut off the damage (don't really want to). The phosphates are a little high in my tank always battling it
Polyps are currently extended and you can see the damage in the pic

Auto-pilot · Nov 29, 2018

I'll take a better pic in the morning

fabutahoun · Nov 29, 2018

Observe it if the necrosis is spreading, make a clean cut, I would cut it like this, Also inspect the corals for any bite marks, worms or eggs.
can't tell from the photo if the corals is currying any worms.

Auto-pilot · Nov 29, 2018

Yeah I'll take a better look and better picture but I did not see any worms or eggs. It looked like the flesh was peeling off in this spot so I blew on it and it blew right off

Auto-pilot · Nov 29, 2018

Doest look good the necrosis is spreading and fast. Looks like I'm cutting

no bite marks no bugs, just slowly melting away. Not sure but I must have and must be doing something wrong.

themcnertney · Nov 29, 2018

In my experience, change alkalinity is usually the cause for stn. I'd keep an eye on that parameter.

Auto-pilot · Nov 29, 2018

Maybe my alkalinity is just different from where I got it? I've messed up with dosing and stn had occurred before, I've even had corals bounce back. I'm not so sure about this one though

JDtimk · Nov 29, 2018

Was the coral very robust, healthy when you got it? Sometimes corals can be surviving in a system but not really thriving and if they are transferred to another system that stresses them or just the stress of the transition itself can be enough to STN some coral. Almost looks like that coral might have been surviving more than thriving, maybe a little under nourished before you got it?

Auto-pilot · Nov 29, 2018

JDtimk said:
Was the coral very robust, healthy when you got it? Sometimes corals can be surviving in a system but not really thriving and if they are transferred to another system that stresses them or just the stress of the transition itself can be enough to STN some coral. Almost looks like that coral might have been surviving more than thriving, maybe a little under nourished before you got it?

I got it from Liveaquaria online. The pictures showed it with good polyp extension, maybe the shipping killed it

JDtimk · Nov 29, 2018

Auto-pilot said:
I got it from Liveaquaria online. The pictures showed it with good polyp extension, maybe the shipping killed it

Oh so it was probably one of their wild colonies? Sometimes I feel like those are more delicate than aquacultured strains.

Auto-pilot · Nov 29, 2018

JDtimk said:
Oh so it was probably one of their wild colonies? Sometimes I feel like those are more delicate than aquacultured strains.

Yes it was. And because of their delecacy I have not bought one untill now

29bonsaireef · Nov 29, 2018

Wild stuff is always going to be a lot harder to keep. You need high quality lighting, lots of flow and just about perfect water stability.

Auto-pilot · Nov 29, 2018

29bonsaireef said:
Wild stuff is always going to be a lot harder to keep. You need high quality lighting, lots of flow and just about perfect water stability.

I have good lights and high flow. It was only in my tank for a two days. If it was lights I think it would have taken longer. Same with flow. I think it is somethingwith the water that did this

acro-ed · Nov 29, 2018

Unfortunately I think that one won't make it. Those wild chunks are very temperamental. Sometimes they will even do well for several months and then the slightest hiccup in your chemistry causes it to RTN. I don't buy them anymore because it is a liability to my happy and healthy tank grown acros (having RTN tissue fragments in the water). If I were to try again with wild colonies I would have a separate system set up just to grow them out until I was able to take "new growth" frags to be transferred to another system. Just my $0.02. Best of luck with salvaging a couple frags from it.

Auto-pilot · Nov 29, 2018

acro-ed said:
Unfortunately I think that one won't make it. Those wild chunks are very temperamental. Sometimes they will even do well for several months and then the slightest hiccup in your chemistry causes it to RTN. I don't buy them anymore because it is a liability to my happy and healthy tank grown acros (having RTN tissue fragments in the water). If I were to try again with wild colonies I would have a separate system set up just to grow them out until I was able to take "new growth" frags to be transferred to another system. Just my $0.02. Best of luck with salvaging a couple frags from it.

Ok thanks maybe I won't try again.

Auto-pilot · Dec 1, 2018

I fragged that colony, unfortunately the stn had spread pretty far. I got 5 frags and so far they don't show any signs of stn and some polyp extension. Liveaquaria has this 14 garantee and I might call them to see what they think. On another note I met some guy on Craigslist who is willing to sell me a tank grown colony! I think I'll have better luck with it.