Help - Green Slimer issue

JCOLE · Apr 5, 2020

I just noticed this bare spot on the inside a couple days ago. Seems to have grown. Any ideas?

Ultra Aquatics · Apr 5, 2020

Looks like STN, what are water parameters? Any changes recently?

JCOLE · Apr 5, 2020

James404 said:
Looks like STN, what are water parameters? Any changes recently?

Water parameters are good and have been stable for awhile. Only changes are I switched to Tropic Marin last Sunday and started increasing light intensity slowly over the last month.

The colony looks good except for that one part. I have a Chromis that loves to hang out in the branches. I was thinking it could be irritating it but I never seen the chromis in that spot. All other SPS pieces(76) are ok.

JCOLE · Apr 5, 2020

@Chaswood79 I see where you mentioned Vermetid snails could cause STN. I have noticed some Vermited snails and although they are a couple around this area. They have been there for ahile now if not even before the coral was originally there. I haven't seen them stretched out to any corals though.

Charlie’s Frags · Apr 5, 2020

JCOLE said:
@Chaswood79 I see where you mentioned Vermetid snails could cause STN. I have noticed some Vermited snails and although they are a couple around this area. They have been there for ahile now if not even before the coral was originally there. I haven't seen them stretched out to any corals though.

I’ve had vermatid snails cause stn on Tenuis if they are in close proximity. Other acros will just grow right over them, but most Tenuis will either get irritated and stn or the growth will stop in that area. Here’s a good example. This Tenuis would not encrust in the hollow area below it. I finally noticed some vermatids in there and put some epoxy over them a couple weeks ago and now the acros is starting to encrust again.

JCOLE · Apr 5, 2020

Chaswood79 said:
I’ve had vermatid snails cause stn on Tenuis if they are in close proximity. Other acros will just grow right over them, but most Tenuis will either get irritated and stn or the growth will stop in that area. Here’s a good example. This Tenuis would not encrust in the hollow area below it. I finally noticed some vermatids in there and put some export over them a couple weeks ago and now the acros is starting to encrust again.

What is export?

Triggreef · Apr 5, 2020

I'd bet its from shading out. I have some larger colonies that also has happened. I have a big rommel's watermelon that tabled out and the bottom couple inches did that a long time ago while it continues to grow.

Charlie’s Frags · Apr 5, 2020

JCOLE said:
What is export?

Dang fast thumbs and auto correct
Sorry
Epoxy

Charlie’s Frags · Apr 5, 2020

Triggreef said:
I'd bet its from shading out. I have some larger colonies that also has happened. I have a big rommel's watermelon that tabled out and the bottom couple inches did that a long time ago while it continues to grow.

That is not the case for my example.

JCOLE · Apr 5, 2020

Chaswood79 said:
Dang fast thumbs and auto correct
Sorry
Epoxy

Lol I was wondering

JCOLE · Apr 5, 2020

Triggreef said:
I'd bet its from shading out. I have some larger colonies that also has happened. I have a big rommel's watermelon that tabled out and the bottom couple inches did that a long time ago while it continues to grow.

This branch was the original piece on the frag plug. Wonder if that has something to do with it or just a coincidence?

JCOLE · Apr 5, 2020

Chaswood79 said:
Dang fast thumbs and auto correct
Sorry
Epoxy

I will need to try that. I might just in up cutting it. What do you think I should do? Maybe cover them up and wait or cut away?

JCOLE · Apr 5, 2020

Also it is hard to see but it doesn't appear to be peeling which is typical with STN the skin still appears to be intact just white. Maybe shadowing? Just seems the shading should be more up the branch and on other pieces as well?

Charlie’s Frags · Apr 5, 2020

JCOLE said:
This branch was the original piece on the frag plug. Wonder if that has something to do with it or just a coincidence?

This isn’t my only experience with vermatid snails, just the only recent one that I can show picture proof. I’ve had stn many times with a vermatid snail nearby that completely resolved after it was removed. Now I’m in no way saying that is what causes stn, just one of the many reasons. I think most stn comes from carbon dosing and gfo. I couldn’t keep an acro alive for longer than 2-3 weeks when I used those bc I was chasing “ideal” no3/po4. I’m going on 2 years of success since I quit using those.

Charlie’s Frags · Apr 5, 2020

JCOLE said:
Also it is hard to see but it doesn't appear to be peeling which is typical with STN the skin still appears to be intact just white. Maybe shadowing? Just seems the shading should be more up the branch and on other pieces as well?

This one never stn’d. It just never grew where the snails were.

Triggreef · Apr 5, 2020

Chaswood79 said:
This isn’t my only experience with vermatid snails, just the only recent one that I can show picture proof. I’ve had stn many times with a vermatid snail near by that completely resolved after it was removed. Now I’m in no way saying that is what causes stn, just one of the many reasons. I think most stn comes from carbon dosing and gfo. I couldn’t keep an acro alive for longer than 2-3 weeks when I used those bc I was chasing “ideal” no3/po4. I’m going on 2 years of success since I quit using those.

Big AGREE on those points. Many less issues after disregarding gfo, phosban, carbon dosing. I still use activated carbon but that is it for a couple years now and everything is much better, more stable.

Charlie’s Frags · Apr 5, 2020

I find the whole “shading” reason not logical. There is shade under every branch of any coral. The energy provided by the light from above and nutrients is distributed amongst the entire colony. Now the colors will pop more where the coral is baking but shaded areas should not just die, they’ll just stop growing. Look somewhere else if colonies are stn’ing from the base.