Help! Red Dragon Acropora Bleaching

[Aedanmor]

Hi gang,

I came back from a biz trip recently and discovered my red dragon acropora is bleaching from the bottom. I did a parameter test and noticed two things that I’ve addressed right away. Not sure if these are the cause or if there’s something else you’d recommend checking.

Parameters:
Salinity: 1.023 Sg
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Phosphate: .35 ppm
Calcium: 300 ppm (I know this one is low and have double dosed it today)
Alkalinity: 8dKH
pH: 8.2
Temperature: 65F. (Yikes! Heater was unplugged)

So, the question is if Calcium or Temp Could cause this. When I do water changes, I buy cleaned natural sea water from my LFS.

What else could cause this? Also, is it possible for it to come back?

Thank you for reading!

 

[blackizzz]

I'm afraid that's not bleaching, but Tissue Necrosis (RTN/STN). Could be the temperature drop, or instability in general (especially a too quick of a rise in temp in your case).

If you're unlucky, it'll be completely white within a few hours, that's RTN. I'd frag it ASAP, well above the dead tissue and mount to a plug, that might save some of it.

 

[flooddc]

I'm afraid that's not bleaching, but Tissue Necrosis (RTN/STN). Could be the temperature drop, or instability in general (especially a too quick of a rise in temp in your case).

If you're unlucky, it'll be completely white within a few hours, that's RTN. I'd frag it ASAP, well above the dead tissue and mount to a plug, that might save some of it.

^^^This^^^
That is usually cause by parameter swing. Happen to me many times with red dragon, I rarely able to save it. But you should try fragging it and might able to save a frag or 2.

 

[Aedanmor]

thanks for the quick answers. Is that something that is contagious to other sps or lps corals?

 

[jda]

No, it is not contagious.

 

[Aedanmor]

Well, sadly it didn’t make it. But at least now I know how to frag.

 

[marlinmon]

Yep these red dragons are tough if you've got swings like that. 65F will do the trick. Frag pieces of it if you can...

 

[Xmoji]

Same exact thing happening to my colony right now that I’ve had for about 2 years. Just frag, keep parameters as stable as possible and hope for the best.

 

[H@rry]

The RD is not very hardy. I find small frags seldom survive. I always cut at least 2 inch frags.