Keeping acros is so much fun!

[exnisstech]

No fretting watching them slowly perish like LPS. They just die overnight and done
This one was perfectly fine yesterday. One of the first pieces in the tank about 3 years ago. Everything else looks good so I'll just accept it a move along I suppose. I cut a couple of pieces to try and save so we'll see. There a battle stag next to it so hopefully it will just take over.

 

[Tahoe61]

Right!!!!!!

I am sorry it's a gorgeous piece. I must resign my self I will never be an Acropora whisperer.

 

[rayadog]

Hopefully it proves resilient. Wonder if you put all the saved cuts together they’d grow together faster.

 

[exnisstech]

Hopefully it proves resilient. Wonder if you put all the saved cuts together they’d grow together faster.

That's kinda what I'm trying. I put the two chunks I cut on the same tile. I'm going ro be moving out of this tank soon so at least it went now instead if right after the move so I'm not trying to figure out what I did wrong.

 

[steveschuerger]

Wow. I hope you can salvage part. It is a beautiful piece. You probably did nothing wrong. I’ve had Gonis, in particular, chug along for several months in the past looking great then just give up on living. Fingers crossed.

 

[exnisstech]

Just bumping this up to see if any experienced SPS keepers have any suggestions. It appears that whatever is the cause it may be contagious. The pieces I cut off the coral to try and save RTNed over night and is spreading to nearby frags.

It has also spread to the battle frag that was next to the original piece that RTNed.

No new live stock has been added to the tank in several months. I did have a slight salinty increase a few days ago but only up to 1.027 and I normally run 1.025 Parameters are good.
NO3 5 - 12 ppm I have been dosing ammonium bicarb to keep them above zero
PO4 0.02 - 0.04
Alk mid 8 dkH kept stable using AFR.
Calcium 425 - 450
Temp on a controller set to 76
pH 8.0 - 8.3 daily
I don't test anything else and don't do ICP
I did pull my roller 2 days ago to clean it and get ready for the upcoming tank move but I turn the roller off at night sometimes and let it overflow since the tank runs low nutrients and it has never been an issue. It has always been an ULNS for 3 years unintentionally, it's just how it runs even not skimming.
I also changed flow up a few times over the last month when I added a couple of orcas.

I'm going to start some carbon in a reactor today. I'll also do a water change since I have water made up and figure it can't hurt.

FTS for reference

 

[Gumbies R Us]

@Reefer Matt has some stories he can share!

 

[Marine Betta]

Just bumping this up to see if any experienced SPS keepers have any suggestions. It appears that whatever is the cause it may be contagious. The pieces I cut off the coral to try and save RTNed over night and is spreading to nearby frags.

It has also spread to the battle frag that was next to the original piece that RTNed.

No new live stock has been added to the tank in several months. I did have a slight salinty increase a few days ago but only up to 1.027 and I normally run 1.025 Parameters are good.
NO3 5 - 12 ppm I have been dosing ammonium bicarb to keep them above zero
PO4 0.02 - 0.04
Alk mid 8 dkH kept stable using AFR.
Calcium 425 - 450
Temp on a controller set to 76
pH 8.0 - 8.3 daily
I don't test anything else and don't do ICP
I did pull my roller 2 days ago to clean it and get ready for the upcoming tank move but I turn the roller off at night sometimes and let it overflow since the tank runs low nutrients and it has never been an issue. It has always been an ULNS for 3 years unintentionally, it's just how it runs even not skimming.
I also changed flow up a few times over the last month when I added a couple of orcas.

I'm going to start some carbon in a reactor today. I'll also do a water change since I have water made up and figure it can't hurt.

FTS for reference

I’m sorry you’re dealing with this…Typically, RTN in acros isn’t contagious but a shared environmental factor is causing it. None of your parameters are raising any alarms. The nutrients are a tad low, but it shouldn’t be causing this. I don’t see Magnesium though? I would verify your alk and temperature one more time if possible with a different test and thermometer, respectively. Those are the two most common causes of RTN in acros.

I would order an ICP test to see if there is a contaminant in the water. How long have those magnetic frag racks been in the tank? There is a theory that magnets left in tanks for long term will eventually leach metals into the water.

Add a polyfilter and cuprisorb which would help remove any hard metals from the water.

 

[vetteguy53081]

No fretting watching them slowly perish like LPS. They just die overnight and done
This one was perfectly fine yesterday. One of the first pieces in the tank about 3 years ago. Everything else looks good so I'll just accept it a move along I suppose. I cut a couple of pieces to try and save so we'll see. There a battle stag next to it so hopefully it will just take over.

Sorry to see. I think we've all endured this and acros can be challenging even for the most experienced hobbyist. took me a few years to keep them thriving and some factors for them falling down has been for me. . . . . . often a change in salinity, temperature and salt mixes.
Additionally, Elevated phosphate, light and even new light and elevated alkalinity levels will be a higher risk to coral. Other minor factors will be low Dissolved oxygen, new corals especially leathers (which emit a toxin known as Terpenes), false test kit readings and newly added rock can alter chemistry.

 

[exnisstech]

Sorry to see. I think we've all endured this and acros can be challenging even for the most experienced hobbyist. took me a few years to keep them thriving and some factors for them falling down has been for me. . . . . . often a change in salinity, temperature and salt mixes.
Additionally, Elevated phosphate, light and even new light and elevated alkalinity levels will be a higher risk to coral. Other minor factors will be low Dissolved oxygen, new corals especially leathers (which emit a toxin known as Terpenes), false test kit readings and newly added rock can alter chemistry.

I do have a medium sized toadstool in the tank. It has been in for a couple of months but was doing poorly which is why I moved it but it's doing better so it could be releasing some toxins I suppose. I'll move it out as a precaution. Mostly likely this will one of those things that the root cause may never be known. I'm just hoping it doesn't spread through the whole tank but we'll see

 

[exnisstech]

Moving to the digi now. Unfortunately I have a bunch of life stuff that came up at 4am that requires my immediate attention so I may have to just let this play out and what ever will be will be.

 

[Rocks reef]

Just bumping this up to see if any experienced SPS keepers have any suggestions. It appears that whatever is the cause it may be contagious. The pieces I cut off the coral to try and save RTNed over night and is spreading to nearby frags.

It has also spread to the battle frag that was next to the original piece that RTNed.

No new live stock has been added to the tank in several months. I did have a slight salinty increase a few days ago but only up to 1.027 and I normally run 1.025 Parameters are good.
NO3 5 - 12 ppm I have been dosing ammonium bicarb to keep them above zero
PO4 0.02 - 0.04
Alk mid 8 dkH kept stable using AFR.
Calcium 425 - 450
Temp on a controller set to 76
pH 8.0 - 8.3 daily
I don't test anything else and don't do ICP
I did pull my roller 2 days ago to clean it and get ready for the upcoming tank move but I turn the roller off at night sometimes and let it overflow since the tank runs low nutrients and it has never been an issue. It has always been an ULNS for 3 years unintentionally, it's just how it runs even not skimming.
I also changed flow up a few times over the last month when I added a couple of orcas.

I'm going to start some carbon in a reactor today. I'll also do a water change since I have water made up and figure it can't hurt.

FTS for reference

That's a bummer brother! I hope you can sort it out.

 

[Aquadude1]

Sorry to hear all this!
Hows polyp extension on the other acros

 

[rayadog]

I hope the other stuff gets sorted too. This is painful to watch but it’ll come back or can get restarted. If you have time hope you can pin it down

 

[JGT]

Sorry to see. This is probably the most frustrating part of this hobby- at least for me. When things go south and there is no obvious cause.
Your params look good so I would take a guess and say it could be bacterial. I’ve experienced similar in past and Ciproed the tank. It stopped but again, can’t say for sure it was bacterial or Cipro saved the day.

 

[exnisstech]

Sorry to hear all this!
Hows polyp extension on the other acros

So far the others that always have a lot of PE still do. Nothing looks ticked off.

 

[Matt L]

@Reefer Matt has some stories he can share!

For sure. It happens to most of us with sps after a while. I wish I can offer a reason, but it’d only be a guess. I think stn/rtn is a symptom, not a disease. When it happens I focus on stabilizing tank chemistry and not touching the tank for a few weeks. If it acts bacterial, I try chemiclean for a few days, then a big water change with the same alk level. But really it’s a shot in the dark.

 

[AlexandraDreadlocksPanda]

This is a great reason to regularly send off ICP’s; whilst you might not have any interest in tweaking ideal trace element values, it will give advance warning of things like magnet contamination… It’s better than waiting for strippity-doo-dah, then clutching at straws for reasons. Always good to be able to rule things out straight away…

 

[Reginald Reefer III]

I like to joke that acros get an order from their coral shogun that they have dishonored their tank and must commit seppuku.

It's sad but true! I just had a mature milli die for no reason at all. Part of the acro experience I suppose!

 

[Reginald Reefer III]

This is a great reason to regularly send off ICP’s; whilst you might not have any interest in tweaking ideal trace element values, it will give advance warning of things like magnet contamination… It’s better than waiting for strippity-doo-dah, then clutching at straws for reasons. Always good to be able to rule things out straight away…

Those absolutely help, but are often not the true reason for deaths especially RTN in acros. I'm in the camp that a lot of very quick deaths are to pathogenic bacteria that will attack once the coral has any type of weakness and is susceptible. Similar to auto-immune disorders in humans.