RTN and STN

[Sabellafella]

Hi all,

I have been struggling a little with RTN and STN. My tank was doing great with rock solid parameters. I have a 130 gallon display, a 40 gallon sump, with a connected frag tank. I use a calcium reactor with a peristatic pump and my alk stays consistent at 7.5 to 8 salifert. My nitrates run around 5 salifert, my phosphates are 0 to .1 depending on when I last fed Hannah. Calcium is 44o, mag is 1440 by icp. I have 2 gen 3 Radion, and 2 gen 4 mounted with the pucks lined up front to back. I run an auto water changer and had been changing 3 gallons per day, but I have increased that to 5 for now. I have had about 4 frags that have rtn or stn lately, and today I noticed my homewrecker is stn at the base, and it has a small area on the tip. I sent an ICP test several weeks ago and it showed elevated tin. It is around 15 which is pretty high. I have added cuprisorb, to the reactor for this. I also had elevated tin in my RODI water at a level of 25 so I assume that is where it is coming from. I just changed out all my filters in my RODI unit, so dont think that is the problem, but the float valve in my storage tank had a wing nut, and I was using trash cans for storage that were not food grade. I have eliminated the float valve and changed to the brute food grade trash cans and I will send another ICP test out this week. For flow I run two max spect gyre xf 250, although I only run them at about 20%. MY polyps blow pretty hard in this flow, so I assume it is enough. I have lps in the tank also, so cant go too high. Most of my sps has really really good polyp extension, and the homewrecker did too until this last week.

Could the tin be the problems with my stn? Should I frag the homewrecker? It is newish, about 3 months old, so it is just the encrusted base, and the very very tip. Should I cut the tip and remount the base on a new plug? This is a small frag, probably 1/2 inch.

Hey! Can you get a top down,zoomed and focused as close as you could to the damaged area? Just to rule out pest. Unfortunately you'll need to narrow it down to get to the problem. From what ive seen tin can cause some issues. May have to address that as soon as you can. Sudden Stn imo is somewhat curable. Your best hand is to Just frag the dead portion off.

 

[Herby’s reef]

Hey! Can you get a top down,zoomed and focused as close as you could to the damaged area? Just to rule out pest. Unfortunately you'll need to narrow it down to get to the problem. From what ive seen tin can cause some issues. May have to address that as soon as you can. Sudden Stn imo is somewhat curable. Your best hand is to Just frag the dead portion off.

I will take a photo when I get home, but I am pretty sure it's not pests. I have checked very close and see no pests or eggs. I have dipped some of the acros that were stn and no pests came off. Still, I will take a picture. You guys have so much more experience and I would love your opinion.

Since working on tin and changing my radions to the sps ab+ program, everything is looking much better. I had the radions with only blue and I'm not sure the coral liked it. Since turning whites up everything seems much happier. I thought it did not matter as long as par numbers were good. Even the homewrecker is looking better. It might not make it, but it definitely looks better than it did. It's polyps are out again.

 

[Sabellafella]

I will take a photo when I get home, but I am pretty sure it's not pests. I have checked very close and see no pests or eggs. I have dipped some of the acros that were stn and no pests came off. Still, I will take a picture. You guys have so much more experience and I would love your opinion.

Since working on tin and changing my radions to the sps ab+ program, everything is looking much better. I had the radions with only blue and I'm not sure the coral liked it. Since turning whites up everything seems much happier. I thought it did not matter as long as par numbers were good. Even the homewrecker is looking better. It might not make it, but it definitely looks better than it did. It's polyps are out again.

It's almost impossible for my tank to not have a small amount if stn Lol! Days after hitting the flesh with bone cutters, it'll usually right away start growing. If your still seeing signs of recieding, then I would try chipping a bit into new flesh.

 

[Herby’s reef]

It's almost impossible for my tank to not have a small amount if stn Lol! Days after hitting the flesh with bone cutters, it'll usually right away start growing. If your still seeing signs of recieding, then I would try chipping a bit into new flesh.

Here is a pic. It's not a very big frag and seems to have quit receding. I am hoping to not need to cut it.

 

[Herby’s reef]

As I look at these photos I realize it is hard to see the areas that I am talking about, but the tip of the homewrecker has lost color and tends to get algae on it. It looks so much better now. The base where it was entrusting to the plug has an area that is receded also.

 

[Mattrg02]

As I look at these photos I realize it is hard to see the areas that I am talking about, but the tip of the homewrecker has lost color and tends to get algae on it. It looks so much better now. The base where it was entrusting to the plug has an area that is receded also.

I see it.

Once algae is growing, can a coral regrow? Might have to cut it anyways.

 

[Herby’s reef]

This is it today. The tips definitely seem to be coming back!