STN from temperature swing?

[MTsquared]

Was out of town for a week and had my neighbor helping out to refill the ATO. Everything else is automated - feeding, dosing etc. I noticed on my Apex that I had a big temperature drop (still not sure why) and then I started to notice that some of the SPS were showing signs of STN. Could a temperature swing cause this to happen or should I be looking for a different explanation? Regardless, it doesn’t seem to be stopping so now I am going to likely need to frag to save the remaining healthy coral and start the colonies over. Is this what you guys would advise?

 

[Dburr1014]

Was out of town for a week and had my neighbor helping out to refill the ATO. Everything else is automated - feeding, dosing etc. I noticed on my Apex that I had a big temperature drop (still not sure why) and then I started to notice that some of the SPS were showing signs of STN. Could a temperature swing cause this to happen or should I be looking for a different explanation? Regardless, it doesn’t seem to be stopping so now I am going to likely need to frag to save the remaining healthy coral and start the colonies over. Is this what you guys would advise?

How big and time wise was the swing?
I have had 7~8 degree drops and didn't skip a beat.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Pictures

 

[NoohpyT]

depends on how sensitive the SPS frags/colonies are, I had a swing of 3 degrees and one my new firework acro frags started to STN

over the next months of keeping things stable again it came back

 

[MTsquared]

How big and time wise was the swing?
I have had 7~8 degree drops and didn't skip a beat.

Again not sure what happened here as I was out of town but looked like it lasted from Thurs 2/23 in the evening until Sat 2/26 in the afternoon when it started to heat up again. Then another bigger dip about a day and a half later followed by another warmup. The temp and all water parameters have been stable since I got back on Tues 2/28.

 

[Dburr1014]

The first dip doesn't look too bad but it's a long time. That second dip looks quite suspicious. That's what, 10° in just a couple minutes. Maybe your controller or something is malfunctioning?

I would check your equipment and look for something faulting to start just to rule it out.

 

[NoohpyT]

Again not sure what happened here as I was out of town but looked like it lasted from Thurs 2/23 in the evening until Sat 2/26 in the afternoon when it started to heat up again. Then another bigger dip about a day and a half later followed by another warmup. The temp and all water parameters have been stable since I got back on Tues 2/28.

Is there a chance your neighbor poured cold water into your tank or into the ATO causing the huge drop?

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

Is there a chance your neighbor poured cold water into your tank or into the ATO causing the huge drop?

This is exactly what I was thinking. It would have had to been a LOT of cold water. If I'm adding RODI for top off, I'll add about half a gallon to the sump and let them temp regulate.

If a lot of cold water was poured in, yes, that could cause STN.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Nope

 

[ScottB]

I had some acro frags delivered just the other week. Cold to the touch. Thermometer read 60F. Three remain fine. One was melted in the bag and another STN over the next couple days.

 

[MTsquared]

Is there any saving them once they start to STN? If I frag and glue to a new plug? I know I will have to take only the healthy parts and make sure to cover any area where the tissue is receding with glue.

 

[NoohpyT]

Is there any saving them once they start to STN? If I frag and glue to a new plug? I know I will have to take only the healthy parts and make sure to cover any area where the tissue is receding with glue.

Fragging or praying about all you can do

 

[Dburr1014]

Is there any saving them once they start to STN? If I frag and glue to a new plug? I know I will have to take only the healthy parts and make sure to cover any area where the tissue is receding with glue.

Yes, sometimes fraging does save them. Cut above the dying tissue.