Your Flippin' Acro Isn't Bleached... It's Receding!!!

[Epic Aquaculture]

So, I love to try to help people when they are having problems with their corals, but one thing that drives me bat poop crazy is the misuse of the term bleaching when it comes to SPS. It makes it very difficult to try to diagnose problems when the term bleaching is used for just about any malady on a coral. Bleaching is when a coral expels it's zooxanthellae as a reaction to negative environmental influences such as temperature or, more often in our tanks, light. There is still tissue on the coral, however it appears much lighter, and can almost look white. Recovery from bleaching is usually not a problem but can take some time. Necrosis or Recession which is the symptom observed in STN (Slow Tissue Necrosis) and RTN (Rapid Tissue Necrosis), is completely different from bleaching as it is the loss of tissue from the coral skeleton. Causes vary, but often it occurs in our tanks due to water quality issues, and often it occurs immediately, or soon after introduction to the tank. Obviously both conditions aren't good, but Recession requires immediate intervention if there is any hope of saving the coral, while bleaching can usually be remedied by reducing the light intensity over the coral and slowly acclimating it to higher intensities over time. Here are some examples of bleached frags verses frags that have tissue recession:

This frag is slightly bleached. This was the day it was received via overnight.

This frag is also bleached from shipping stress:

The frag below is suffering from RTN and has lost tissue where you see the white:

In the case of the first two pictures which were bleached frags due to shipping stress, I simply placed them in a low light area then slowly acclimated them to higher light intensity. They both recovered nicely. The last frag which RTN'd I fragged what I could off of it, but all pieces where gone within 2 days.

The moral of the story - when asking for help with SPS issues, please make sure to use the correct terminology for the symptoms that are present, in particular if you are unable to get a good picture to post. It will greatly help anyone who is trying to assist you with a diagnosis and remedy, and it will also keep me from going bat poop crazy

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

Make this a Sticky!!!

 

[Potatohead]

Could not agree more. I even see very experienced reefers misusing the terms.

 

[Macdaddynick1]

I am sorry to be that guy, but this specific frag isn’t bleached at all.

That’s how many Corals grow, specifically Corals like pinky the bear and other similar species like CB shortcake or Vivid’s confetti . So technically you misidentified a perfectly healthy coral for a bleached coral . It’s ok though we all make mistakes

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

I am sorry to be that guy, but this specific frag isn’t bleached at all.

That’s how many Corals grow, specifically Corals like pinky the bear and other similar species like CB shortcake or Vivid’s confetti . So technically you misidentified a perfectly healthy coral for a bleached coral . It’s ok though we all make mistakes

I completely disagree. This frag is bleached. This is Vivid's Confetti. I have 2 frags from them and both showed up like this, and have recovered nicely. Take a look at their mother colony, as well as any other pic you can find of it once it is settled, and it does not look like the pic I posted. Here it is after it recovered:

Whether you agree or disagree that the frag was bleached when it arrived, that's not the point of my post. The point is that bleaching and tissue necrosis are completely different symptoms and need to be identified correctly in order to determine a proper course of action.

 

[DSC reef]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/w...-most-annoying-reefer-forum-behaviors.334579/

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/w...-most-annoying-reefer-forum-behaviors.334579/

LOL - good stuff there!

 

[DSC reef]

LOL - good stuff there!

Thought you might like that

 

[thaveteran]

I am sorry to be that guy, but this specific frag isn’t bleached at all.

That’s how many Corals grow, specifically Corals like pinky the bear and other similar species like CB shortcake or Vivid’s confetti . So technically you misidentified a perfectly healthy coral for a bleached coral . It’s ok though we all make mistakes

I have to semi agree, this one isn't bleached. It's coming from a low nutrient tank and in higher nutrient tanks the colors will get darker/richer. That being said it is annoying that some don't know the difference between dead coral and bleaching.

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Sticky for sure.

I agree it is important for people to properly be able to discribe the issues they are having with sps. Bleaching and TN are 2 totally differe issues with different causes and remedies. Bleaching is an expolsion of zooxanthellae from the coral tissue, the tissue is still intact and the coral is still alive. TN (tissue necrosis) either slow or rapid is the loose of tissue from the coral skeleton. Using incorrect terminology will only cause more problems.

 

[PDR]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/w...-most-annoying-reefer-forum-behaviors.334579/

I can't believe I somehow missed this thread...

 

[DSC reef]

I can't believe I somehow missed this thread...

Your welcome

 

[IndianReefGuy]

Hope I’m doing this post correctly... so is this RTN or bleaching.? .. I think it’s RTN but I didn’t see the sloughing away of tissue. I was able to grab a piece and place it higher in the tank... while that piece seems to be doing fine, the main colony is now totally white and rough to the touch. ( I moved it away from a frogspawn)
Tank specs: 14 g bio cube - diy rimless
Refugium with macro in chamber 2
Biocube skimmer in chamber 3
JBJ ATO nano
Kessil A80 with controller -cycle is 12 hours but I try to replicate the natural day as much as possible
At the time of the event:
Water: nitrates - good 0 (API test)
Kh 11
Calcium 380

dosing goals: 8.4 kh, 420 calcium
Dose ME ( 2 part) 5ml every 2 days ..
Also dose Red Sea elements (1.5ml) every 2 days
Prior to the event I switched RODI and water - was running short on time and went to a different LFS
Since the event I threw out that water and went to my normal place, Blue Earth in Lake Worth, FL.
The video was taken when things were good ... photos show what happened after switching water.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Hope I’m doing this post correctly... so is this RTN or bleaching.? .. I think it’s RTN but I didn’t see the sloughing away of tissue. I was able to grab a piece and place it higher in the tank... while that piece seems to be doing fine, the main colony is now totally white and rough to the touch. ( I moved it away from a frogspawn)
Tank specs: 14 g bio cube - diy rimless
Refugium with macro in chamber 2
Biocube skimmer in chamber 3
JBJ ATO nano
Kessil A80 with controller -cycle is 12 hours but I try to replicate the natural day as much as possible
At the time of the event:
Water: nitrates - good 0 (API test)
Kh 11
Calcium 380

dosing goals: 8.4 kh, 420 calcium
Dose ME ( 2 part) 5ml every 2 days ..
Also dose Red Sea elements (1.5ml) every 2 days
Prior to the event I switched RODI and water - was running short on time and went to a different LFS
Since the event I threw out that water and went to my normal place, Blue Earth in Lake Worth, FL.
The video was taken when things were good ... photos show what happened after switching water.

Yes. The coral tissue is gone on that one. RTN appears to be the issue

 

[drawman]

OP I will say this is funny to see on nature documentaries as well. They talk about bleaching corals then show tissue necrosis. Still sucks to see in the wild either way though!

 

[IndianReefGuy]

Yes. The coral tissue is gone on that one. RTN appears to be the issue

Thanks for the confirmation... could the frogspawn have caused it? And set off a chain reaction in the colony? Or is there something bigger , like my water quality?

 

[Camaro Show Corals]

Thanks for the confirmation... could the frogspawn have caused it? And set off a chain reaction in the colony? Or is there something bigger , like my water quality?

We will need to know more about your tank
Set up and prams.

 

[IndianReefGuy]

Tank specs: 14 g bio cube - diy rimless
Refugium with macro in chamber 2
Biocube skimmer in chamber 3
JBJ ATO nano
Kessil A80 with controller -cycle is 12 hours but I try to replicate the natural day as much as possible
At the time of the event 12/13/19:
Water: nitrates - good 0ppm (API test)
Phosphates-0ppm (API Test)
Kh 11 (Red Sea Test)....dosed on 12/16, tested again 12/17- 8.4
Calcium 380 ....dosed on 12/16, tested again on 12/17- 420

dosing goals: 8.4 kh, 420 calcium
Dose ME ( 2 part) 5ml every 2 days ..
Also dose Continuum Elements (1.5ml) every 2 days

Thanks in advance!

 

[SeaDweller]

Tank specs: 14 g bio cube - diy rimless
Refugium with macro in chamber 2
Biocube skimmer in chamber 3
JBJ ATO nano
Kessil A80 with controller -cycle is 12 hours but I try to replicate the natural day as much as possible
At the time of the event 12/13/19:
Water: nitrates - good 0ppm (API test)
Phosphates-0ppm (API Test)
Kh 11 (Red Sea Test)....dosed on 12/16, tested again 12/17- 8.4
Calcium 380 ....dosed on 12/16, tested again on 12/17- 420

dosing goals: 8.4 kh, 420 calcium
Dose ME ( 2 part) 5ml every 2 days ..
Also dose Continuum Elements (1.5ml) every 2 days

Thanks in advance!

Well if those numbers are true with API (Probably not) then zero N and P are never good. I’d get some reliable test kits and test again.