someone please explain RTN to me before I lose my mind (and coral).

[dcforester1]

I have had this tank up for about 3 years, and I have had my ups and downs. For well over a year this tank has been stable, and really had no issues. I have had some some frags experience RTN, and have lost a colony before. For well over a year it has been issue free. I had a recent surgery, and have been hands off for the last three months. I have had my tank on a constant WC for over two years, and have been telling everyone how great my tank has been. I havnt tested my water in about two months and was afraid to test it last week. When I checked it I was surprised that everything was spot on. I noticed a couple days ago I was starting to get a little bit of green algae, but nothing serious. Well I was looking at my Rose Milli colony and noticed a couple branches lost a little tissue, no big deal. Well today I thought something didnt look right, and a huge purple and green tabling acro I have, a third of it is gone!!!! It was fine 2-3days ago, and now this. I re tested today, and everything is fine. I looked up on my apex, and my temp has been stable. I dont get it. I am wondering what to do with it? Do I just leave it, and let nature take its course, or trim it, and dip it some Melafix? I read once on RC that it is a bacterial thing and thats how you treat it. I just check my tank again, and another colony has some flesh coming off. My tank it 99% SPS, and I would hate to lose them. Any ideas from you guys that keep SPS?

TIA Derek

 

[JasonandRay]

Do you happen do be carbon dosing? Could be alkalinity swings? Also how old are the test kits? I know once in a while ill see burnt tips from alkalinity swings, however most of the time it will grow back. Also If your nutrients are extremely low, corals could be starving but it doesn't sound like this because of the algae.

I know its a tedious process but I think it'd help to test the system post the results and go from there, It may be bacterial but... Eric Borneman talks about how most cases are stress related and that it is most likely not bacterial in his RTN article. I would frag all the dead skeleton, and RTN-ing corals to try and isolate it.

Anyways, good luck

 

[downreef]

I would check for alk swing......I just lost a couple of things to rtn and thats what it was for me

 

[dcforester1]

my alk is always 8-9. I use a reactor, so my numbers usually stay stable. I checked my apex and my temp has been stable. Last year I had a similar issue, but that was after a huge temp swing. I do use bio pellets, and have been since the day they came out. Nothing has really changed in the last year, and and nothing touched in the last 3-4 months. I got up this am and my skimmer had overflowed, maybe from the die off in the tank??? Just frustrating. This coral that is losing its flesh was a nice colony, and just aggravating. Now that I look thru my tank I see a couple other issues with some other frags/colonies.

 

[Ellabug]

Shot in the dark, but how long since you changed out your filters on your rodi? Also, are you running GFO? I've heard that can contribute and some people will use algae scrubbers for nutrient export with heavy SPS tanks as they've noticed GFO, carbon, biopellets, etc., were wrecking havoc with their sps.

 

[stingythingy45]

When I had all my sps die it was the heater poisoning the water.
I would get some poly pads and run them .See what color they change too.
But definitely,check the heater or for any current in the tank.
Good luck.

 

[SteveDola]

There is a stressing event occurring within your tank. If you have ruled out alk and temp then you need to move on to other possibilities. I personally am very weary of bio pellets because I think they can be unpredictable however if you have been implementing them in your system since day one and you haven't changed or added to them then its probably not the pellets unless they depleted and not keeping up with its workload. To Start, I would test Po4 and Nitrates to see if you see what the status of your water cleanliness. From there I would look at the Apex for pH history...has it been sporadic? This time of year when people open up their houses and the CO2 levels go down that will change the tanks' oxygen levels and pH. If your alk is low and the pH drops you can be in for a RTN event. I usually reserve this theory for people running lower Alk (7.0-7.5) than you admit to however to be sure, I would take a water sample to a good LFS and double check your levels (to make sure). Check for stray voltage or possible metal in the tank. Is there metal exposed from frayed wires or pumps cords becoming brittle from years of use.

Start there and rule things out as you go but be positive and thorough. In the mean while, I would also frag a couple tips of the RTN'ing corals to try and save them...Once the base starts to RTN, its difficult to stop unless you clip and superglue the base very well...at least thats been my experience in the past. Lastly, my advice would be to do some water changes and run carbon.

 

[dcforester1]

Thanks for al the input. I was talking to another reefer and he might have hit on something. I have construction going on in my house, but I am not to sure about it. There are no chemicals or anything like that, but there has been alot of dust. My heaters are good, and ph has been stable. Everything in my tank is in good to great shape, so I dont think its frayed wires. I am going to try and frag them, but I might just let them go, and see what happens. Its just a shame, the tabling acro is about 8-9in across and emerald green with purple tips, and the other one is a garf bosai that I have nursed back to health two years ago and is about the size of a softball. I also notice a white spot on my rose milli, and they are all next to a rather nice size colony of pink lemonade. I am sick of stressing over the tank. I also notice a frag of my red planet, and Nicks Blueberry??? isnt looking so hot. My RODI is good, so I am not sure what else to look for.

Thanks Derek

 

[JD46]

RODI filters are a good suggestion. I have been burned twice with SPS and it came down to something that my TDS meter couldn't detect with the RO. With the cost of filters being relatively cheap, I change constantly.

Tissue loss from tips vs base can also give a clue. I believe from base is indicative of ALK (but my memory could be wrong). Loss from tips down could be a number of other reasons (temp, lighting, poisons, etc).

 

[dcforester1]

its tips down on two of the three

 

[JasonandRay]

The construction in the house could definitely be it! I would run poly pads, carbon and do water changes if you can.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[dcforester1]

it looks like 2 more are falling victim. it sucks to see happen. I see people post this, and never thought I would see it happen in my tank.

 

[Moe_K]

oh man, that sucks!

 

[smartfish]

Hey sorry to hear Derek, I wish I had a remedy!

 

[Pat02026]

Derek, are you currently running carbon? I will be heading up toward the rt2 area this weekend and I would be happy to bring as much RoX.8 carbon as you want with me if it will help you out. It's about all I have to offer at this point but let me know and I am happy to pass it along if you think it'll save your tank. I wish I could offer something else to help save your coral but my experience and resources are limited. PM me if your interested in that carbon, I've got a half gallon comtainer of it, a reactor, and a pump your welcome to if you want it. Best of luck!

 

[dcforester1]

Thanks guys. I have a new container of carbon that I am running. Im hoping it helps out. I also increased my water change amount, but I am down to about 20 gal left.

 

[this is me]

RTN=Rapid Tissue Necrosis. Or the way I see it, Really Troubling News.
If you keep SPS. You'll eventually experience RTN and STN. RTN is the more serious one that can kill a full size colony within hours. It's caused by abrupt changed in water chemistry usually rapid change of (high) alk and (high) temperature. The flesh on the tips start to fall off(burn) and rapidly go down do the whole colony. Once it starts, you usually can't really do anything about it.

STN is, of course, the slower version and starts from the base of the colony/frag. It can take days or weeks or months to work its way up. Usually, you can save it buy fragging the STN part.

 

[dcforester1]

It is up to eight colonies, and 3 frags, small colonies. Wow i cant believe its happening. Some of the colonies were so hardy and have been thru so many ups and downs with this tank that I cant believe they are going like this. I havnt fragged anything, because in the past it has always continued with the frags. Today my pink lemonade,and green slimmer are going up on smoke. I also notice my superman monty doesnt look so good? WTF??

 

[higorc]

It is up to eight colonies, and 3 frags, small colonies. Wow i cant believe its happening. Some of the colonies were so hardy and have been thru so many ups and downs with this tank that I cant believe they are going like this. I havnt fragged anything, because in the past it has always continued with the frags. Today my pink lemonade,and green slimmer are going up on smoke. I also notice my superman monty doesnt look so good? WTF??

WOW man, I am really sorry to hear that Derek! I wish I had some imput to help u out, but I am not too experienced with Acros... Hopefully someone who is can chime in with ideas and help you.

Good luck
Higor

 

[dcforester1]

Make it 12, a blue/purple milli just started.