Acro STN event help

[jgraz]

I've been experiencing a large scale Acro STN event that I can't seem to put my finger on. Its kind of been progressing for awhile but I can at least trace it back to about 6 weeks or so. I am at a complete loss at this point so any and all assistance is appreicated. This is currently only affecting Acropora. All LPS and other SPS like birdsnest and montis look great with no ill effect. The Acro's have lost some color but other wise have good PE on unaffected areas.
Though almost all are receding from base up slowly.

System: 90gal, 40 breeder sump, SWC 160 cone skimmer, TEK 8x54w T5, BRS Dosers for Calcium(55ml per day) and ALK(55ml per day), ECOBAK pellets in a Reef Octopus reactor, 2 MP40's for flow.

Parameters: Salinity- .024
Ammonia/Nitrites-0
Nitrates-0
PO4-.02 on Hanna
Calcium-430 Red sea Kit
Alk-7.2 Red sea Kit

Dosing/Feeding: I feed just about everyday a variety of different food and different days. I dose Zeobak every saturday and Amino's 2 times per week. Cal/Alk are also handled by dosers.

Livestock: 2 O.Clowns, Hippo, Kole, Yellow Tang, Blue spot watchman goby, Melunarus and Sixline Wrasse, Bangaii cardinal, Mandarin, Cleaner shrimp and the usual compliment of Hermits and Snails.

I have done several dips over the last few weeks and no pests have been observed. I have dipped in Bayer and Coral RX during those sessions. I may have seen a slowing of recession after a couple of the dips but it picks back up after a few days. I have fragged a few of the corals above the STN line and remounted on fresh plugs with mixed results. I have also tried to use glue around the STN line but that also failed to halt progression.

Im kind of at a loss here. I have had my testing checked buy another person using their kits and have had comparable results. I have also tested at various times during the day and have seen no significant swings/changes in alk or temps. Thanks in advance
John

 

[ParkerB]

Idk seems like you've tried a lot of things, STN and RTN are ****** cause we still do not know why acros do this, cause there seems to be many causes. and there isn't anything that 100% prevents it.

Have you used multiple tests and received the same results?


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[Reefltx]

How long have you been running biopellets?



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[jgraz]

Idk seems like you've tried a lot of things, STN and RTN are ****** cause we still do not know why acros do this, cause there seems to be many causes. and there isn't anything that 100% prevents it.

Have you used multiple tests and received the same results?


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Yes 3 different kits, all comparable results. I also upped my WC's over the last few weeks, and put carbon back online incase of any toxins in the water.

How long have you been running biopellets?



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The pellets have been up since the middle of Janurary

 

[jgraz]

Well someone else asked a question about anything that changed in my system and it made me think back over the last few months. In April and may I went through a bought of AEFW's and was dipping weekly. This ended right around the time I started noticing the STN.

 

[TheReefKeeper]

What's your Water source?

I had a similar issue and pulled my hair out after months of fixing adjusting every parameter I could think of and still I was getting a very slow STN. I tested the RODI and it read 0 exiting the unit so I din't pay much attention until I tested a bucket for fresh water in a 5 gallon pail before mixing salt in it. To my surprise it tested 25 ppt so I cleaned out the storage container since the TDS on the unit read 0 exiting had to be the Rubber-Made storage container. I also added another duel DI 3 total now and I haven't had anything STN in a bit so my fingers are crossed that was the issue.


Hope this helps as it is very frustrating I know first hand.


I'm starting to question my live rock or so called Dead rock that was seeded. I'm really not 100% sold that the rock isn't the problem at this point I'm not new to this hobby and years back all I have used was Fiji rock and I have never had any issues like this before so I'm completely stumped on this one too and the rock is my next step.

I was also dosing the ZEO same stuff as you and had an outbreak of STN at it's worst level I have since stopped it completely now. Just figured I would throw that in their too because I'm now questing that stuff too.

 

[Starblenny]

How's the color of the acros? Are they brown, pale, or colorful?

 

[justreefin]

Seems your Alk is extremely low. I know they say to keep alk low when running biopellets but 7.2 seems extremely low. Try bringing it up into the 8 range.

 

[jgraz]

What's your Water source?

I had a similar issue and pulled my hair out after months of fixing adjusting every parameter I could think of and still I was getting a very slow STN. I tested the RODI and it read 0 exiting the unit so I din't pay much attention until I tested a bucket for fresh water in a 5 gallon pail before mixing salt in it. To my surprise it tested 25 ppt so I cleaned out the storage container since the TDS on the unit read 0 exiting had to be the Rubber-Made storage container. I also added another duel DI 3 total now and I haven't had anything STN in a bit so my fingers are crossed that was the issue.


Hope this helps as it is very frustrating I know first hand.


I'm starting to question my live rock or so called Dead rock that was seeded. I'm really not 100% sold that the rock isn't the problem at this point I'm not new to this hobby and years back all I have used was Fiji rock and I have never had any issues like this before so I'm completely stumped on this one too and the rock is my next step.

I was also dosing the ZEO same stuff as you and had an outbreak of STN at it's worst level I have since stopped it completely now. Just figured I would throw that in their too because I'm now questing that stuff too.

I never thought to check my rodi. It comes out with zero TDS. I hold in a brute and water jugs. It's now on my list to check them.

 

[jgraz]

How's the color of the acros? Are they brown, pale, or colorful?

Colors are hit or miss. Some good some bad. Only acros though. My monti's show perfect color.

 

[TheReefKeeper]

I never thought to check my rodi. It comes out with zero TDS. I hold in a brute and water jugs. It's now on my list to check them.

Seems we have a similar issue I hope it was my rodi I'm not convinced only time will tell at this point. I've never had a rubber made trash can contamination issue ever so seems weird that it is this but who knows at this point. All my tests are perfect so it's very confusing.

 

[Lazys Coral House]

Second the Alk to low. If mine drops that low I have mass STN at base events.

 

[Coral Revolution]

2 thoughts...

1. Don't forget to check for pests, red bugs and AFEW both cause corals to degrade as you describe. You can never rule this out until you've done thorough examination and maybe dip some corals to see if any show up in the dip.

2. Large water changes. This would help you determine if it's a water quality issue.

Good luck!

 

[Chameleon]

could have been a major fluctuation in one of the big 3 months ago that is rearing its ugly head now...if that is the case your best bet is to ride it out keeping things as stable as possible

 

[Stpatrick]

I have been fighting the same issues. 3 months now. I lost most of my SPS colonies. I was able to frag most everything and put them in my 30 gallon frag system. No STN there! Just my DT. I am down to a Bali Slimmer, green slimmer, pick lemonade, FF monti, and Satosa. All my Zoas, LPD and monties are doing fine. I cant fit anything else in my frag system. I took my bio pellets off line. Been doing big watter changes. Changed my lights, and added a algae scrubber. My base rock is BRS. I to use the BRS three part. I wonder if we all got a bad batch of BRS Alk & Calcium? Just a thought. Thats the only thing I haven't changed!

 

[Coral Revolution]

It would be an easy fix if it's a bad batch of 3 part. Just get a new set and verify, but I think that's rare to have that happen.

 

[-Logzor]

I suspect voltage in the aquarium, did you add any new pumps when this started? This started happening to me again when I turned on an old MJ1200 pump.

 

[Dowtish]

I dont believe your alk is too low. It is definitely in the low range, and I would bump it up just for safety if it does decide to swing down you have some playing room.

I have had a few things do this recently and seen a few others report that this seems to happen during the warmer months going into summer. I begin to wonder what the correlation is, and if pollen in the air entering our homes has anything to do with it, along with warmer temps. But most of what I read leads to it being bacterial. I am really trying to not physically touch my corals if I dont have to when I move them/inspect/dip etc.

 

[-Logzor]

Also your salinity at 1.024, isn't that a bit low?