rtn procedures???

[b_rad_G]

Don't lie everyone has had rtn at some point. Everyone hates it and it feels like heartbreak. No one knows the cause it just does sometimes. What I'm curious to find out is what people do when rtn strikes? Do you have a standard procedure for rtn? Do you treat colonies different than frags? What do you do with water chemistry?

 

[b_rad_G]

OK I will go first.

I have had several cases of rtn. Mostly with newly arrived frags but with a few colonies as well. IMO frags can be a lot easier than a large frag/mini colony. I have seen a very high success rate with small frags with rtn by simply using super glue gel and gluing ahead of the rtn. By high success I would say 90% can be saved if you catch it fairly soon. This has be almost exclusively used on new arrivals that are less than 2". I have around 10 frags I have done this with. It works.

Mini colonies I don't have near as much luck with. I would say with a frag larger than 2" my success is less than 20%. I have tried the previous method with little luck. It seems at this size fragging might be the only chance???

Full size colonies also are very hard. Of course on a colony the only chance is to frag. I have tried to frag just above the rtn and well away from it. The success is not very good either way.

When I see a lot of rtn I usually change or add gac. Other than that I leave water chemistry alone completely. I figured a large water change could further stress the already dying sps and would be certain doom.

 

[Tahoe61]

"hates it" is putting it mildly.

Rarely I have been able to save a piece by using the old supergluegel up to the tissue margin method.

I always check to see if it's a flow issue, next warfare from near by corals or pest anemones. If only one coral is affected and I have multiple acropora with all others pieces unaffected I do not get too wrapped up in the chemistry, other than to make sure that additives are well diluted before making it to the display.

 

[Velodog2]

Just got my first case of this on a Hawkins. It started in the center of the tightly branched little colony and I guessed it was a flow problem. I've blasted the area and added another Vortech but it doesn't seem to be helping.

This little thread is helpful tho. It seems my other acros are not necessarily in danger assuming all is well with the tank in general. Everything, including the Hawkins, is growing very well at the moment.

I will probably try fragging the Hawkins soon while there is still something left. If it fails it will suck, but it's not as if it's a hard-to-come-by coral these days.

 

[Av8Bluewater]

What was Ya'll s alk level?
I had STN on a Forest fire digitata once. I did the cut and re superglue and it did work.

 

[MadCityReefer]

A fellow hobbyist recommend dipping in Bayer for 15min use small pump for circulation, rinse well then dip in Coral RX for 10min also use a small pump for circulation rinse well. I have done this a few times with great results in stopping RTN and STN. Repeat every couple of days if necessary.

 

[Velodog2]

A fellow hobbyist recommend dipping in Bayer for 15min use small pump for circulation, rinse well then dip in Coral RX for 10min also use a small pump for circulation rinse well. I have done this a few times with great results in stopping RTN and STN. Repeat every couple of days if necessary.

After a week of perusing the related postings this is the first I've heard of anything other than the frag/superglue method working, or of having "great" results with anything at all. This method and even the frag/superglue seems to point to a pathogenic origin, probably opportunistic, although I admit that I don't know the effects of Bayer or CoralRX (my dip of choice btw ...) on a bacterial infection, assuming that is the pathogen responsible.

Which leads me to wonder if a direct assault by using an antibiotic dip could work, or if anyone ever has tried that.

 

[MadCityReefer]

After a week of perusing the related postings this is the first I've heard of anything other than the frag/superglue method working, or of having "great" results with anything at all. This method and even the frag/superglue seems to point to a pathogenic origin, probably opportunistic, although I admit that I don't know the effects of Bayer or CoralRX (my dip of choice btw ...) on a bacterial infection, assuming that is the pathogen responsible.

Which leads me to wonder if a direct assault by using an antibiotic dip could work, or if anyone ever has tried that.

I would like to see if anyone else has the same results trying this...