RTN Spreading To Everything

[BigRich]

yeah its bad, I might have to just accept that acros are a no go . luckily my montiporas and stylo's seem to be fine but if RTN is indeed bacterial, i dont think theres a way around it. My system is contaminated. Im not going to buy acros for a while, ive lost so much already and theres no point spending money on them at the moment.

I don't think your system is contaminated, if those sps arrived in that shape. Most likely died from shipping stress, usually you can tell by the horrible odor they give off once you upon the bag(s) as well. IMO you should always dip your corals, I always have. I don't care where it's from, it gets dipped. For the future I would always dip any new corals. Also if its your first sps start with something easy, like a stylo or birdsnest, something inexpensive incase you do lose it due to human error. I'm sure a lot of online vendors can guide you on great beginner sps frags. Don't give up, it's a tough hobby but you'll get there and enjoy it!

 

[GoatmealJones]

Thanks guys. I have disposed of the maricultured corals as of last week. Unfortunately, my 2 aquacultured acros seem to have caught RTN despite my removal of the original colonies. Yes, the smell was horrid as the acro was taken out, the tissue was clearly deceased. These colonies were large (about 7 inches) and they all fully rotted in my tank which is why i hypothesize my tank is now contaminated from it . Fortunately liveaquaria gave me my money back via their guarantee, but it was a total of $250 of acros that all died within days of arrival after having success with previous acros.

 

[GoatmealJones]

I just bought a 20 dollar frag of an small acro sp. from my LFS as a gauge. Its a test acro, and at 20$, if it dies, im willing to take that loss just to see how the system is at the current moment. If lost, im going to take some significant time off from acros. If it lives, I might cautiously add acros and observe.

 

[BigRich]

I just bought a 20 dollar frag of an small acro sp. from my LFS as a gauge. Its a test acro, and at 20$, if it dies, im willing to take that loss just to see how the system is at the current moment. If lost, im going to take some significant time off from acros. If it lives, I might cautiously add acros and observe.

I’m guessing/hoping you have done a large water change/changes before adding any other acros. Also make sure to test your ALK/PH/Nitrate/Phosphates before adding a test frag. I would also suggest running carbon to remove anything leftover from the dead acros. You want your tank to “settle” before adding anything. Just make sure your tank is ready before adding a test coral.

 

[TheBackAndForth]

Hey man, I'm sorry. There's a reasonable body of literature on rapid tissue necrosis in acros that I can find online, it happens in wild corals too. Stressed corals are more susceptible, like shipping, water temps and acidification increasing globally, or jsut like immunosuppressed people! The research shows that corals with this necrotic death have way more of a ribosomal DNA subunit only specific to bacteria... AKA it's most likely a bacterial infection and not your fault. Whether or not your original corals were stressed when they were infected--I have no clue. But if they were growing well I'd suggest not, and that this marine bacteria was well evolved to dismantle some acros.

I have no clue how long it will stick around, so I think the "tester" idea is good. Try a couple. If **** hit's the fan, fallow your tank. If **** really hits the fan, run the tank freshwater for a bit or try hyposaline first if you have fish.

It's just a bacteria. You've proven you can grow acros. Good learning lesson and I'd only stick with aquacultured corals from trusted sources.

It's likely a species of vibrio btw. An analogous species sometimes infects fisherman with nasty vibrio infections, or people eating oysters

 

[GoatmealJones]

Not adding any acros or SPS species unless the test acro seems to stabilize. Goong to wait 1 month minimum with weekly 30% waterchanges and keep the same strict adherence to params as currently doing.

 

[TheBackAndForth]

Not adding any acros or SPS species unless the test acro seems to stabilize. Goong to wait 1 month minimum with weekly 30% waterchanges and keep the same strict adherence to params as currently doing.

I don't think it's your parameters. If parameters are testing as originally posted and test acros seems healthy, I'd give it the go ahead. If tissues necrose, approach as a bacterial insult to your tank. unfortunately, bacteria have ways to persist, whether that be in a sand bed, a fish gut, or in copepods, etc. If stuff continues to necrose and die, consider a freshwater cycle as your final option. if coral do well, then carry on

 

[Auto-pilot]

Not adding any acros or SPS species unless the test acro seems to stabilize. Goong to wait 1 month minimum with weekly 30% waterchanges and keep the same strict adherence to params as currently doing.

Good luck, I've also had bad luck with live aquaria acro colony's. They can arrive super bleached and sometimes are already dying from shipping.

 

[TheBackAndForth]

Good luck, I've also had bad luck with live aquaria acro colony's. They can arrive super bleached and sometimes are already dying from shopping.

I just can't imagine that having tons of large wild colonies coming in and out can be good

 

[Alfrareef]

Only if I had a dollar for every dead frag skeleton I have in my dead coral jar...
Only from the photos I’m not sure that is a bacterial issue. Probably they were already fragilize and something hate them. As per the others it could be a parameters variation.

Dipping it’s a must, Always! Also light and water parameters could be a issue.
Next time try to place them at bottom and if needed reduce light. I know we all like to buy and place corals at our chosen location but usually it doesn’t work that way.

Also, from pics it seems some of the corals are alive and I’ve recovered corals in worst state. Wy don’t you let them in a low light, high flow area for 4 weeks more?

Hope it helps.

 

[DancingShark]

I usually don't give up on frags until there is algea growing on them. Even them I remember seeing a thread were a acro came back from even that.

This is a chunky enchiata that I lost to rtn. A day after it was introduced. A single polyp survived. Now it's starting to encrust.

This one stn. About three polyps survived. Already encrusting and growing.

Stn. Single polyp center of picture.

You live you learn you waste a ton of money. I felt like giving up and cutting my losses but stuck to it and getting better every day.

 

[BestMomEver]

This makes me sad. I’m so sorry. But, the good news is there are lots of folks around that are experts in this stuff. I hope you figure it out.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

This bath can slow or stop the rtn/stn but you’ll need to find the underlying cause

 

[Graffiti Spot]

I just can't imagine that having tons of large wild colonies coming in and out can be good

I think the people running systems like that know how to keep them on point. Also tanks with lots of corals like that are more stable than most people think, even given its all wild corals.

The op’s corals looked like they started dying in the bags from the pics and description. I always try and keep any dead parts out of the reef that are actually peeling. When the whole colony shows signs I just toss it and keep any tips worth it. It would be hard to say without pics if the corals in the tank are showing bacterial infections from the wild corals. Did you take any when the frags were dying?
I would also lower your alk, only if nitrate is not readable on Red Sea or salifert kits and po4 is 0 on a Hanna ulr checker. 9 or lower is shoot for when nutrients are low.

 

[TheBackAndForth]

Only if I had a dollar for every dead frag skeleton I have in my dead coral jar...
Only from the photos I’m not sure that is a bacterial issue. Probably they were already fragilize and something hate them. As per the others it could be a parameters variation.

Dipping it’s a must, Always! Also light and water parameters could be a issue.
Next time try to place them at bottom and if needed reduce light. I know we all like to buy and place corals at our chosen location but usually it doesn’t work that way.

Also, from pics it seems some of the corals are alive and I’ve recovered corals in worst state. Wy don’t you let them in a low light, high flow area for 4 weeks more?

Hope it helps.

I have a garf Bonsai frag that has twice recovered from crashes that have destroyed my other acros.

Once I left my apartment for several weeks, set my new autofeeder incorrectly, entire tank starved to death, crashed. Came back to some nasty waster with all dead fish in it. many of my LPS died, and all of my acros, but when I moved stuff to the other tank just in case, A garf grew back out.

Just recently I left my apartment for a week and the 20 gallon I had this garf in on my desk had a heater trip out. All the SPS in that tank were stone white at 94 degrees when I came back. The garf and a poci have grown back out. LPS did all survive this one, although lost a lot of tissue and are working their way back

 

[Scubadoo4u]

Are you sure its RTN? AEFW have been known to take down acros pretty quickly.

I’ve had aefw hit my Monty’s and not touch acros, but I did a 6 gal water change that I buffered kh to 11dkh and figured no problem......yeah right! Wipe my 6” mother Home Wrecker in 3 days....smfh & LAEL (Learn An Expensive Lesson).......