SPS stripping itself of color? HELP!

[MelissaKathryn]

They almost look like they are shedding like how our mushrooms shed. They are two sticks that are multicolored.. kind of like blue. My boyfriend said they looked like they were beginning to bleach but that maybe he was just being paranoid. We have had them almost a week. I will check parameters now, but i just now saw that it looked like they were being stripped of color and so I wanted to post ASAP incase someone knew off the tops of their heads what I should do.

 

[kschweer]

Sounds like RTN (rapid tissue necrosis). First thing I would check is your alk. Sometimes the only thing to stop it is to frag off the still healthy parts.

 

[kschweer]

Here's a better explanation then I could try to pull off the top of my head.

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.

 

[Sleeperr34]

So if my tank was usually a little low on the alk side 9. And high on temp like 80-81 and then channged to higher alk like 11-12. And temp down to 77 in a couple days this could this cause rtl or stl?

Was running 3 250w di MH and changed to ai vegas. And with in a few days was getting bleaching bad and thought it was cus the leds were burning them. And then when i tested my water i noticed the change. From were my lvls had been at for the last yr and a half with out fail then change in a couple days. Only diff was light. Still same doses i have always done.


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[Chameleon]

sounds like rtn to me too. definitely could be a result of the alk change you mentioned. i dont think it is the lights

 

[MelissaKathryn]

Here's a better explanation then I could try to pull off the top of my head.

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.

Thank you so so so much. I think it was indeed RTN. It was only an hour or so and I fragged what was left, 3 quarter inch tips :-/ I hope they still make it! It def started at the base though and worked its way up but just in the matter of an hour or so! it was nuts! Now that I quickly saved it (thanks again SO UCH FOR YOUR QUICK REPLY!) I am going to research this more. I hope I did an OK job fragging, it was my first try with an SPS

 

[bct15]

It sounds like RTN, there isn't much that can be done about it. You can try and frag the healthy part off but it might die too. The parts that have RTN are dead and the white part you see is the skeleton. Alk and temp swings can cause it.


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[MelissaKathryn]

So it isn't a virus or anything?

 

[MelissaKathryn]

Or bacteria?

 

[MelissaKathryn]

OK I have 16 frags coming in the mail tomorrow, mostly zoas. They should arrive by noon. I am going to set up a QT tank ASAP. But, what do I do to my existing tank? I am pretty sure it came from one coral that bleached already. So, form what I'm reading, the infection must have spread through the water column. How long will it be "active" or "alive"? What can be affected? Are my LPS in danger? Any soft corals? Do I have to treat the entire tank now? Does anyone have any recommendations?

I am just so broken-hearted over this.

 

[kschweer]

I don't think that it is an infection or anything bacterial. My guess is that the swing in your alk and the temp change are the cause. I wouldn't be too worried about your LPS as they tend to be somewhat less sensitive to parameter swings. Your light may also have a little to do with it. The Vegas have what is called coral acclimation mode. I would suggest using it because the light from LEDs and metal halides are "different" for lack of a better term. I would keep your parameters stable and be sure that any changes are done slowly. I try to keep my alk around 9-10. 12 dkh is too high in my opinion. Best piece of advise I was given in this hobby is that only bad things happen fast when it comes to our tanks.

 

[kschweer]

Also what percentages are you running your Vegas on?

 

[Sleeperr34]

I have them on the coral ac mode. So it is set to 50% for a month. But when its is done my % will be. W=35. Red/green=20. Blue=60. Royal=70. Deep=80. Comes on at 12 with a 2 hr ramp up. And off at 8:30 with a 2 hr ramp down.

Once i saw the alk diff i figured that was a big cause in it. Just wish i would have caught it sooner before i lost 3yrs of growth on my sps. What hurst the most is i got about 2000$ worth of free sps from a friend over the last few years that he would just add in for free from the LFS he worked at when i would pick up stuff. And it is almost all dead and he doesnt work there anymore. but im slowly getting my para back in check. Alk=11. Cal=500. Mg=1300.

R there any digital test kits for alk. Cal. Mg. that anyone can recomend. Getting a reef keeper soon. So i know that will have a ph probe. And alk and ph go hand and hand right? I just know im going to sweden the end of july for 2 weeks and wanted to find some easy test kits that my simple minded roommate can work and understand. So i dont have to start all over with this again when i get back lol.


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[LivinTheSwreefLife]

Ok... sleeperr with the lights is not the same as the OP... in fact sleeperr I would suggest starting another thread about your specific problem involving your lights since it is confusing to those who respond.

MelissaKathryn, RTN is not a disease and cannot be "spread" through the water column in the sense you are thinking... the only reason it spreads is because the water parameters (or a rapid change in those parameters) affects all your corals, so the problem isn't fixed just by fragging the coral with RTN-- you also have to correct the problem. Have you done a water change lately, or dosed anything for calcium or alkalinity? Or were those SPS frags new? Either the acclimation process you used or dosing to try and correct one element can cause the other to swing and corals, especially SPS, don't like that.

With your corals coming today, as was mentioned above they are often more forgiving in terms of swings so you should have less of a problem. How are you acclimating new corals? A quarantine tank is essential for fish but not many people use them for corals (they generally dip corals instead to make sure there are no pests), a slow acclimation involving floating the shipping bag or a tupperware container and SLOWLY adding tank water to the shipping water in the container (over a period of an hour maybe) is the best way to acclimate. Just make sure to discard the water from the shipping container before adding the corals.

Generally the reason that SPS will RTN in newer tanks is because the levels (especially of alk) are not yet stable.

Hope that helps!

 

[LivinTheSwreefLife]

Also, if you can post your actual tank parameters, especially alkalinity and calcium, that would be helpful for those who are trying to help you out.

 

[Sleeperr34]

Ok..... Fat_cat i have posted multiple new posts about my lights with no reply or help... I jumped in on this thread BECAUSE it is the same thing as what is happening to my corals. And i brought up the lights because as well as the change in the levels on my tank it is what else is new in to my tank that could be causing the problems. So in other words i was giving all the facts about my problem as well.


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[LivinTheSwreefLife]

Ok..... Fat_cat i have posted multiple new posts about my lights with no reply or help... I jumped in on this thread BECAUSE it is the same thing as what is happening to my corals. And i brought up the lights because as well as the change in the levels on my tank it is what else is new in to my tank that could be causing the problems. So in other words i was giving all the facts about my problem as well.


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This is not meant to be an attack on you, and I am sorry you asked a question that was not answered in the lighting and equiptment section. I'm just stating that there are two different people asking questions here, because this thread has turned into people offering advice about RTN in regards to your specific light fixture now, which is not helpful to the original poster, who was saying she has a bunch of frags arriving today and is worried about how to keep them from RTN'ing. This is not your fault, but I am just trying to clarify since the person offering advice was clearly confused (as was I) because they referenced the OP's questions about this being bacterial and your mention of your alkalinity/temperature swings in the same sentence.

 

[Sleeperr34]

Sorry for snapping back. I have the LFS around here telling me my para r good. Just gets frustrating when i post on multiple places looking for help over the last 3 weeks with nothing. So i saw this post with replies and the rtl was what i was getting so i jumped in.


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[LivinTheSwreefLife]

Sorry for snapping back. I have the LFS around here telling me my para r good. Just gets frustrating when i post on multiple places looking for help over the last 3 weeks with nothing. So i saw this post with replies and the rtl was what i was getting so i jumped in.


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No problem, I know it's frustrating when you can't get answers and I'm glad someone here is familiar with your specific fixture, just want to make sure everyone gets the help they are looking for including the OP

 

[kschweer]

Ok... sleeperr with the lights is not the same as the OP... in fact sleeperr I would suggest starting another thread about your specific problem involving your lights since it is confusing to those who respond.

MelissaKathryn, RTN is not a disease and cannot be "spread" through the water column in the sense you are thinking... the only reason it spreads is because the water parameters (or a rapid change in those parameters) affects all your corals, so the problem isn't fixed just by fragging the coral with RTN-- you also have to correct the problem. Have you done a water change lately, or dosed anything for calcium or alkalinity? Or were those SPS frags new? Either the acclimation process you used or dosing to try and correct one element can cause the other to swing and corals, especially SPS, don't like that.

With your corals coming today, as was mentioned above they are often more forgiving in terms of swings so you should have less of a problem. How are you acclimating new corals? A quarantine tank is essential for fish but not many people use them for corals (they generally dip corals instead to make sure there are no pests), a slow acclimation involving floating the shipping bag or a tupperware container and SLOWLY adding tank water to the shipping water in the container (over a period of an hour maybe) is the best way to acclimate. Just make sure to discard the water from the shipping container before adding the corals.

Generally the reason that SPS will RTN in newer tanks is because the levels (especially of alk) are not yet stable.

Hope that helps!

I thought they were the same person because she mentioned her boyfriend so I thought that was the other person posting.