View Full Version : how to stop rtn?
I just picked up a nice multicolor acro colony yesterday and today noticed its starting to rtn! Efffff what can I do? I hear super glue over the affected area? Frag off what is unaffected? Or is it doomed? It's just a small spot so far but I don't want to lose this piece. Ughh I hate sps now.
Heres the coral you can see why I don't want to lose it
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/IMAG0322.jpg
FragIt Dan
09-16-2012, 10:09 PM
RTN is caused by some sort of stress to the coral... figure out what that stress is and how to fix it and it should stop on it's own. Sometimes just the move and change in water can start the RTN. trimming or crazy glue might isolate the dead tissue, but if the stressor remains it will just kill the remainder of the coral. What else can you tell us about what might be stressing it out?
Dan
RTN is caused by some sort of stress to the coral... figure out what that stress is and how to fix it and it should stop on it's own. Sometimes just the move and change in water can start the RTN. trimming or crazy glue might isolate the dead tissue, but if the stressor remains it will just kill the remainder of the coral. What else can you tell us about what might be stressing it out?
Dan
Well the only thing I can think of is it was on the sandben in the tank I got it from, I put it mid level in my tank, the tank I got it from was metal halide, mine is led other then that my parameters are fine
Salinity 1.024
Ca420
Mag1350
Alk9
0 nitrates ammonia etc. I clipped off the rtn area and fragged a piece that looked good, then glued over the affect cutting site I hope this works.. I also move it back to the sandbed at the front of the tank, whch was where it was in the tank purchased from.
FragIt Dan
09-16-2012, 11:17 PM
I would say you are doing the right thing so far. Other things to check: make sure water flow is appropriate and there are no parasites on it. Good luck,
Dan
Water flow is pretty good IMO. I have a dozen other sps frags I've had for 6 months +/- with no problems no parasites I can see. Mind you its tough to see them sometimes and it was fipped while acclimating. The lfs had it for a good month before I bought it as I've been eyeing it up. So I don't think it has anything to do with it being transferred to quickly.
Borderjumper
09-16-2012, 11:24 PM
Water flow is pretty good IMO. I have a dozen other sps frags I've had for 6 months +/- with no problems no parasites I can see. Mind you its tough to see them sometimes and it was fipped while acclimating. The lfs had it for a good month before I bought it as I've been eyeing it up. So I don't think it has anything to do with it being transferred to quickly.
What and how long did you dip it in?
If I see RTN I always make a frag that is at least 1 cm away from the affect tissue and put it in a different spot in the tank. I have been able to stop RTN on established corals, but I have never been able to stop it on new corals. In the case of new corals there isn't much you can do that I know of. STN is much easier to stop since you have a much bigger time frame.
Are you sure it is RTN and not STN? With RTN you will be able to see the skin sloughing off and it spreads rapidly, like 4-6" per day. STN is much slower so you don't usually see the skin sloughing, just peeling up at the very edge of the affected area. STN can be as slow as 1" per month or so.
What and how long did you dip it in?
Good question. I have had horrible luck/experiences with iodine-based dips. CoralRx seems to be effective and well-tolerated by all corals that I've used it on.
Yes its definitely rtn I've had it before. As for the dip, maybe 10 minutes as per the directions.
Edit dipped in coralrx
The piece I fragged off was on the next branch over but appeared unaffected, should I cut more off for saving purposes or leave it be? I definitely won't be buying colonies anymore. I only bought I cause its a beautiful piece and I hate waiting for frags to grow out. Big mistake I think.
Enigma
09-16-2012, 11:53 PM
I had one very nice sized SPS frag (a green birdsnest, that i recieved from sphelps) take a terrible beating on the way home in my truck (a Superduty 4x4 with very rigid suspension). I was horrified. It lost 50% of its tissue in 24 hours (it had lost some tissue on the way home, which was in the bottom of the bag).
I dipped it in Reef Dip (according to the instructions) as it was all I had, and put it back in my tank. There was some tissue regrowth, but some of the skeleton started getting algae growth. I then dipped it in a solution of 1:10 of H202:tank water for ten minutes.
Every single bit of tissue regrew, and it has doubled in size.
While I certainly didn't take the "textbook" approach, if the situation was dire, I would do it again.
Well its too early to say, but since moving it and trimming it off it seems to be ok. The last one I took the same approach too died with in a few hours. Here's hoping. If it continues to spread I'm just going to cut of more if I can thats healthy.
Sigh. How do you guys do it? All your sps heavy tanks look so beautiful and mine (while new) has just been a head ache some days. :sad:
Well the acro seems to have made it through the night, good polyp extension this morning. I'm sure its too soon to call it ok but I'm glad it made it. Both pieces I fragged off too are alive and well ATM. So if all goes well I'll have my first sps frags for sale.
How long til I know it ok to slowly move it where I want it? I could put it on ky frag rack and slowly raise it to the height I want it over a week or too, would this help acclimate it to the light? What else should i do/know about rtn and sps stress while I'm on the topic?
Thanks everyone for the help
Proteus
09-17-2012, 04:07 PM
Dibs on the frag. Lol
Dibs on the other frag :p
Lol ones spoken for if it all survives the other is first come first serve. So wish me luck if you want some ;)
FragIt Dan
09-17-2012, 09:10 PM
Personally, if the RTN has stopped, I would give it a couple if weeks to settle. If you start to see some growth you are probably good to go. It may have just been the stress from the move and dip and now that it has made it you will hopefully be fine. If you are planning on moving it up in the tank, maybe try 1/3 of the remaining distance to the surface once per week as a start (each time you move it you will have a shorter move next time).
Dan
Thanks Dan. Yeah it seems to be better today, at least when my wife called me at lunch, she said she couldn't see any tn and the polyps were out and happy. So here's to hoping! thanks again
Ken
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