my turn.. sps crash..

Maverick00 · #1 10-07-2011, 04:08 PM

Ive been on vacation for the last 3 weeks and got my roomate to look after and dose the tank. however weeks BEFORE i left i noticed some problems with a couple pieces of sps bleaching and RTN'n. I got back yesterday to find the RTN is very slowly progressing on all my sps. Birdsnest and acro pieces are the main corals affected. (the rest of my zoas have also shriveled up and died) All lps is fine and opening. There are a few things i have changed in the last couple of months. Bulb changes (one bulb at a time) from 4 blue plus, to 3 white and 1 blue. Im not sure if that could have been a possible cause. I also started using an RODI unit as well as switching from biopellets to phosban. Any ideas on trying to narrow this issue down? Im going to try to frag the remaining pieces. Frustrating... Ill try to get some pics and water paras later today. Thanks for any help

Snappy · #2 10-07-2011, 04:17 PM

Quote:

I got back yesterday to find the RTN is very slowly progressing on all my sps.

Bummer however your discription sounds like STN not RTN

RTN - rapid tissue necrosis
STN - slow tissue necrosis

STN can usually be stopped by fragging or even some glue around the affected areas with some covering a small amount of flesh stopping it from progressing.
That said STN is generally how reefs are made in nature. The bottom dies off and the tops grow. If it isn't going from the bottom upward you have problems in your system and need to do some tests and likely water changes ASAP.
Good luck.

christyf5 · #3 10-07-2011, 05:04 PM

Aw man! Get your parameters up, likely its a water quality issue so hopefully you can get some waterchanges in there. At least with STN theres a chance you can save some of your corals.

doch · #4 10-07-2011, 07:39 PM

Oh man... I feel for you. I'm just getting over a crash myself. Water changes.... Water changes.... Water changes.... Water changes.... you get the idea. Make sure you have good test kits.... test lots, document changes and dose appropriately.

ScubaSteve · #5 10-07-2011, 08:34 PM

I feel for ya. I've had this in the past before and actually had it start today as well (transferred systems this week).

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say this started with the birdsnest? I find birdsnests are particularly bad for this. They start dyin from the inside out and go up like lit matches. Once they start everyone else seems to follow. I recommend taking to worst of them out and frag in them or ditching them completely then watch the rest. You'll probably find that it stops.

Maverick00 · #6 10-07-2011, 08:57 PM

yeah snappy sorry i guess itd be STN. Birdsnest, Yep thats where it all began and everything else seemed to go a few weeks after. I tested parameters and everything is moreless in check. I do have a mild case of hair algae that is on a couple rocks and glass but nothing like ive had in the past. Also ive noticed today brown looking algae on the sand right around where the shadows would be around some of the live rock. Theres not alot of it, it seemed to have just started. I guess ill start with some water changes. Thanks for the comments guys.

Temp 78
Sal 1.027
PH 8.1
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 0ppm
Ammonia <0.25ppm
Alk 8.6dKH
Mag 1440ppm
Cal 430ppm
Phosphate Not Detectable

globaldesigns · #7 10-07-2011, 09:25 PM

Sorry to hear that... As someone who has had issues with RTN, I feel for you.

I myself am still recovering, it is so much slower to recover compared to losing.

Your salinity seems a little high. Everything else seems ok. Your PH is also, but both params are not crazy out of whack.

Hope it gets better for you!

don.ald · #8 10-07-2011, 09:32 PM

some of my sps suffered stn when i started to use phosban...at least that was the biggest change i could recall at the time.

doch · #9 10-08-2011, 02:46 AM

8.1 ph is a little high? Aren't we shooting for 8.1-8.2? I know that I am.

Aquattro · #10 10-08-2011, 03:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doch

8.1 ph is a little high? Aren't we shooting for 8.1-8.2? I know that I am.

I'd be really happy if I hit 8.1! All parameters look great, other than salinity being .001 over what I'd run, but nothing that would cause tissue loss. I'd remove the phosban for now and do a water change, see how things go.