Help Please Coral Turning white!

[luther1200]

And thats not totally true about no SPS for a year. People say that so new people can get a grasp of the water chemistry needs I think more than anything. There is no written documents or proof of any kind that you shouldn't put SPS in a new tank, because of the actual water quality that I am awair of. I put SPS in my tank after about 3-4 months and didn't have any problems, and so do 95% of reefers. So I doub that is the OP's problem. People just try to blame problems on stuff like that when they can't find any other reason.

 

[gooyferret]

Does RTN spread? And what corals will it affect? Will it only affect SPS, or will it affect LPS and Softies?

Anyone have experience on what corals it does effect?
Will WC help?

**Update: Just fragged the effected colony and threw out the affected part and put the frags back into the tank into a container until I get some frag plugs tommorrow.

TIA

 

[Toddrtrex]

What are your Cal and Mag levels?

What lights, and how much flow?

Did you check for any pests? Did you dip the corals or just put them in your tank?

And while your tests say that your tank is stable, there are changes going on that you can't test for that will effect corals, anemone, and any other difficult to keep corals/inverts.

 

[cindyreef]

This happened to mine and it did spread to other sps. I eventually lost all my frags. I would frag pieces that have no white on them and dip like someone already advised. I have no experience with RTN attacking softies or lps.
I believe a temp variation caused it to start. Did you have a temp problem?

 

[gooyferret]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15247023#post15247023 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Toddrtrex
What are your Cal and Mag levels?

What lights, and how much flow?

Did you check for any pests? Did you dip the corals or just put them in your tank?

And while your tests say that your tank is stable, there are changes going on that you can't test for that will effect corals, anemone, and any other difficult to keep corals/inverts.

I have 3 - 250watt MH on the tank 14k

Corals are in Medium to High flow.

I didnt dip the corals before I put them in the tank, they have been in there for over a month. I have not noticed any pests from what I can see....except the ocassional amphipod which are all over the place since I dont have many fish.

Calcium = 460
Alk = 9

This happened to mine and it did spread to other sps. I eventually lost all my frags. I would frag pieces that have no white on them and dip like someone already advised. I have no experience with RTN attacking softies or lps.
I believe a temp variation caused it to start. Did you have a temp problem?

My temp has been the same since I have setup the tank. It fluxuates between 78-80 degrees and always constant.

 

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15247023#post15247023 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Toddrtrex
What are your Cal and Mag levels?

 

[gooyferret]

Edited last post sorry you beat me to it!

Alk 9
Cal 460

 

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15247173#post15247173 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gooyferret
Edited last post sorry you beat me to it!

Alk 9
Cal 460

Cool.

And to make sure everything is covered, the Alk is dKh ? (( as opposed to meq/l , which it would be very very high )).

Do you have a Mag test kit?

 

[gooyferret]

No I dont have a Mag test kit since I usually just do WC.....

I was going to pickup a Mag test kit but dont really wanna spend the money on that right now, could maybe borrow a friends.

Alk is DKH correct!

 

[Toddrtrex]

What salt do you use, and how often do you do a WC? (( should be able to get an idea of your Mag -- at least the starting point )).

 

[gooyferret]

I use Reef Crystals, I believe the Mag is at 1260 in that salt....

I have done a WC monthly, last WC was 20gallons about week and half ago.

 

[wrott]

It could just be placement of the colony. It may take a month before you would see the signs of stress--then blam--out of the blue you get STN. It's hard for the coral to fully recover from this, but they can start to regrow if conditions are right.

 

[cindyreef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15247385#post15247385 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wrott
It could just be placement of the colony. It may take a month before you would see the signs of stress--then blam--out of the blue you get STN. It's hard for the coral to fully recover from this, but they can start to regrow if conditions are right. [/QUOTE

Not sure if this is hyjacking or not...if it is Sorry...but I would like to know more about what you mean by placement and taking about a month to show. Sounds like what happens to my sps. Does STN mean "slow tissue N"?

 

[gooyferret]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15248628#post15248628 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cindyreef

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15247385#post15247385 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wrott
It could just be placement of the colony. It may take a month before you would see the signs of stress--then blam--out of the blue you get STN. It's hard for the coral to fully recover from this, but they can start to regrow if conditions are right. [/QUOTE

Not sure if this is hyjacking or not...if it is Sorry...but I would like to know more about what you mean by placement and taking about a month to show. Sounds like what happens to my sps. Does STN mean "slow tissue N"?

Cindyreef,

No problem this is why I started this thread is to get opinions and ideas of what this happens.

RTN is Rapid Tissue Necrosis, The coral is "disolved" from the skeleton of the coral. SPS are sensitive to placement in the tank, flow, light, etc... But not having them in the right spot will stress them out which can cause from what I understand RTN.

RTN could show up as soon as the day you get the coral to anytime after that from what I have read. I have heard and read online that some people have healthy colonies/corals for over 6 years then RTN happens for unknown reasons.

My corals seemed to be doing fine, although some were given to me because they browned out on the previous owner, (he bought cheap ebay bulbs). The polyps on mine were extended, but color never returned for the month in which I had it. Although some say that it can take several months for corals to get there color back after browning out.

MY QUESTION:

Does RTN spread to other corals, or will it only affect "non healthy" corals?

 

[es1887]

it can spread for sure! i suggest getting it out while you can. saving what you can of the coral before it spreads to others, and you lose the coral.
it doesnt always spread but that is kind of like playin roulette. it will happen to totally healthy corals. it usually starts in a new coral and then corals that you have had for years can go down with it.

 

[gooyferret]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15251878#post15251878 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by es1887
it can spread for sure! i suggest getting it out while you can. saving what you can of the coral before it spreads to others, and you lose the coral.
it doesnt always spread but that is kind of like playin roulette. it will happen to totally healthy corals. it usually starts in a new coral and then corals that you have had for years can go down with it.

So does it have to be on a coral to spread or does it live in the water colum? If there are no SPS for it to feed on will it die and not have to worry about future corals or will it still exsist in the tank?

 

[es1887]

it is not a parasite so it does not live in the water column. it is purely stress induced, too much light, too much flow, too good of spectrum (maybe in your case) ect. yes it has to be on a coral, but sometimes it happens so quickly that your other corals can get it over night and even in five or ten minutes. it is still unknown, but it has to do with the coral tissue cells that adhere it to the skeleton. does the coral have a white band at the site of necrosis?

 

[wrott]

cindyreef,
Placement has to do with flow and lighting, and STN is Slow Tissue Necrosis. I have witnessed a stressor like a power outage for several hours, then 2-4 weeks later STN. Even though I had battery back up on a Tunze PH going, it still caused STN--probably a temperature issue.
And yes STN and RTN can spread to other colonies. I believe it is a chemical response from the dying coral that induces others to bleach. This has been seen on reefs, where an entire portion of a reef will bleach(RTN), probably due to temperature fluctuations like El Nino/La Nina. So I would think lots of carbon and frequent WCs would help.