I'm watching my largest and oldest acro colony RTN.... Suggestions?

[deputydog95]

This is sad... I've had this colony for years and it's been thriving. So much so it expanded out and had been growing up the back wall of my tank and down the rock in front of it. Sure sign that it was happy at one point....

About 2 weeks ago, I noticed some bare spots on the base. Tissue below it was good and the tissue above it was good too. Figured it might be shading and didn't give it much thought.

It's getting way more aggressive now with the top going RTN in one part.

No explanation for this... I did see some white dots on the middle base where the color left the tissue and and they've expanded to other bare spots now. I've tried picking at them and they don't come off.

It's been forever since I've added anything new to the tank as I'm out of room.

Alk 9
Ca 440
Mg 1320
Temp 79
pH 7.9 to 8.2
Salinity 1.026
P04 .08
NO3 .75

Sorry for the crappy cell phone pics... There's some phyto in the water too which makes it hard to get clear pics with all the floating particulate.

Thoughts?

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[deputydog95]

Slightly better pic....

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[deputydog95]

Recent trident test.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[swk]

I'd always have random problems with long established pieces when mp40's would start rusting. It was like clockwork for me. Maybe check out your equipment for signs of corrosion.

 

[Sam2832]

Had the same thing happen last year to long established colonies.
Your parameters seem ok, you should try to get a frag of it just in case.
The one i lost to rtn

The remaining frag

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[A Aaron]

As someone said I did have something similar happen and found a frag rack rusty magnet. I thought it could be that since it's only happened to one colony but it could be the most sensitive. May a icp test would be worth it? Better to spend the money and test Incase it gets worse.

 

[Pife]

Do you know what aefw eggs look like? I'd guess a pest or it may need more flow.

 

[macdaddynick1]

Some things to check, exhausted DI resin, Flow, Low Potassium, Acropora Eating flatworm, really effective refugium that's pulling the elements and nutrients out of the water. The colony it might not be getting enough light and your nutrients are too low for the colony to support the shaded parts. Not sure if those things are the answer in your case but one of those might guide you in the right direction.

 

[ycnibrc]

Dip the colony and see if aefw are there. Big colony die with good quality water only either stress cause by pest or lack of flow. Frag s few frag dip in lugos solution and see if u can keep it and re grow it again.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[A Aaron]

Is it getting worse still

 

[C.Eymann]

I'd be trying to throw a little more flow at it and liue others mentioned be on the lookout for AEFW, both bitemarks and eggs. Camera macro lens can really help with this
Also how rapidly has this been receeding?

 

[deputydog95]

Hi folks. Thanks for all the great replies. Just to update the thread...

It's been going on for about a month and tj colony is about smoked at this point.

Tons of flow with two Apex wav's, a gyre, and a healthy return pump.

Par for the colony is around 400. It's right at the top and is under 3 kessil 360 and 4 T5's.

I tried adding flatwork exit last weekend. Nothing happened with the first dose, added an extra dose and still nothing. So I'm guessing flat worms we're not the issue.

I've since lowered the alk, or tried to lower the alk to around 8 to take some stress off. Unfortunately the tank is barely pulling any alk or calcium while the colony is dying off. I have a ton of SPS and a large clam, so I'm guessing the die off is irritating everything.....

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[deputydog95]

I did inspect the magnets, and didn't see any signs of compromise.

The most recent ICP test didn't show anything way out of line either.

RODI resins are fresh, as I just changed them all in the past month. TDS after the RO is 5 and 0 after the DI resin.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[deputydog95]

Here's a pic from a few minutes ago. Essentially the only parts left are the front and back where it's encrusted down the rock and up the bottom of the tank. Sad, this was a really cool piece and it was quite large.

I guess it needs to come out, but I have no idea how.

Any suggestions? It's pretty well welded itself to the rock and there are other corals that have encrusted on the same rock.

Or should I just start putting frags on top of it?

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[outssider]

If it dies, you're going to have a huge algae mess. hermit crabs/snails are going to have a tough time getting between the branches. I have a friend that says he has used a long chisel and hammer (with coral still in the tank) that scares the hell out of me !....can you pull the whole rock out ? …..I have had rocks welded together with coral binding them

 

[deputydog95]

It's already happening... The crabs and tangs are attacking it, but with so much light, so high in the tank, it's rapidly getting covered in algae.

Unfortunately there are a bunch of other corals on the same rock and it's all encrusted together.

I guess I could try taking my coral snips and breaking it apart. Will probably make a massive mess.

The die off is really ****ing the rest of the tank, big time. I turned my ca and alk dosing off today and the readings barely went down (using a Trident).... I was dosing 90ml a day of alk just to keep up prior to this getting all weird.

Running the skimmer a little wetter and doing a water change in the morning.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[outssider]

that rock is on the top of your tank. Can you pull the whole rock out ?

I would pull the whole rock, put it on the work table in my garage and start whacking it with a hammer and large screwdriver or chisel.... take care not to disturb the other corals on the rock.....(you will damage the other corals somewhat, try to have someone hold the rock while you whack on it)

 

[macdaddynick1]

How old are your t5s?

 

[deputydog95]

About 6 weeks. Reasonably new.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[steallife904]

had a colony the size of a soccer ball one time for no reason do the same and die. Nothing else in the tank affected, just the large one. Never found out why, my only guess was not enough light reaching the bottom and once it started it was to stressed to recover???????