STN issue...

[BfishLpond78]

So I have been noticing that my millis and all long polyp SPS are starting STN from the base up, very slowly to I might add. Now first thought was...oh no...the dreaded AEFW...so the first thing I did was remove the coral and do a Bayer dip an look for worms or something to fly off...so I did that....nothing....not even a dead pod. So I did the next thing...test water params...

Alk - 8.4 (Hanna checker)
Calcium - 430 (Red Sea)
PO4 - 0ppm (Hanna checker)
Nitrate - 0ppm (Salifert)
Mag - 1490 (Red Sea)

Could it be my system is too clean...no way, GFO is offline and I feed a lot, colors are all good. All other SPS look fine. Have some acros that show no sign of this issue.

Also, green psammacora (spelling, fuzzy short polyps coral, SPS) is also showing signs of this and it's not a type of acro.

So does anyone else have any ideas? As this is really heartbreaking, I've snipped a bunch of pieces already in effort to save them.

One last fact, this started a few weeks ago with a wild red milli, I've had the piece for months and it was growing well and encrusting then out of no where this all happened, I cut off what I could and the piece is still alive.

 

[Randy15]

Possibly a crab of some sort is picking polyps?

 

[BfishLpond78]

Possibly a crab of some sort is picking polyps?

I'm not seeing any crabs, I wish it was that easy.

 

[tdb320reef]

So I have been noticing that my millis and all long polyp SPS are starting STN from the base up, very slowly to I might add. Now first thought was...oh no...the dreaded AEFW...so the first thing I did was remove the coral and do a Bayer dip an look for worms or something to fly off...so I did that....nothing....not even a dead pod. So I did the next thing...test water params...

Alk - 8.4 (Hanna checker)
Calcium - 430 (Red Sea)
PO4 - 0ppm (Hanna checker)
Nitrate - 0ppm (Salifert)
Mag - 1490 (Red Sea)

Could it be my system is too clean...no way, GFO is offline and I feed a lot, colors are all good. All other SPS look fine. Have some acros that show no sign of this issue.

Also, green psammacora (spelling, fuzzy short polyps coral, SPS) is also showing signs of this and it's not a type of acro.

So does anyone else have any ideas? As this is really heartbreaking, I've snipped a bunch of pieces already in effort to save them.

One last fact, this started a few weeks ago with a wild red milli, I've had the piece for months and it was growing well and encrusting then out of no where this all happened, I cut off what I could and the piece is still alive.

how do you run your GAC active or passive and what type? I found that when your running N03 and P04 that low that activated carbon like ROX .08 will remove the remaining phenol and the corals start to starve. Id lay off of the carbon and increase the two above parameters. BTW I had the same issue and lost my green sammy, I just picked up a frag to start my new colony.

 

[BfishLpond78]

I run the small particle stuff from BRS through a TLF reactor at low flow. I do feed a lot, well I thought I did anyway.

I'll shut down the carbon for now and see what happens. Should I try any aminos or anything? My colors are good on the corals

 

[BfishLpond78]

What are some safe ways or raising these paremeters?

 

[tdb320reef]

I feed heavy and move my water changes from every-week to every other week. Feed fish PE mysys, oyster feast and multiple feedings. For GAC Rox .08 I only use 1 cup for 400G in a filter bag passively and Ill drop it in the sump one day a week to polish the water. I have actually went without carbon and the water does get slightly cloudy but have not noticed any issues and prob. will stop using carbon when I run out of media.

 

[BfishLpond78]

I feed heavy and move my water changes from every-week to every other week. Feed fish PE mysys, oyster feast and multiple feedings. For GAC Rox .08 I only use 1 cup for 400G in a filter bag passively and Ill drop it in the sump one day a week to polish the water. I have actually went without carbon and the water does get slightly cloudy but have not noticed any issues and prob. will stop using carbon when I run out of media.

Interesting, I will see what cutting out the carbon does. Hopefully that will help.

Thank you for your input.

 

[Randy15]

Any updates?

 

[BfishLpond78]

Looks like it was a low nutrient issue with my tank. Started feeding heavily and over the course of the last few months some SPS recovered but others continued to recede.

 

[tannersmith2000]

Hey

I was about to post the exact same thing but read your thread.

I have a small bushy acro (tenius) and it is showing symptoms of STN. I have dipped it twice using CoralRX hoping I would not see any AEFW and I did not even see a grain of sand fall from this colony. I basted it with a turkey baster and nothing. I saw no eggs after careful inspection.

Is it really probable to have AEFW on a colony, dip it, baste it with a baster and not see one single AEFW fall from an infected colony?

My parameters are tip top and my other acros are thriving.

It scares the heck out of me anytime I see this.