SPS problem moving quickly

[Gordo]

I've got a rock that has a button sized frag and a two inch frag of unknown SPS's. This morning I noticed that the button-sized frag had died (totally white). When I came home this afternoon the problem had moved over to the 2 inch frag. It seems to be sluffing off its polyps and leaving just the calcium skeleton. I blew off the base of the frag and this is what it looked like after I did that. I’ve never had any problems with my SPS, so I’m not sure what’s going on. I’m going to do a water change and check my water parameters. Should I pull the coral from the tank to keep what ever is happening from spreading? Could I frag the very top to save a small piece?

Thanks,

Gordon

 

[MtnDewMan]

Definately an RTN event there ...

I have found that digitata is very tough when it comes to that, so it must be stressed. Any changes in the tank? Different lights? Different flows? Temperature looks okay?

Water change is a good idea for sure. What do the rest of your corals look like? Nice and healthy? How old are these frags in your tank?

Sorry for all of the questions because as you know, I lost more than half of my tank of corals to RTN.

 

[Fragman]

Frag it immediately!

This looks like the same orange digitara that I have. It is sensative and when it starts to go you have to frag it. Plan on cliping it at least a 1/4 inch above the dead tissue. you may not have the room judging from the picture. Good luck!

Paul

 

[RockyHeap]

Frag Swap Losses?

Damn Gordo, That frag was fine and healthy when I recently traded it to you! Oh well, I've had my recent lossed too. Sorry to hear about it!

and Chuck, MtnDoodleMan, this was a frag I got from you off your mother colony a while back if you know the exact species.......

This was a trade Gordo and I did during the frag swap.

I too just recently "suddenly" lost a couple a couple of SPS frags I picked up from the frag swap. BOOM in 2 days time they go from heatlhy to nadda meat bone white.

Haven't changed a thing in my tank, yet the RTN hits. You gotta figure how recent the frag swap was only a month ago, I believe that some corals just can't or don't adjust to the new host tank parameters and they blow out.

Anyone else have a sudden loss from the frag swap?

 

[dnjan]

Yes, I lost an SPS frag (orange M. cap) from the swap as well. In just a couple of days it went all white. So far, it doesn't look like the rest of the tank was affected.

 

[mattseattle]

*crossing fingers and knocking on wood* so far all the frags i picked up at the swap are thriving. alot of new growth on mine.

what is RTN by the way?

 

[Mushroom Boy]

Dave, were they frags that you got from me? Let me know, I may be able to get you some more...

RTN is "rapid tissue necrosis". It's a hobby generated term pertaining to these kinds of rapid colony loss. HTH

Paul.

 

[mattseattle]

what is the usual cause?

 

[RockyHeap]

Ummmm, yeah Paul........

Didn't want to spread the bad news........it was the brown with white tip SPS Acro, and another one very similar (or maybe I got 2 of those from you) its all a big frag blur of what I got with your most generous frag donation for my big purple Gorg.......

One of your rocks had a dime size secondary coral on it? That one is doing fine (the small dime piece, but the big stalk blew out too as well as the brown/white one) Two 3" frags......dangitall........

Don't worry about "replacing" them, we'll get together and do more swaps in the future.......

Not my first RTN, nor I doubt it'll be my last.......I'd really like to hear more on possible causes other than "general stress" from Steve Tyree tomorrow.....

What happens in the wild when a sudden storm hits, light changes, or salinity goes wacko?

hmmmmmmm

 

[dnjan]

Yes, I lost an SPS frag (orange M. cap) from the swap as well. In just a couple of days it went all white. So far, it doesn't look like the rest of the tank was affected.

Spoke too soon. Here is a green M. cap colony that appears to have gotten the RTN as well. The bright white part is the affected portion of the coral, as is the slightly lighter area in approximately the middle of the picture. I fragged away the damaged parts (and with the brittleness of the M. cap, ended up breaking away about half the colony) right after this picture was taken, and so far it looks like that stopped the RTN.

I also noticed some new white spots on a Tubinaria cup while I was operating on the M. cap, so I removed portions of that coral as well.

Both of these colonies were fine when I put the frag in. I am guessing that the frag must have "caught something" in the water at the trade.

 

[Elmo18]

Hi Don. I'm sorry to hear about that frag. I was the person with the orange montipora capricornis. It has always done well in my tank. Specific Gravity is at 1.025+, temps around 80-82. If you completely lose the frag, just let me know and i'll try frag you another one. Maybe I should post pics of my main colony.

- Ilham

 

[dnjan]

Thanks for the offer. Since other people have reported some losses after the frag trade, I am guessing that whatever caused the RTN didn't "come in" on a montipora frag, but rather on something else that was immune. It just got spread in the holding tanks. I could have done a lugols dip (or even set up a Q-tank to hold the frags for a few days), but I didn't.

 

[David Winther]

Man, I had that SAME EXACT coral experiance RTN in my tank last month. It was a great piece too! It was about 9 inches round and was gone tip to base in two days. No clue as to what caused it. Rest of tank is/was great. Anybody think its fishy that this type is RTN'ing in several locations? Some kind of weather change, moon phase etc?

 

[northstaraquatics]

You can try a treatment of 10 drops/liter of Lugol's in a quarantine tank with aeration, or whole tank medication of 10 mg/gallon of doxycycline with no skimmer or carbon for 48 hours followed by a major water change. The last thing is to do nothing and let the tank run its course, which never worked well for me...

Jon

 

[northstaraquatics]

Temperature is often associated with RTN, ussually when it gets warmer. I find it ironic that researchers found a profound drop in phytoplankton in the Atlantic and are trying to blame it on global warming (less than 1 degree temp rise in the waters) yet we see pictures of exposed coral in full sun on the GBR that have no ill effects.