Help! Rtn!!

[minh_han]

I'm having a big problem. There are two frags I got from Bud that are melting day by day, the large stag coral and the bali green slimer. One day they were fine, and then the next they started getting white at the base. By two days, the bali was half skeleton. I hurriedly broke the bali slimer in half above the line of RTN and superglued the broken edge. But it's happening again!

The stag was doing really well. Up until two days ago that is. Now, the base is whitening and rapidly moving up. I just don't know what to do. I did have a few stag frags that had broken off in the move, and the vast majority of them died. The stag frags Ryan got did the same thing. So, I don't think it's just my tank. I'm considering breaking off the top part and moving it to a different part of the tank to save at least a bit.

To top it all off, I think the RTN of the stag frag has adversely affect the colt coral next to it. It's shriveled up and sloughing.

I feel really bad that these really nice frags have started going south. Like I said, I don't htink it's my tank, but I welcome any suggestions. Or if you live close, come by and see for yourself. Maybe a keen experienced eye can catch something that I missed.

[bdr127]

Minh: Bud's frags did the same thing in my tank within the first week... :(

The green monti cap showed a couple little white spots one evening, and when I came home from work the next day, the entire thing was white... dead.

The stag was bad, though... All of the branches managed to go white and die within a day or two. All I have left is the thick base which seems to be doing okay now.

I saved most of the green slimer (I think?) and mounted it on some rock..... seems to be better now.

Neil ("Nakama") gave me a little bit of Lugol's solution to dip the corals in, and I must say that it put the RTN in check. I'm now putting a drop or two in my 15g every 6-7 days. Things look better than they did before.

Anyways, I would recommend a Lugol's dip.... also, to reduce stress (which is the major cause of RTN), reduce your lighting period, do a water change (or two), and keep your temp WAY down. I know you recently had a temp spike, Minh, so I'm sure that did not help the situation....

Oh well.... :( Sorry that this had to happy to you, too. :rolleye1:

[minh_han]

Well, at least I'm not the culprit. It's wierd. The stag is dying at an exponential rate. I've got to try to save at least a bit of it and hope for growout. The monti cap you fragged for me is doing ok Brad. And the birdsnest was bleaching out when I put it halfway down the tank, but it's doing a bit better right near the surface. All the fish are ok, and the LTA is fine. I keep on thinking it's going to split, but it never does. This RTN thing just is leaving me puzzled.

[pncstod]

What do you have for lighting? Are they getting enough light? It also sounds like the temperature spike may have caused the problem. If the coral was already stressed (by being fragged) and then you combine that with a temp spike it could cause it. I had another tank get up to high temperatures but had no problems because it was a well established tank with no stress. Just a couple thoughts...........

[Ryan22]

Well guys, if it makes you feel any better, all of the monti frags that I got from Bud did the same thing. One piece, the nicest one is the only one that made it, it stopped about half way up from the base. I thought it was from the epoxy that I used, but not that I hear this I'm having second thoughts. I never mentioned it, because I thought it was due to my error. I did two thirty gallon water changes and it stopped. The piece of stag that I got is doig fine though, I even can see a bit of new growth. Everything else is doing great.

By the way, I met a guy in a scuba class that I just took that would like to join the club. He doesn't have regular access to the internet, but he has a really nice 125 galon tank and is very interested in trading. Hopefully he will get on here soon and introduce himself.

[Bravodelta]

I am so sad to hear of the problems you guys are having. The only thing I can think of is that I had them under 2 250 watt MH. I can't think of anything else it could be except stress of the fragging party. Everything was still up and running in my tank when you guys came over and I never had any problems. Many of the frags you guys didn't take got put into my buddies 200 gallon tank and they are all doing fine. He is running 3 400 watt radiums so maybe the difference is the lighting? Also, my SPS are used to getting fed twice a week with Tahitian Blend Algal Paste. I only ever had one coral RTN in my tank, and it was right after I bought it but I saved it by fragging it. I think some of you guys got the frags of it, it was the green table. I can't think of anything else. Let me know what is still alive and I will try to find a solution.


Bud

[bdr127]

Hey Bud.... It's okay... It's not your fault. I feel bad that any life has to die, though.

As for lighting, I have a 250W MH pendant over my SPS tank, so I don't know if that was the issue.... The stag and monti cap were the ones that were really hit. Everything else is looking good! Did you see the recent pics from my tank? http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=200185 ...the Bubble is doing awesome!!! He looks completely revived and puffing up huge!

Thanks again for your generosity. We greatly appreciated it.

[minh_han]

Ok, at this point, 99% of the beautiful 17" stag coral has succumbed to RTN. Sad day. Dan B., has the stag frag I gave you made it and done well?

I tried breaking off the portion of the bali that had RTN, but I wasn't quick enough. The portion I broke off is melting before my eyes.

So, I still have the birdsnest and the green monti cap. The teal zoos I bought from Bud are also doing well, if the tuxedo urchin would just quit picking up the polyps and placing them on its back. :)

I feel really bad for the frags, and I would blame my temp spikes on the corals' demise, but it seems all three of us had the same problems, and Ryan and Brad don't have any tank issues.

[dburr]

Just got back from camping. I got a little wet but we I had fun.

Yeah, mine got a little white in a couple spots, a little touch'n'go.

It's in my ten gallon w/ all my other SPS's till I set up my new 90.(dang store sent me home w/ wrong stand:mad2: )
It pulled thru OK. I'm hoping it'll recover just fine. It's under 1 175 MH. No atinic, in my basement, 8 hours of light. It took a couple of days before the polyps came out.

BTW, I was moving some things around and my green slimmer came dislodged and hit the basement floor:eek2: . I got a few frags for the next meeting.:D ;) :smokin:

Dan

[minh_han]

Maybe I'll have better luck with your green slimer. Or maybe I should just wait on more SPS for now. It'll always be there. I'm thinking about getting Paul's 250W MH for the canopy. ANd maybe I'll keep my three 175 in there too, if I can fit them all in.

[ez1ez]

It was happening to me in my reef tank and I added Iodine, lowered my calcium from 450 to 400 and it stopped. I also checked the alkaline. I read what to do here at RC, It was happening to someone in Calif. and it worked for them. Goodluck.

[dburr]

2-250W and 3-175w.... :bum: better buy some sunglasses!:eek2:

[minh_han]

Well, I wouldn't know how to fit that much light into the tank canopy. Maybe I should replace two of the exsisting lights, but I'm not sure how to make my 175W ballast work, b/c it seems it's made for three lights. Any thoughts would be welcome.

[ez1ez]

Minh, If your canopy is wide enough try the lights length wise front to back instead of left to right. I saw a 180 canopy with 6 175's like that. when you opened the front of his canopy you where looking at the tip of the bulbs.