Acro STN help thread

[Premiumfrags]

I'll tell you, My tank looked great for a while with the pellets. I've been running them for about 7 months. I posted a thread a few weeks ago about going back to basics, guess its time. Time for some new macro.

My buddy who is running them had a huge RTN event right off the bat, but we linked it to all the algal die off in the tank because of the rapid reduction of nutrients. Literally ALL the nuisance algae died within a week, that stuff converted into ammonia and blammo...sps nuked. After the intial die off and settling down though, he has been running them for about 2 years straight with excellent color and growth on all sps. He cant keep LPS alive however, but zoas and palys grow like weeds.

But then again, i ran BP's for awhile and didnt like it. Too pastel on the colors, no growth, it was a really boring looking tank. So that tells me its success is very dependent on the system its being used on .

 

[redfishbluefish]

Isn't 6.6 to 7 too acidic. That could be a key issue

You're confusing pH and Alkalinity.

 

[Jcurry@wesketch]

I dose Zeobak every saturday and Amino's 2 times per week. Cal/Alk are also handled by dosers.

I was speaking with Rob (Hockeynut) today and he is going through the same issue. He mentioned he started dosing Aminos a little while ago before his troubles started. Anyone know what's in that stuff? Could you be accidentally overdosing something in the Amino's?

 

[jgraz]

I was on the phone yesterday with him as well. I'm at a loss here. Though I recently found out that this is a issue that has tested its head all over. I was reading some different threads around the forums about other with similar issues, acros only as well. Of note is Sanjay Joshi who lost a good bit of acros colonies very recently with little to no explanation.

 

[Hockeynut]

Hey John no new good news now my superman monti is headed down hill. Today I plan on doing a large water change to see if that helps. Jeff I looked at the ingredients in the amino and it says 99 percent protein. It shouldn't be that

 

[jgraz]

Rob, which amino's are you using? I was using Warner marine amino's but recently switch to the Aqua Vitro Fuel instead.

 

[asonitez]

I've been running biopellets WITH GFO and Carbon. Since my tanks birth. I run the BRS Biopellets and I dose the RedSea Program. I never experienced the STN issue that you guys are mentioning but I did at one point experience my tips growing brown bacteria and die'ing off on my SPS. I dipped which slowed it down. Eventually what I started doing was cutting the piece off and regluing it to a new plug.

maybe you can try cutting off the STN piece and allowing the coral a NEW shot at encrusting and establishing a base for itself?

 

[jgraz]

Good news/Bad news

Good: About a week ago I had a friend frag both the green slimer and pearlberry. A week later and the cuts are healing over and both look pretty good.

Bad: Three other colonies are showing signs of STN now. My ATL Limeade, Cali Tort, and ORA Joe The Coral are all starting to pull back from the base. The The first 2 are colonies so I might be able to save them the latter is a frag so im pretty sure its toast.

On to the changes that I have made to rectify ths problem. NONE. I have been testing constantly to see if there are any flucuations in the parameters, there is not. The dosers don't appear to be causing and swings. So they stay online. Also I have kept the bio-pellets online as well, for now.

I really think that what im looking at here is some type of virus or bacteria. Possibly coming in with the wild corals? IDK. While im trying to save everything I have accepted the fact that I just might lose all of my Acro's. If I do then I will go without them for about 6 months or so and slowly build up.

 

[dan_k]

John sorry to see this happen to you everything I got back from is looking great some that had a little stn are already growing back over the dead tissue and have great growth if there's anything I can do please let me know

 

[Fish Brain]

Wow, I guess I'm not the only one with major tank trouble. I've lost 80% of my SPS over the last couple of weeks. I also took the BP's off line and increased water changes, but it seemed like the more water changes I did, the worse the problem got. I thought I had a batch of bad salt or something.

 

[jgraz]

Wow, I guess I'm not the only one with major tank trouble. I've lost 80% of my SPS over the last couple of weeks. I also took the BP's off line and increased water changes, but it seemed like the more water changes I did, the worse the problem got. I thought I had a batch of bad salt or something.

I've had quite similar results. Has yours been confined to acros as well, or all SPS? What salt are you using. I'm going with RC over here. I've also considered the salt as an issue but everything appears solid with the lvls. Just in case I'm gonna start a new bucket that was purchased at a different store.

 

[Fish Brain]

I've lost all but one or two acros and they are on their last leg. I've lost my superman Moni and all my caps are very pale. LPS, softies and gorgonians are fine.

I'm using reef crystals but it is not a new box or anything. I've use this same box before the problems of late. It's only in the last 3 weeks that things have gone downhill fast.

 

[Hockeynut]

Wow crazy bad time, sorry to hear about your tank Brian. It seems like a lot of tanks are in a tail spin.

 

[jgraz]

Well the problem is continuing and with the recent loss of my central air the tank temps went up to 83.7, causing some of the STN to go to RTN. over the last few days I'm down 4 more colonies with another handfull on their way. I'm pretty sure im gonna throw in the towel here with the acros. When they are all gone I won't be adding any for several months at least. All other corals still look good.

 

[Mike S]

Man tough break with the acro's. Hope things settle down for you.

 

[jgraz]

So I suppose I should revisit this.

Things have been going well for me with acros recently. Still not great but not horrible either. I have noticed tact whenever I touch or move something it goes downhill fast.

Well true to form I moved a few pieces the other day and came home last night those pieces dead. The skin was quite literally flying off of them. I am completely lost with this stuff.

 

[trivan]

So I suppose I should revisit this.

Things have been going well for me with acros recently. Still not great but not horrible either. I have noticed tact whenever I touch or move something it goes downhill fast.

Well true to form I moved a few pieces the other day and came home last night those pieces dead. The skin was quite literally flying off of them. I am completely lost with this stuff.

Could there be traces of something on your hands? Soap or something you may be in contact with at work? I've started using Nitrile gloves whenever I have to handle coral, I started this once I read the stories about Zoa's and the toxicity warnings. I'd rather be safe then in the hospital.

 

[jgraz]

Could there be traces of something on your hands? Soap or something you may be in contact with at work? I've started using Nitrile gloves whenever I have to handle coral, I started this once I read the stories about Zoa's and the toxicity warnings. I'd rather be safe then in the hospital.

You know, I guess anything is possible at this point. I don't use gloves in the tank at all. Guess I should start. It's just odd that everything else does good. Only problems are the acros.