is RTN/STN contagious?

[Triggerfish]

been battling a few RTN issues over the past couple months..i think most were more than likely from temp swings..had two good sized ones during that time. during the most recent one i lost a nice blue tip. happenned so fast..
so far i have not been able to save any parts of the corals... i fragged most of the tips from the last one 3/4 - 1.5", they all died.

 

[RichConley]

i've noticed a few times when i have had RTN issues, that Temp and sometimes PH seemed to have been the root cause.

During my tank move, I had a heater die in one of the holding tubs I was using. The temp dropped from 80 to about 70 over the course of the night. It killed almost all of the SPS, the BTA bleached out (and is still bleached but recovering)). All the non sps stuff looked like crap, but made it through OK.

I think temp swings can really bother corals.


I don't think RTN is "contagious" so to say, I think its more of the fact that conditions that bother one SPS enough to cause them to essentially go into shock are going to bother most of the SPS, and the increased pollutant levels from corals sliming, and tissue death certainly dont help the ones that havent RTN'ed yet.

 

[Greg Hiller]

Here's a good place to start to understand RTN, please read these two threads, they are not that long:

http://216.235.242.50/forums/showthread.php?t=6522

http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=14162

 

[skatezen]

If your reactor did all that in a night I wouldn't be surprised if your pH dropped a lot with the added CO2 from the reactor. Leading to your RTN. Always start out slowly with a reactor and raise it as necessary.

 

[steevareno]

Just to clarify, did/is the tissue on the affected corals suddenly start peeling off, almost looking like a spider web on a stark white skeleton (RTN), or it the tissue still there but look white (bleaching)? Actually both. First sign was definitly RTN, tissue like peeling off. Some corals now have whit tips or are almost all white. Kind of like they were burned, i guess this would be bleaching.

If there's any question, the media I gave you with the reactor was all ARM, about 1/2 was new and the other 1/2 was used a few months and well rinsed.

I rinsed all the media well and added some new of my own, all ARM. I think it's not the media. By the way i love this reactor, please don't think i'm blaming it in any way. Very happy with my purchase!

 

[steevareno]

Not sure what the ph was at night but i've been good about checking the tank and efflunet ph every day and seems to be fine. I just got my Pinpoint PH controller and will be setting it up this weekend!

 

[steevareno]

I've fragged many good pieces but all have died as well. Stuff is nasty like the black plague!!!

 

[steevareno]

Thanks for the links Greg, i've got some learning to do! 10 degree temp swing, wow! That stinks! I'm going to keep my levels as straight as arrows from now on. The reactor is settling in and everything looks good. Thanks for all the help!!!!

 

[steevareno]

Assuming my levels are all ok now, how soon can i safely add new coral? I don't want to rush anything and i figured out the stressor that caused the rtn and bleaching so am i ok now? All my params are keeping level.....