In your decade of reefing... what is your STN RTN experience?

[FishTruck]

Have you been reefing for 10 years or more? I am talking about the death of SPS frags and colonies, bottom up loss of tissue, without any clear or obvious cause. This happened after a period of successfully growing and keeping corals. How would you categorize your experience with Slow or Rapid Tissue Necrosis? Did you beat it? Do you feel like you know how to prevent it or treat it? Please share your anecdotes and insights here.

 

[Nate Chalk]

Lost Majority of a colony of poccilopra. Was able to successfully save 2-3 frags. I think at the sizes of frags we receive these days it would be less likely to save.

Took a softball sized piece. Cut 10-15 frags off the ends. 2-3 made it.

 

[FishTruck]

In my third year (2007 or so)... I lost 100% of my acropora and montipora corals in a well stocked 300 gallon tank - after buying a large amount of healthy colonies from another reefer who was shutting down his tank.

I found out my alkalinity was not stable enough, and the quality of my RO/DI water was a bit lacking - but no real smoking gun. After six months.. all of my SPS was gone. No fragging, or dipping or anything seemed to help.

I took a year break from all SPS corals and did well with fish and LPS species. Multiple attempts to re-introduce acropora frags failed with immediate STN - even when I thought everything was fixed. Eventually, a single red planet frag took off and the issue was over.

Now (my 18th year of consecutive reefing)_ ... I have occasional STN like events, but, many times the corals recover and overall, I can grow it and buy it much faster than I lose anything. It still feels like the Sword of Damocles hanging over the whole operation.

I don't feel like I know any more about STN and RTN than I did in 2005.

 

[Dburr1014]

I didn't vote but I've had dinos and almost killed a couple of colonies. They came back after dinos went bye bye.

 

[ScottB]

I am about 15 years in. Always used live rock on start up. Never had large systemic losses but every 6 months or so, some piece just throws in the towel inexplicably. Same params, same location, lights everything.

I have been through AEFW and that cleanup process resulted in the most carnage. You really have to jump on them before they spool up. Once they infest a colony, you gotta clip a few frags and toss the rest.

I did have a period of base up STN. Was advised to run some heavy Interceptor and seemed to do the trick. I dose it once a year or so prophylactically.

 

[FishTruck]

I see so many posts about tanks going down with rolling RTN... few replies at times and the main advice falls into two categories...
1. fix everything that might be wrong and wait it out - or...
2. Hail Mary options.

I wonder how many people survive it when it gets bad... and manage to stay in the hobby.

 

[jda]

I have lost things. Probably not for any shared reason. The biggest issues with colonies is that lighting needs to change and so does flow... shading is real and so is gunk settling in the middle and causing STN.

Most of what I lose are trade/shipped frags that just never take off and these are usually a slow death.

I never risk the many to save one frag. I do have coral QT/introduction tanks, so there is often not much in these to risk. I just do my normal thing and the corals need to make it, or not. I have not had any pests in a long time, but they can do carnage.

 

[FishTruck]

I have lost things. Probably not for any shared reason. The biggest issues with colonies is that lighting needs to change and so does flow... shading is real and so is gunk settling in the middle and causing STN.

That's a great point! As one's corals get bigger, if you aren't tweaking up your lights and power heads you are either the worlds best planner or probably headed for trouble.