# Rtn?



## tropicalfishlover1220 (Jan 12, 2009)

I purchased two acropora frags this weekend and today I noticed that the tissue were basically falling off the coral  It is not like RTN with the band starting at the base but rather the base, the tips, and the whole coral falling apart with holes everywhere and tissue falling off  . My camera is not good enough to capture the condition on these little frags but is there something so terrible in my water that's killing them in just a few days? Could it be because of the high alk? 

Parameters as of 5 minutes ago (API test kit):
Cal: 480ppm
Alk: 14dkh (IO salt mix...)
Nitrates: 0 ish
Phosphates: 0 ish

Lighting is 4x54w T5HO

BTW- the first frag started this probably when I got it. I remember looking at one side of the coral & thinking, wow, that's a nice pale green colour. Now that I think about it was probably algae already growing on the skeleton lol -.- & the second probably started today. 

I just remembered that I don't top-off everyday and everytime I do the sg drops about 1/2ppt. I topped off yesterday. Could that have triggered the 2nd frag into necrosis? I don't see how this minute drop can harm them that much, though, as in the wild they usually grow very close to the surface of the water and experience freshwater rains too... 

I also have acropora delicate (the "skinnier" acro), millepora, polli-sth-pora, montipora, LPS, a LTA, and softies that are (looking like they are) doing well. Oh & I'm running carbon actively, although it hasn't been changed for about 5 weeks  could that be it? 

Aww... these were the two "real" acroporas I got  I know I probably won't be able to save them but please let me know how I could prevent this from happening again...

Thanks!!


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Your Alk seems too high. If the flesh was starting to strip off from the tips, it could be alkalinity burn.

I've seen what you're describing with the tissue seeming to come off in places; it happens from time to time for me following a dip in Pro-coral cure. In those cases, all the acros recovered - it just took them a while to do so.


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## hojimoe (Mar 7, 2008)

I agree with the alk burn, I've had two sps acro's do that, just lower your alk! or skip a dose or two, that's what I did, they are glowing now


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## tropicalfishlover1220 (Jan 12, 2009)

Come to think of it I did dip them in a 10% proviodine-iodine solution at 10 drops per L for about 30 min before putting them into my tank. lol so it's alk burn, tissue recession, AND iodine burn..

btw... I only dosed my alk once with baking soda and apparently I put in a bit too much. It's stayed at 14 for two weeks. Do you know of any ways to lower Alk?

Thanks


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

I'm sure a series of water changes will help with lowering Alk...


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## tropicalfishlover1220 (Jan 12, 2009)

Hmm... well the IO salt mix already had an alk of 12, so even if I'm changing 50% the alk would only drop to 13. I heard HCl works (NaHCO3 + HCl->NaCl + H2CO3) but would it lower my pH too much?


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

try not to mess with the pH too much.

I'm guessing it's actually the Iodine dip - I use pro-coral cure at 1ml per 200 ml dip. I used to do 15 minutes, but I found that it was really damaging (in the way you described) some of the more sensitive SPS, so I've taken it down to 10.


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## tropicalfishlover1220 (Jan 12, 2009)

O..mg.... I googled it and found "iodine dips and sps = death". And here I thought iodine dips were fine for all corals. 

Well, ok I'm just going to leave alk the way it is and let it naturally fall since other corals are doing well and there's no precipitation issues. Thanks for your help!!


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## Reef_Aquatica (Apr 3, 2009)

tropicalfishlover1220 said:


> O..mg.... I googled it and found "iodine dips and sps = death". And here I thought iodine dips were fine for all corals.


Never heard of that, care to post the source of this. (more applicable to sponges)


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## tropicalfishlover1220 (Jan 12, 2009)

Reef_Aquatica said:


> Never heard of that, care to post the source of this. (more applicable to sponges)


Hmm I got it off nano-reef.com. Just realized I mistakenly read FW dip as iodine dip..  But look at post #4 by scottyreef

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t174316.html


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