STN and RTN...frustrated

[slojmn]

I have had a number (3) of corals STN on me...As well as a (2) RTN. I came home to one 3" multi branch frag I have had for about three weeks completely gone with some tissue hanging off. My other coral bought at the same time is showing the underside of branches white. Prior to today they looked excellent. I notice they have STN occuring while polyps are fully extended and good tissue seems very healthy...this has been the case in every coral/frag that has succumed. I had two other corals start to STN only to stop and they seem to be hanging in there, one is growing tissue back over the affected areas anbd the other is not growing but not losing tissue either. I have had more tissue loss on sps corals in this tank than I ever did in my DSB/refugium tank, though it did crash in the end. I am very frustrated. I have noticed a pattern....it seems that after a water change I have noticed major tissue loss within a few days. I did not do a water change in the last two weeks and all seemed to be settling down, i.e. one coral and one frag stopped the STN. I did a water change, 15%, on Sunday and I lost one coral to RTN and another looks to be going to STN. I replaced all cartridges/filters/membrane on my RO/DI kit prior to this water change and parameters are good. Phosphates still up at .11, magnesium 1310, calcium 450, Alk 8.3. I dose Start 2 .15ml/day in 2 doses, bak and food 2 drops 2x's per week, amino acids and coral vitalizer 2 drops every other day (started two weeks ago). Everything looks awesome, then bam a coral gone just like that, meanwhile everything looks really good. I am afraid I may lose the second coral tonight or tomorrow to STN as it is showing the same exact tissue necrosis as all of the other corals I have lost...it looked very good up until today. I think I may go back to .10ml of Start2, that is where I had it originally and it was suggested to up one dose .05 to help get phosphates down some weeks back. All STN and RTN events have happened since that time. Suggestions, thoughts, any help. Losing these corals is getting a little expensive and frustrating given parameters seem in line completely.

[CAReefer]

Sounds like a bad batch of salt to me. You didn't mention what kind, any correlation between a new container of salt and the necrosis events? I would certainly look there first.

[Chad W]

I'M w/ CAReefer. How long are you mixing salt before addition to tank? I think Start2 is much harder to OD on than previous Start. How many gallons in your system?
Take Care,
Chad

[slojmn]

Kent Salt, I'm in the lower third of the 200g. bucket. I suppose that could be the case, pretty hard to know for sure. Only a few corals affected out of 20+, hmmmmmm. I've been using Kent for years with no problems in the past. System is 55g net volume of water. I would agree with the difficulty of OD'ing the Start2 as opposed to Start but it does correlate with the increase. Also seems to correlate with water change. Salt could be the culprit. REally hard to know. I'll toss the water I have and start with a fresh bucket, I have a few buckets left to get through...maybe I'll invest in some of the new salt and see what happens. Something to think about in the next few days.
BTW, I mix my salt water for at least 3-4 days prior to water change, sometimes a week or longer. I always have water ready to go if needed for an emergancy.

[Chad W]

Never used Kent salt but I think that is what Edward (Invincible569) has been using. Needless to say looks as if it is working on his system. Sorry I could'nt be more help.
Chad

[Aged Salt]

Alicia, also reduce the KH <8 & be sure the reef temp drifts do not exceed 81 degrees. Plz. test the parameters of the new salt bucket for higher KH, Bob

[losmandy]

Anyone has the parameteres on the kent Marine salt?

[slojmn]

The temperature issue is a good one to bring up. My tanks have traditionally run high, 81-84. The same thing for this tank, I have never really thoguht it affected my corals in the past...maybe now with Zeo it is more important to have it stable and lower. I have had some definate temp swings in the past two months. Dropping rather low in the night and swinging up to high in the day...though no loss of coral that I can remember, but it may be contributing to the problem. I have bought new heaters and I am trying to get it to the range of 79-80 without the fluctuation. The alk has gone from 7.3 to 8.0-8.3 since I started running my calcium reactor...I slowed the drip rate of my effluent and the alk has stayed between 8.0-8.3. Any suggestions, slow it down more??

I am not sure on the Kent params are. I think I may get some of the new salt from Gary if he has it and see what happens after each of my next water changes. I will have to wean the tank off the Kent so I will mix some of the Kent from another bucket with the new salt for a while.

[fkadir]

If its keeping steady at 8.0-8.3 now, you just need to switch off the co2 supply so dat the KH will drop below 8.0. Once dat happens, switch it back on and u would be set.

[Aged Salt]

Hi Alicia, IME, swings to 84 degrees routinely will eventually cause tissue recession, at least in SPS. I see no problem with your salt[although there are some out there that I would not recommend in nutrient-poor waters] & just adjust your CR or consider using some Oceanic with Kent's for maintaining Ca/Mg while not allowing the KH to drift above 8. In my case, with my CR, I've found Oceanic:IO-60%:40% to work perfectly for keeping the parms within NSW guidelines. Bob

[EFRAIN TORRES]

how you do the mix in the same container or different container because is diferent salt are diferent caracteristic in my case i use corallife salt is high in calcium and magnesion and and litle high in alcalinity

[Aged Salt]

Hi Efrain, I simply mix these separately in their own labeled containers, allow some time for dissolution, then add them separately to my sump in no particular order. Bob

[Travis]

Bob, why can't you just mix them together in the same container? They end up mixing together in the tank anyways...

[Aged Salt]

Hi Travis, different alkalinities, although I've never tried mixing these two together, in the past with other salts mixes, I've had cloudiness occur in the common container Bob

[Travis]

Is it just an initial cloudiness or does it remain cloudy? I usually mix my water change water up 1-2 weeks before a water change. This leaves me with fresh saltwater on hand at all times "just in case".