RTN issue

[Koyfam16]

I've read a lot about this but wanted to get some feedback as I'm new to SPS.

I bought a birdsnest a few months ago and it grew to almost 4" in diameter from a 1.5" frag.

In a matter of 2-3 days the entire coral turned white. I checked my parameters and everything checked out as it should and all other corals except for one more that was close to the birdsnest are fine.

The last think I did was I bought a sunset milli and placed this frag next to the birdsnest except I didn't secure the plug good enough. The next day I came home and the milli tipped over and was leaning on one of the birdsnest branches.

I saw it and re secured it to where it was. The next day I saw the tip of that birdsnest branch turned white but I thought maybe it got stung and would recover. Later that day I saw the white become more dominant so I broke that tip off. The next day the rest of the branch turned white so I broke that piece off as well. Today I come home and 90% of it was white except for a few tips which I saved in the hopes it will grow.

My question is whether the milli "stung" the birdsnest or is there something else? My other SPS that was next to the birdsnest also had retracted tentacles but hoping it is fine. I did a water change and changed carbon.

My tank is only 5.5 gallons so I am aware I prob had some sort of temp or alk or some other chemical swing but I find it odd the coral turned white starting from where the milli was on it.

The milli looks fine btw. I couldn't find much info on the web for sunset milli. I know my tank is super small but I take good care of it and all other corals look fine.

 

[Lenny718]

Sounds like an Alk swing but I could be wrong.

 

[duke62]

Def not the milli. I have corals touching everywhere and the only part that dies is the branch it's touching. My green birdsnest has a branch on my Oregon and the birdsnest is fine

 

[Koyfam16]

I agree duke. I see corals in other peoples tanks touching like crazy. I thought only the original part that was touching would die but it spread so fast. With such a small tank it's tough to stay on top of parameters but it's a lesson learned.

The milli is doing fine btw. Can't wait for it to color up.

 

[sealtea116]

If it turned whit from the bottom up it is usually alk

 

[Koyfam16]

It started from one tip. Completely gone now but everything else is doing good so I take it as a chemical swing of some sort

 

[prattreef]

While it is true that many corals can touch without issue, and it is equally true that corals that touch often do only localized damage where the contact is made, I have seen many corals go into a kind of chain reaction of decline ( chemical, toxin, immuno response --who knows) from a contact site that can consume a whole colony. That is what I think happened to you. I've found this more likely when the corals are from different Genera as is your case. Acro on Acro is less likely to do this.

 

[Koyfam16]

Thanks Pratt. This is what I thought originally. Thanks for taking the time to respond. I am more careful now on placement.

 

[brooklynreefers]

ALK swing probably caused it

 

[1329eheim]

You kept a PBN SPS coral in a 5 gallon tank for a few months and it not only survived but actually grew? IMO, that is astounding and quite an accomplishment.

But I think when you added another more demanding SPS to the same tank, you jumped the shark.

No offense, but a 5.5 gallon tank is IMO too small to keep SPS. I just can't see how you can maintain the steady parameters (temp., alk, calcium, PO4, NO3, salinity, etc.) that SPS require. Although the PBN is IME one of the the most forgiving of SPS, I think it was inevitable that it would crash.

You may be able to keep softies or mushrooms in a tank that size, and that's what I would focus on after your sunset millie inevitably succumbs.

Not trying to be a j**k here, but SPS in a 5 gallon tank, absent the most sophisticated equipment/controllers/aquarist, just won't work.

Mike

 

[Koyfam16]

Appreciate your advice but my tiny tank is doing fine except for the one mishap which was my fault. I have a mix of corals, feed daily and do a water change once a week.

I Have a few easy SPS pieces that have doubled in size since I got it.

Before

Now

Before

After

I follow a lot what Paul B does. I concentrate more on feeding the tank than parameters and I have been able to keep SPS for about 4-6 months. It works for me.

As you said I may experience a crash but so far I'm enjoying my tank.

 

[1329eheim]

Looking at latest pics of your tank, and I am blown away.

How the hell are you doing this?

Do you dose kalkwasser, two-part, etc.

Do you use an ATO? RO/DI filter?

Lights?

Filters?

Frequency/amount of water changes?

What are you feeding the corals?

Mike