Sudden SPS crapout!

[caferacermike]

So my favorite SPS suddenly jumped ship in a few hours today. I got it as a 1/2" frag about 3 months back. It had grown over 3" tall and about 3" diameter tips to tip. Not to pretty or anything, I've just been amazed at the speed of growth. I was just looking at it yesterday and everything looked great. This morning all was well. 8 hours later, gone. Death. There are a few patches of flesh left, and still with huge polyp extension. But I don't think it will pull through. I'm sure algae will grow over the skeleton and choke out what is still alive.

So I am at a 100% loss for words. I haven't had time to do water tests or any of that today. But none of my other SPS have any problems at all. I looked for micro stars but this frag is fully healed and they've never eaten anything that wasn't a fresh break. No stars or bugs found. Everything else in the tank looks business as usual.

Any ideas? Did I just lose this one to a freak occurence?

Dang.

[cpreefguy]

Bummer, Ive lost a ton of SPS for no apparent reason, all params in check, no pests, they just die sometimes.

[fishypets]

Did the coral blow off the flesh from the tips or the base up? What kind of flow is he in and what type of acro is it?

[caferacermike]

Acro unknown. Plenty of flow. Same spot for 3 months. It's the spot it grew 3" in. I couldn't tell you if it was bottom up, inside out, left to right, right to left or from top down. It happened that fast.

This is the pic from just yesterday. I highlighted it's location (note the numerous other SPS nearby that are currently unaffected) I highlighte the Tunze6060 that flows over the piece and the return pipe that draws water over the coral as well.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/75gtankshotflow.jpg

Yesterday 5:00pm from pic posted late last night.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/lostacro.jpg

Tried taking a pic tonight but of course my camera won't upload tonight.

But I'll draw it on paint for you.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/deadacro.jpg

Again this was in less than 8 hours.[/img]

[fishypets]

Any LPS with sweepers next to it?

[caferacermike]

Clint that would be to obvious. Nothing next to it. Seriously it is unreal. None of the regular answers work. My water params are all well within my normal operating records. No bugs, stars or SPS eating fish. No LPS or softies with sweepers. No SPS fell over onto it. No softies shedding their coat got hung up on it. UV shields in place. No other corals showing any signs of stress. Anemones are all fat and swollen. No, none of them crusied over it. Today I have little green dots with polyps at the end of the tips but no flesh surrounding the skeleton. The base on the rock work is still looking good. Is it possible for them to grow so quickly they exhaust themselves?

[TexasTodd]

IT'S THE EFFLO, QUICK, FRAG IT UP AND GIVE IT TO ME, SEAN, AND CLINT.....I'LL WATCH OVER CLINT'S PIECE TOO! :)

Sometimes things die. It sucks. Not fun. Crappy. Lame. Can't think of more words that the site won't change on me.

Sorry.

Check the parameters though and WATCH as sometimes, not to give you nightmares, when one goes it can spread to others..the bacteria.

Todd

[JimD]

"Is it possible for them to grow so quickly they exhaust themselvs?"...... HUH? I thought Ive heard them all but thats a new one on me! lol. If youre seeing live polyps, its more likely a bleaching event rather than RTN. Usualy RTN will produce obvious sloughing or tissue necrosis, you didnt mention whether or not this symptom was witnessed.

[hobogato]

IT'S THE EFFLO, QUICK, FRAG IT UP AND GIVE IT TO ME, SEAN, AND CLINT.....I'LL WATCH OVER CLINT'S PIECE TOO! :)



what gives todd? im not on your short list? :P :lol

[TexasTodd]

Oops, sorry Ace!

:)

[caferacermike]

"Is it possible for them to grow so quickly they exhaust themselvs?"...... HUH? I thought Ive heard them all but thats a new one on me! lol. If youre seeing live polyps, its more likely a bleaching event rather than RTN. Usualy RTN will produce obvious sloughing or tissue necrosis, you didnt mention whether or not this symptom was witnessed.

It did. The flesh all fell off. This is not bleaching. It was not witnessed per say but you could see large clumps barely hanging off.

[JimD]

Ouch..... RTN for sure then. I mentioned bleaching only because of the green dots and polyps? Thats weird. If the base seems to be ok, Id probably frag it and hope for the best. Sometimes these things happen for no reason whatsoever, without any explaintion at all. best to isolate it from the rest just for safety's sake.

[hobogato]

i agree with jim, frag the dead part off of the base, make sure to cut a little of the living part off with it. i have had them do this and come back from as few as three coralites on the tip of one branch.

[caferacermike]

OK now I once bumped a colony and broke it's tip. 2 days later I saw a bit of cyano taking hold. Sooooo...... I whipped out the superglue and put a drop over the fresh cut end to prevent cyano or any other nasty from taking hold. Anyone else done that before or am I nuts? Should I attempt to seal what's left from any further infections?

Oh and the couple of bits and pieces are tiny coralites hanging on here and there. Sorry if I wasn't clear.

PS, I'm going to be busy in photo lounge for a bit. Efflo lovers beware.

[JimD]

Yes, super glue is your friend, use it to seal all areas that arent alive to help keep the rtn from spreading and minimise algae growth.