Rapid Tussue Necrosis RTN

What exactly is RTN and how is it caused? Also, what does it look like? Photos will help.

Thank you in advance.

 

It is a rapid die off of the living tissue of a SPS coral. Usually starting at the base of the coral and rapidly (within 48 hrs, often faster) spreading to the whole colony. The skin will slough off in the current leaving a very stark white skeleton behind.

Known causes: Stress. That is as much as anyone can figure out.

I have no pics. It is a day I try not to remember with pics.

 

+K Thank you for the information. So it can start at other parts of the coral? I had an SPS that was turning bone white a few weeks ago, but it started on the top. Are you able to remove the infected area?

 

It can start at other parts, but not normally.

If the tips are turning white, it is usually either light burn or high phosphates.

Sometimes a good fragging can save parts of the coral, but it is usually to late.

 

Recent info from my micro 413 class has shown it to be a virus. It is carried by fireworms and the virus is very specific towards certain genus and species. The coral is occasionally able to prevent infection when healthy, however when infected, the only way to prevent continuous cell degeneration is to frag

 

Really, that is awesome. I knew I hated fireworms.

Yay for researchers.

 

as per jonjonwells

I have experience of RTN that I did not want to take pictures of
IME - rapid changes of any kind can cause this or STN mine was due to item 1 on list below

failure to light acclimatise to much light to quick = white out
temp gets to hot to quickly increasing beyond acceptable levels = white out
parameter change to rapidly esp Alk = white out

if it is viral, then much like humans with viral infections, many can carry them with no outward signs of symptons and to all intents and purposes can appear and feel healthy

but stress or enviroment changes , bring those symptons to the front

Steve

 

I have lost 2--a Birdsnest, and an Acro. It happens real fast!!! I luckily fragged the Birdsnest about 2 weeks before. The frags are doing great. I just replaced them from the rack to the reef tonite. I think whenever you have a decent sized colony. It would be a good idea to frag it anyway, as I am wishing I would have done so with my Acro!

 

I experienced RTN for the first time this weekend.

Here is a pic of the frag when I added it a week ago.


It was doing fine on Thursday night. Didn't notice anything when the lights were off on Friday morning before I left for work. When I came home from work it looked like this.



I pulled it off the rock and dipped it in Revive and put it back in the tank. Saturday morning it looked like this.


Just a dead piece of rubble.