Sick Acro

[Salt4Us]

Our brown acro is bleeching out to white. We've read this is bad. Can anyone give any suggestions as to what we can do?
All the water params are good. We also have two acro crabs living in the acro. When it started bleeching out, we situated it as much as we can in a shade (almost half of it is in a shade, the other is still non-shaded. We can't get the whole thing in the shade). Are we doing the right thing? Is there anything we can do to save this acro?

Thanks!

John

[reefrunner69]

Can we get a pic? is the flesh still there...or does it look like it's peeling off, or just melted away? What is the temp? Have you had any temp spikes in the last week or too, acros will sometimes have a delayed reaction to a temp spike.

[Salt4Us]

Here's two pics. We haven't had any temp spikes.

[Salt4Us]

Oops..forgot tell you the temp.
This is in our 40. The temp runs around 81-82 degrees.

[reefrunner69]

Unfortunately, IMO, that is not bleaching....but RTN. The flesh is actually dieng off the skeleton, if it is RTN, there is very little time to act. You should remove the acro and frag as many branches away from the necrotic area as possible. Placing them in various places in the tank with varying lighting and flow, with any luck one or two frags will survive.

[Salt4Us]

Thanks Kevin!

We'll start fragging it to see if we can save it.
Any idea what do we do about the two acro crabs that are living in the acro now?

[reefrunner69]

Well, I guess they get evicted Prior to fragging try PMing someone like ReefLady, that has been dealing with acros a little longer than me. I'm pretty sure it is RTN, but have only experienced it once and that was on a very small frag, it was gone before I ever noticed. However, if you don't hear back from some other reefers pretty quick, I would go ahead and frag, if it's RTN, there is very little time to lose.

[ReefLady]

I really don't have much to add to Kevin's post. I'm sorry I didn't see this before.

That is definitely RTN - not bleaching.

you should remove the acro and frag as many branches away from the necrotic area as possible. Placing them in various places in the tank with varying lighting and flow, with any luck one or two frags will survive.

This is the best advice that I could give. Personally, I would also do an dip of each piece in Tech-D -- >>here is some info. on that product<< -- if you can get your hands on some quickly, that might be helpful.

Do you have other acros in the tank? Keep a close eye, RTN can spready rapidly.

Also, meticulously check every possible tank parameter. If *anything* looks off at all, do a water change. I'd also try and run some fresh GAC if you can.

Not sure what to do about the crabs - hopefully they'll relocate on their own.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

[Salt4Us]

Thank you both, we fragged it only got 4 little pieces hope they make it. Did a water change and have the GAC going. The crabs weren't happy about being evicted.

Thanks again!