HELP!!! Tissue on frag melting off!!!

[nuocmam]

I am quite new to SPS. I have been collecting frags since November and probably have about 20 different frags now. Came home from work today and seen this. Tried to take best picture I could.

All my other frags are looking okay. Does anybody know what is happening? I have only had the frag for a couple of days. Picked it up this past weekend. Out of all the frags I have collected so far I have only lost one that melted away the night I brang it home. Did some homework and think it was RTN. But that stared at the bottom of the frag not the top like this one. Tested all water parameters and everything is in line.
Salinity is at 1.025
Temp 77.3 per AquaJr temp probe
PH has flucuates between 7.9 to 8.1 using AquaJr PH probe
Nitrates is either 0 or under 10. I'm using the Red Sea kit that you have to match up a color. Phosphates are undetectable. Calcium is 430 and Alk is 9.6 using Salifert.
ANY help or suggestions is much appreciated. I HATE LOSING CORALS . Should I frag off the tip of it and hope what's left of it survives?
Thanks in advance...

[nuocmam]

Don't know if it matters or not but that frag is a Turaki. I pulled it out of the water for a better picture. It actually looks a pale green to blue under the water and lights. It's been sitting on a frag rack about 3 inches from the sandbed since I brang it home. I've had it low not wanting to shock it with different lighting. It was sitting pretty low in the tank it came from so I didn't want to shock it with too much light. But its getting good flow where its sitting.

[guywalker1219]

Looks like rtn to me I would do just what you said and frag of the top.

[wonrib00]

It doesnt look good. It looks bad at both ends. Personally, I would cut it off the rock inbetween the first and second branch, cut the top off, glue the bottom to a rock or a plug, use lots of glue and glue up and over the second branch on the right. HOnestly, it doenst look good with the size of the frag. Where is it placed? Move it to a different place, obviously. If it is low in the tank, move it up, if it is in high flow, move it to medium.

[cgoodman381]

Sorry to say, but I really don't think there's anything you can do for that one.

[B16Drag]

Its time to frag up the frag, and hope for the best. Did you ever get any polyp extension?

[nuocmam]

About as good of polyp extenson as I've seen on Turaki.

[nuocmam]

Alright. I'm going to frag it off. Hopefully there's a survivor in there somewhere!!! Thanks for all the suggestions. Have you guys dealt with this type of thing too? or is just my sps newbieness? Something I'm doing wrong? Everybody else in the tank is happy. For now anyways.

[cgoodman381]

I have had RTN happen a couple times on different things. I'm fairly sure it's more random than anything else. You can have good water/lighting/flow and it still may come up from time to time.

[nuocmam]

I basically cut it in half and in about and hour it wasted all the way down to the bottom. Bye bye Turaki Couldn't find any good information as to why these things happen other than that it happens possibly due to stress. Live and learn I guess. Thanks everybody for the responses anyways. I'm going to do some homework and see if these are prone to RTN or not. If not maybe I'll try again.

[B16Drag]

It supposedly stress... but sometimes its all random and simply pure luck. Just like zoas melting.

[wonrib00]

As a RN in California, this is a job I am not happy about doing, but, time of death, 2358. Really though, everyone has had this issue at some point in time. The key it to provide conditions that are equal to where the frag came from, especially for SPS. You will notice milles are notorious for RTNing months or years later when you have changed nothing, at least you dont think you have.

[mdt178]

John,
Sorry bro. This a. turaki is a bit sensitive IME. I'll get you another piece the next time you come down.
It could be totally anectodal but I think these need to be pampered a bit. Avoid extreme temp swing when handling thin tissue corals. Use tweezers if possible. This particular colony has been located in a low lighting, low flow area.

[nuocmam]

Thank you Minh. I might take you up on that maybe but maybe not because you've been so good to me already and already feel like I owe you.