Can’t keep torches alive!!!

[Lavey29]

They aren’t getting blasted. I have one powerhead in an 8ft tank on the Lowest setting and the powerhead is on the opposite side of the tank from the torches. I have them near the top because that’s where the highest par is. I lost a hellfire today after only looking unhappy for a few days. But I did lose a torch recently that had been going downhill for months. So it’s possible that it spread bjd to the hellfire. I’m probably going to dose cipro to be safe. I’m also thinking I need to slowly bump up the par. Going to test par levels first to though. I’m thinking they are probably around 150-200 right now. But 250 may be better. I just hope I can raise it slow enough so I don’t make everything else mad.

Mine are in 250 par. Also remember that torches will fight for space even with each other occasionally.

 

[enlighten]

Thank you for this thread! I have had trouble with my first two torches after coming back from a vacation for 2 weeks. I got euphyllia flatworm which ate one head of the dragon soul. I also did a tank treatment for bacteria using chemiclean and fish mox (wish I had done cipro). Since then have been doing weekly pest dips and will be kfc dipping instead. I need a par meter now as I have an AI prime at 20% in a 24g cube and dont think I am anywhere close to 250 par where the corals are.

Another tip is to make sure the torch you start with has a healthy flesh band, 1inch+. This is going to give your chamce for success 200%, otherwise ypu are just trying to heal a sick coral which feels like its taking me months. I recently got a shipment in from coral kai and love the torches. They seem to be bery happy in my tank atm!

 

[Uncle99]

In the pics, I expect to see an inch maybe of white flesh on the skeleton, but I see none. (Maybe it’s just the pic itself)

Was it like that when you got it, or did it recede over time.

 

[Lavey29]

Thank you for this thread! I have had trouble with my first two torches after coming back from a vacation for 2 weeks. I got euphyllia flatworm which ate one head of the dragon soul. I also did a tank treatment for bacteria using chemiclean and fish mox (wish I had done cipro). Since then have been doing weekly pest dips and will be kfc dipping instead. I need a par meter now as I have an AI prime at 20% in a 24g cube and dont think I am anywhere close to 250 par where the corals are.

Another tip is to make sure the torch you start with has a healthy flesh band, 1inch+. This is going to give your chamce for success 200%, otherwise ypu are just trying to heal a sick coral which feels like its taking me months. I recently got a shipment in from coral kai and love the torches. They seem to be bery happy in my tank atm!

Coral Kai is the man for torches

 

[witchywoman725]

This is your problem. I have the same XR15 lights as you do. I run them at 100% intensity on AB plus and that barely provides sufficient par for a mixed reef 65g tank. Your pics show your torches on the sandbed. I bet you have very low par there or even mid tank with your lights intensity set low.

I am going to speculate that your flow is to harsh also. I run 2 MP40s that ramp up to 26% during the day and 20% overnight. When I ran higher moderate flow at 42% I lost torches.

Torches are weird... I have 3 super happy and healthy and growing torches. I run mine mid-tank under a Pair of AP9Xs set at about 30% for 8 hrs and I run 2 Maxspect 4K gyres that alternate on/off up to 70% along with 2 MP40s that ramp up to 20% on lagoon mode on my SPS archway (which is close to my torches). They get quite a bit of flow and they are directly under the peak light of where the AP9Xs (I don't have a par meter though- BRS investigates says the range in this area for these lights is about 200-300).
Water:
NO3 - 11.9
PH4 - .09
Alk - 8.5-9
Calc - 430-440
Mg - 1330-1350
Salt - 1.026
Temp - 79ish

 

[Lavey29]

Torches are weird... I have 3 super happy and healthy and growing torches. I run mine mid-tank under a Pair of AP9Xs set at about 30% for 8 hrs and I run 2 Maxspect 4K gyres that alternate on/off up to 70% along with 2 MP40s that ramp up to 20% on lagoon mode on my SPS archway (which is close to my torches). They get quite a bit of flow and they are directly under the peak light of where the AP9Xs (I don't have a par meter though- BRS investigates says the range in this area for these lights is about 200-300).
Water:
NO3 - 11.9
PH4 - .09
Alk - 8.5-9
Calc - 430-440
Mg - 1330-1350
Salt - 1.026
Temp - 79ish

Mine sit mid tank in 250 par

 

[floridareeflabs]

Our 2 cents….

Torches as everyone has said are finicky. They expect moderate and random flow as well as they want light. If they starve for light they tend to eventually fail at life, but same goes for if they get too much light. They like “dirty” water so you need to find the balance of high nutrients vs too high that you get algae break outs etc.

In our world we run gravity 1.026, alk in the 8’s. We never allow nitrates to get too high and keep phos from hitting zero. We use mp’s to produce random cross flow and changes through out the day. We never spot feed or mess with them, we just feed tank live copepods and live phytoplankton 2-3 times a week and feed fish pellets and/or flakes. We also run chaeto in sump to absorb ammonia and nitrates and phosphates etc.

Years ago we had issues with torches/hammers etc when there was too much light and improper nutrients.

Obviously if you have flat worms or other pests that will irritate them and they can recede and starve that way too or be eating and get infected.


Here is one of our office tanks, it’s only 10 months old but mixed coral…

Adding startup after 3 months stable per added coral and 7 months later

 

[Reef Devils]

My tank is 1.5 years old . I can’t keep ANY torch coral alive! My parameters are rock stable. It’s so frustrating! I can keep hammer corals just fine and even some Acros sticks. Anyone have an idea on the cause? Also this type of frogspawn I can’t keep alive

Dosing Kalkwasser & Brightwell Mag

Redsea blue bucket
Parameters
Salinity 1.025
ALK 8.0-8.3 (Hanna checker)
Cal 450 (salifert)
Mag 1400 (Redsea)
Pho .10 (Hanna checker)
Nitrate 10-20 (salifert)
Ph 8-8.2

ALK could go up a bit

 

[DenverSaltyFarm]

Torches are very susceptible to bacteria infections. It’s becoming common practice in torch tanks to dose ciprofloxacin to the entire tank. I’ve started to do the same when torches seem unhappy I’ll do 3 nites in a row of dosing and they seem to come back. Some good articles out there on the subject

If all parameters are in line, light, flow, and no pests then try treating for bacteria infection

 

[Supa]

My tank is 1.5 years old . I can’t keep ANY torch coral alive! My parameters are rock stable. It’s so frustrating! I can keep hammer corals just fine and even some Acros sticks. Anyone have an idea on the cause? Also this type of frogspawn I can’t keep alive

Dosing Kalkwasser & Brightwell Mag

Redsea blue bucket
Parameters
Salinity 1.025
ALK 8.0-8.3 (Hanna checker)
Cal 450 (salifert)
Mag 1400 (Redsea)
Pho .10 (Hanna checker)
Nitrate 10-20 (salifert)
Ph 8-8.2

Same issue, I heard from a friend that his torches do better in “dirty” water conditions.

 

[codycolina707]

Torches are very susceptible to bacteria infections. It’s becoming common practice in torch tanks to dose ciprofloxacin to the entire tank. I’ve started to do the same when torches seem unhappy I’ll do 3 nites in a row of dosing and they seem to come back. Some good articles out there on the subject

If all parameters are in line, light, flow, and no pests then try treating for bacteria infection

I can second this had a puffer eating my torches at night and they where almost dead started dosing ciprofloxacin and they are starting to bounce back they are still pretty mad but atleast a few tentacles are starting to pop out some where so bad you could barely see any color in the skeletons

 

[trigon 350]

Hi, when you say dirty water, how dirty are we talking? Also could you please post all your parameters? Thank you

Our 2 cents….

Torches as everyone has said are finicky. They expect moderate and random flow as well as they want light. If they starve for light they tend to eventually fail at life, but same goes for if they get too much light. They like “dirty” water so you need to find the balance of high nutrients vs too high that you get algae break outs etc.

In our world we run gravity 1.026, alk in the 8’s. We never allow nitrates to get too high and keep phos from hitting zero. We use mp’s to produce random cross flow and changes through out the day. We never spot feed or mess with them, we just feed tank live copepods and live phytoplankton 2-3 times a week and feed fish pellets and/or flakes. We also run chaeto in sump to absorb ammonia and nitrates and phosphates etc.

Years ago we had issues with torches/hammers etc when there was too much light and improper nutrients.

Obviously if you have flat worms or other pests that will irritate them and they can recede and starve that way too or be eating and get infected.


Here is one of our office tanks, it’s only 10 months old but mixed coral…

Adding startup after 3 months stable per added coral and 7 months later

 

[steveschuerger]

I’ve always kept mine at middle to top of scape. They get a goodly amount of light and good flow from 2 Nero 3s on opposite ends plus 2 returns . All use pulse at varying levels. Dosing consists of AF 3 part (Alk, Ca, Mag) split into morning and late evening doses. Also use Nyos micro element dosing split into x2 weekly. And Seachem Reef Pro that supplies aminos and a few other elements 2-3 times weekly at night.

 

[Lavey29]

Hi, when you say dirty water, how dirty are we talking? Also could you please post all your parameters? Thank you

Dirty water means nutrients rich water. Euphyllia generally do better with at least 10 nitrates and. .1. Phosphate

 

[nanoreefer23]

Do you have shrimp or fish that could be pestering it and stressing them out?

 

[trigon 350]

I’ve always kept mine at middle to top of scape. They get a goodly amount of light and good flow from 2 Nero 3s on opposite ends plus 2 returns . All use pulse at varying levels. Dosing consists of AF 3 part (Alk, Ca, Mag) split into morning and late evening doses. Also use Nyos micro element dosing split into x2 weekly. And Seachem Reef Pro that supplies aminos and a few other elements 2-3 times weekly at night.

Look great, what are you running your no3 and po4 at?

 

[steveschuerger]

Look great, what are you running your no3 and po4 at?

Haven’t checked no3 for a bit but I like it at least 15+. po4 was stupid high (1.10) . Hitting with purigen now.

 

[trigon 350]

Haven’t checked no3 for a bit but I like it at least 15+. po4 was stupid high (1.10) . Hitting with purigen now.

Ok great thanks, im only at 10 no3 and 0.7 po4, i will try dosing to 15 and .1 to see if this improves them at all.
Everything else is good so worth a try

 

[trigon 350]

Haven’t checked no3 for a bit but I like it at least 15+. po4 was stupid high (1.10) . Hitting with purigen now.

Sorry 1 more question, what are you keeping for mag at? Seems alot of people are keeping it high for torch's, mine is at 1350,but dont want to change it for no reason.
Thanks

 

[steveschuerger]

Sorry 1 more question, what are you keeping for mag at? Seems alot of people are keeping it high for torch's, mine is at 1350,but dont want to change it for no reason.
Thanks

Mines over 1500. All the lps enjoy it and the sps don’t seem to mind either