Help! Part of torch dying.. do I remove it?

dsayo · Jun 27, 2021

Came home from a three day vacation. A friend was helping top up water and feed, but seems part of my torch died and my hammers are looking rough and closed up.

Only thing I can think of that changed was before I left for vacation, I did a 15% water change and swapped out a new Seachem Purigen. Would this have made my tank too sterile???

All test seem normal except nitrates are now reading close to 0… before was around 10-15ppm.

Question is., should I remove this torch completed or will part of it still has hope?? Please help!

vetteguy53081 · Jun 27, 2021

Elevate it off the sand which can irritate it and place in moderate light and water flow
Assure your salinity, nitrate, alk and ph did not elevate while you were gone. Inspect the frag for any bugs or flatworm also

dsayo · Jun 27, 2021

vetteguy53081 said:
Elevate it off the sand which can irritate it and place in moderate light and water flow
Assure your salinity, nitrate, alk and ph did not elevate while you were gone. Inspect the frag for any bugs or flatworm also

Thanks - appreciate your help! I’ll try this. I noticed my alk did decrease and so did my salinity by a point (1.025 to 1.024), so topping up with some salt water.

Hammers have slower come back. But I think the torch is done.

Does a melting torch release any toxins, bcuz half is melted always with chunks still attached.

Sakudo4 · Jun 28, 2021

Rule #1 don't do anything before vacation ( changes) .

Johnnyrainbowreefer · Jun 28, 2021

Unfortunately your torch is toast. If it were me I’d take it out immediately because brown jelly will encapsulate it soon. Once this happens it could very well spread to your hammers and kill em as well. Sorry bud. Good luck.

ADAM · Jun 28, 2021

Take it out slowly. Sucks but it’ll be better for the other corals. I like to put a ziploc bag on my hand and roll it over the coral to help stop the decaying tissue from coming off and floating around the tank.

dsayo · Jun 28, 2021

Sakudo4 said:
Rule #1 don't do anything before vacation ( changes) .

Lesson learned the hard way

dsayo · Jun 28, 2021

REEFERADDICT01 said:
Unfortunately your torch is toast. If it were me I’d take it out immediately because brown jelly will encapsulate it soon. Once this happens it could very well spread to your hammers and kill em as well. Sorry bud. Good luck.

Thanks. I took it out. Hope it was soon enough and filter catches the jelly remnants.

PeterZammetti · Jun 28, 2021

dsayo said:
Came home from a three day vacation. A friend was helping top up water and feed, but seems part of my torch died and my hammers are looking rough and closed up. Only thing I can think of that changed was before I left for vacation, I did a 15% water change and swapped out a new Seachem Purigen. Would this have made my tank too sterile???

All test seem normal except nitrates are now reading close to 0… before was around 10-15ppm.

Question is., should I remove this torch completed or will part of it still has hope?? Please help!

Freshwater dip 1 minute then seachem coral dip 1 minute then freshwater again 1 minute before putting back into tank. Ignore seachems directions...use one capfull in one large Lee's container