Help! What is my torch doing?

[AlexR9364]

So came downstairs this morning and my new torch looks like this. Has been doing really well the last week or so, parameters have all been stable. I have checked and re-checked pH, salinity, temp, ammonia, alk, calcium, and nitrate and they are all fine and still pretty consistently stable with the records I have for the last fur weeks. Could it be someone has had a nip at it? All the fish and inverts and considered reef safe, but I have heard that cleaner shrimp may have a go?

 

[LeftyReefer]

They look covered in sand/debris.... could just be irritated if something was digging near and dumping sand on it.
Try blowing the sand off and see if they extend again.

 

[HBtank]

Was the skeleton exposed like that before? Did it have healthy tissue that extended down the sides of the heads an inch or so before?

If it did not have exposed skeleton like that, and had tissue on the sides, that is pretty rapid deterioration; when LPS “melts“ like that it is pretty hard to turn around. I don’t necessarily see it in the picture, but it could be brown jelly disease.

 

[ChiCity]

that torch has bailed

 

[Bucs20fan]

The biggest indicator I see here is that you have algae growing on the part of the skeleton that should have healthy flesh on it. Algae will not grow on the healthy flesh part of the skeleton. I do see evidence of the beginnings of polyp bailout though.

 

[AlexR9364]

They look covered in sand/debris.... could just be irritated if something was digging near and dumping sand on it.
Try blowing the sand off and see if they extend again.

So I just gave it a bit of a dust and all this brown gunk (and a polyp) came off. I assume this is dead matter and the coral is dying?

 

[HBtank]

For your reference, this would be the early signs of problems (grabbed form google), flesh should be down the sides, but even in this picture it is someone dealing potential problems with it receding on one head. When the top skeleton is exposed and polyps have also bailed out, that is a bad sign.

 

[HBtank]

So I just gave it a bit of a dust and all this brown gunk (and a polyp) came off. I assume this is dead matter and the coral is dying?

Yes that is likely bacteria/protozoans eating the dying coral and potentially brown jelly disease, it’s a danger to other LPS IME.

 

[AlexR9364]

Was the skeleton exposed like that before? Did it have healthy tissue that extended down the sides of the heads an inch or so before?

If it did not have exposed skeleton like that, and had tissue on the sides, that is pretty rapid deterioration; when LPS “melts“ like that it is pretty hard to turn around. I don’t necessarily see it in the picture, but it could be brown jelly disease.

It did have a bit of exposed skeleton and the flesh was not going right round the rim and down.

 

[exnisstech]

Looks like my hellfire that lasted a couple of weeks. I took it out and it smelled nasty rotton so I tossed it.

 

[LeftyReefer]

Doesn't look good unfortunately.

 

[Dburr1014]

So came downstairs this morning and my new torch looks like this. Has been doing really well the last week or so, parameters have all been stable. I have checked and re-checked pH, salinity, temp, ammonia, alk, calcium, and nitrate and they are all fine and still pretty consistently stable with the records I have for the last fur weeks. Could it be someone has had a nip at it? All the fish and inverts and considered reef safe, but I have heard that cleaner shrimp may have a go?

Brown jelly will spread in the tank.
This is my hammer. Can you see how far the flesh comes down? When buying in person, look for hammers, torches, ect like this. They are healthy and should make the long haul.

 

[Cell]

Judging by the algae on the sides, the torch has been receding for awhile. This wasn't just an overnight decline.