Torch coral detaching from skeleton?

[Max Rackstraw]

Hello everyone, I've woken up today to my torch coral looking as if it's attempting to leave it's skeleton! I have read other posts about this strange event occurring and I have came to understand that it is a result of the coral being unhappy with its conditions. Probably unstable salinity in my case since on this tank I do not have an ATO and have to top the water off manually. What do you think? Is it trying to leave its skeleton? (attached pictures below)

 

[reefrubble]

Hi Max Rackstraw,

The behavior you are witnessing with your Torch Euphyllia Coral is a last-ditch attempt at survival that almost always results in loss of the coral. The process of the coral detaching from its skeleton is called polyp bailout, which occurs when a coral is unhappy with its placement/flow/lighting/neighboring corals and attempts to move with the water current to a new location where it can attach and start growing a new skeleton. Polyp bailout is more common in LPS corals such as Euphyllia and is almost impossible to stop after detachment has begun. I would suggest not moving it right now and directing all flow away from it to raise your chances of stopping it.

Drop a like if you find this helpful!

 

[Shirak]

Could be polyp bailout but I can't really see much with the photo so far away. I tried to make it bigger but too blurry to see much detail. Better pictures would help and listing your tank parameters. Could it be from salinity swinging? Yes but slight swings shouldn't be an issue. How big is your tank and how much water do you replace each time and how often?

I think it's more likely an issue with other swings like Alk and nutrients.

 

[Max Rackstraw]

A few hours later, yes the coral has detached almost completely. I believe it was a combination of salinity changes and fluctuations in alk levels that caused it. Im going to hope for the best that it may build a new skeleton with these levels made more stable. In terms of the health if the polyp itself, it still looks perfect so maybe there is a chance.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

A few hours later, yes the coral has detached almost completely. I believe it was a combination of salinity changes and fluctuations in alk levels that caused it. Im going to hope for the best that it may build a new skeleton with these levels made more stable. In terms of the health if the polyp itself, it still looks perfect so maybe there is a chance.

Just from your pics it looks like your flow is more of the problem than parameters. I have high salinity fluctuation in my biocube and my torch doesn’t care. But it gets random flow. Yours looks like it’s getting all the flow from one direction and it’s coming in pretty hot.

 

[Max Rackstraw]

Just from your pics it looks like your flow is more of the problem than parameters. I have high salinity fluctuation in my biocube and my torch doesn’t care. But it gets random flow. Yours looks like it’s getting all the flow from one direction and it’s coming in pretty hot.

Yeah flow could be a issue, i haven't mentioned it since i already knew it was sub par... And im getting an ai nero 5 tomorrow to sort it out... Its a real shame that this happened the day before

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Yeah flow could be a issue, i haven't mentioned it since i already knew it was sub par... And im getting an ai nero 5 tomorrow to sort it out... Its a real shame that this happened the day before

As long as your flow isn’t blasting directly on it from a single direction it ok to have a lot of it. You just can’t slam it. It looks like yours was up on top of the rocks unprotected from it. That’s the most common reason for bailout I’ve seen

 

[Max Rackstraw]

Ive now got my new wavemaker setup although yes the coral did bailout already... Currently hes sitting in a corner after initially being blown around until he got there. Where should i put him? Or is he alright where he is? (I've lowered the flow so he cannot be blown around)

 

[Max Rackstraw]

 

[reefrubble]

I would strongly suggest that you refrain from touching or moving it for a very long time unless it is absolutely necessary. Where it is in that photo looks like a good spot and the fact that it is facing right side up is definitely a good sign. Just make sure that the spot it is in is not getting significant flow, otherwise it might get blown around and harm your other corals with its powerful sting!

 

[Max Rackstraw]

Upon later inspection, the coral is now upside down and unable to fully open. Should i try moving it? Im sure it will just flip over again though if i do move it. (Thanks for the help by the way everyone)

 

[Max Rackstraw]

Oh no, today its managed to get out of the area it was in (dispite the flow being at the absolute minimum). Now its at the top middle of the rock section... I wish i could do something here to secure it down but dont want to do more bad than good since the coral itself is fully open and looking healthy as ever!

 

[Shirak]

get a clear container with a lid and put a bunch of holes in it and weigh it down with a rock.

 

[Max Rackstraw]

get a clear container with a lid and put a bunch of holes in it and weigh it down with a rock.

Good idea, i was thinking of doing something similar

 

[Shirak]

There was a fellow that had a hammer bail out and he used some of that mesh for a screen top over a container, I think. Thread is on this forum somewhere.

 

[Max Rackstraw]

The torch is now inside a container i made from a large water bottle with holes cut into it. Its doing quite well and is open during the day, closed at night. The problem is it is quite often upside down. Is this something to worry about or can i leave it to itself in the container? As the base of the torch is not in constant contact with something i know it cannot attach to something, although can it still create the startings of a skeleton on its base for me to stick it to a rock?

 

[Rawsreef]

The torch is now inside a container i made from a large water bottle with holes cut into it. Its doing quite well and is open during the day, closed at night. The problem is it is quite often upside down. Is this something to worry about or can i leave it to itself in the container? As the base of the torch is not in constant contact with something i know it cannot attach to something, although can it still create the startings of a skeleton on its base for me to stick it to a rock?

Wondering how this turned out for you. I have a frogspawn and a torch polyp that bailed on me and are both looking really healthy. The frogspawn polyp bailed months ago, it even got ripped to pieces by my wave maker and yet it still lives.

my torch happened a few weeks ago, he’s fully intact.

did yours ever regrow skeleton? Or did it perish?

 

[Max Rackstraw]

Wondering how this turned out for you. I have a frogspawn and a torch polyp that bailed on me and are both looking really healthy. The frogspawn polyp bailed months ago, it even got ripped to pieces by my wave maker and yet it still lives.

my torch happened a few weeks ago, he’s fully intact.

did yours ever regrow skeleton? Or did it perish?

It ended up perishing by escaping its container, i believe it went through a powerhead or was attacked by tankmates since it has turned into a 20mm black ball when i found it... Quite a sorry sight. I believe it is certainly possible to nurture a euphyllia coral back to health in a container if done better than what i did however since it looked perfectly healthy for weeks before i found it like that one morning.

 

[Max Rackstraw]

It ended up perishing by escaping its container, i believe it went through a powerhead or was attacked by tankmates since it has turned into a 20mm black ball when i found it... Quite a sorry sight. I believe it is certainly possible to nurture a euphyllia coral back to health in a container if done better than what i did however since it looked perfectly healthy for weeks before i found it like that one morning.

I do believe that if you manage to get the polyp to be completely stationary inside its container for a long period of time then it will begin to construct a new skeleton around itself given that the water chemistry is on point. Water chemistry and instability was my issue.