Torch coral disintegrating before my eyes with

[JayFish4004]

Anybody have experience with this? Haven’t changed a thing outside of using Phosguard to drop my phosphates from 2.1 to 0.3.

I change 20-30% water and measure alk weekly - always stable around 8.5-8.9. Somehow this morning Im reading 7.9.

Over the last few weeks my torches and hammers have been unhappy as well. My big green torch which has never been unhappy in the year Ive had him now seems to be losing flesh and you can almost see the flesh flaking off. His tentacles are also curling inward which I haven’t seen before.

What the heck is happening here and how do I fix? Do I need to add some sodium bicarbonate to get my alk back up to 8.5? Also should I stop the phosguard?

rest of param’s:
Salinity: 1.025
Nitrates: 23ppm
Phosphates: 0.3ppm
Alkalinity: 7.9

Here’s a couple photos showing the tissue recession between the heads and the curled tentacles.

 

[Randy’s reef]

How long was your all 7.9 and what was the previous alk , any swings ?

 

[vtshadow]

I noticed lowering phosphates too quickly can also negatively affect your corals. Not sure if that's your problem, but it's possible.

 

[Randy’s reef]

How long was your all 7.9 and what was the previous alk , any swings ?

8.( sorry I see now, that shouldn’t be that much of a swing to cause death tbh , you should cipro dip all euphyllia and you should use another no3 test just to make sure

 

[lucyretz]

how quick did you lower phos? thats a huge swing

 

[Randy’s reef]

Po4 get a second kindly to double check

 

[Uncle99]

.3ppm phosphate too high, may stunt coral growth or brown out SPS.

more than .5dkh drop can cause them to sulk.

 

[Randy’s reef]

Po4 get a second kindly to double check

Kit

 

[lucyretz]

8.( sorry I see now, that shouldn’t be that much of a swing to cause death tbh , you should cipro dip all euphyllia and you should use another no3 test just to make sure

careful with dips in this case it looks to be like phosphates were lowered too quickly. dipping a coral thats stressed from a parameter swing may stress it further

 

[Randy’s reef]

careful with dips in this case it looks to be like phosphates were lowered too quickly. dipping a coral thats stressed from a parameter swing may stress it further

Yes , but I’m speaking of the ones with tissue recession.

 

[JayFish4004]

How long was your all 7.9 and what was the previous alk , any swings ?

Today is the first day I’ve ever seen 7.9. Last week it was 8.5 and pretty much every week prior. I test it day after every weekly water change.

 

[Randy’s reef]

Today is the first day I’ve ever seen 7.9. Last week it was 8.5 and pretty much every week prior. I test it day after every weekly water change.

Then my guess is also po4 , I would remove half rowaphos

 

[Randy’s reef]

Then my guess is also po4 , I would remove half phosguard

Get po4 slowly back up then gradually bring it down later , no need to have po4 so low and no3 so high, especially when it was lowered so quickly , it is bad and your corals are begging you to stop doing what you’re doing new.

 

[JayFish4004]

I noticed lowering phosphates too quickly can also negatively affect your corals. Not sure if that's your problem, but it's possible.

That is currently my only hypothesis - going from 2.1 to 0.3. I didn’t do it all at once, here is timeline:

July 26 - 2.1ppm
Aug 1 - 1.6ppm
Aug 2 - 1.48ppm
Aug 8 - 1.0ppm
Aug 16 - 0.6ppm
Today - 0.3ppm

So dropped about 1.8ppm in a little over a month.

 

[JayFish4004]

Then my guess is also po4 , I would remove half rowaphos

Should I dose some sodium bicarbonate to get my alk back up to 8.5? I’ve never dosed alk before so really nervous about making things worse.

I’ve completely pulled all phosphate lowering media for time being.

 

[Randy’s reef]

Should I dose some sodium bicarbonate to get my alk back up to 8.5? I’ve never dosed alk before so really nervous about making things worse.

I’ve completely pulled all phosphate lowering media for time being.

You have a ca reactor?

 

[Randy’s reef]

You have a ca reactor?

And yes I would’ve removed all then slowly monitor

 

[Randy’s reef]

You have a ca reactor?

Just make sure it doesn’t also shoot back up too quickly

 

[JayFish4004]

Yes , but I’m speaking of the ones with tissue recession.

With tissue recession if I don’t do a cipro dip is it just a matter of time before it dies?

 

[Randy’s reef]

With tissue recession if I don’t do a cipro dip is it just a matter of time before it dies?

If it keeps receeding then yes you can get brown jelly infection and spread to all your healthy euphyllias, just raise po4 slowly and it it keeps receding then cipro asap