Torch corals not opening like they used to.

[Jay1661]

Hey all, not sure if this is the right place to post. Over the last week I’ve noticed my torch coral hasn’t been opening as big as the day I got it. It’s a few inches shorter. I’m just worried about my water quality. Tank is a 10g nano open top. Low to moderate flow.

Salinity 1.023
Kh 170ppm
Ph 8.1
Ammonia 0.25
Temperature 76f

My light is a Kessil A80 tuna blue that’s about 6-7” above the surface of the water. Lights are only on for about 5 hours because it does get some indirect sunlight during the day.

Just giving as much information about my water quality as I can not sure if it’s even relevant but I cannot keep zoas. I’ve tried multiple times. Over the coarse of three weeks they just open less and less until they all eventually close up very tightly. Zoas get low flow and are at the sand level. Torch also may be trying to grow another head? There is a bubble forming in one of the mouths.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Is this a new tank?

 

[Jay1661]

Is this a new tank?

Yes. About 2 months old.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If that ammonia level is real and not test error, that might be an issue.

Otherwise I do not see a chemical issue and these sorts of things often are not chemistry problems.

FWIW, I would slowly raise the salinity, but it is not likely the problem with the coral.

 

[anthonys51]

How often do you too off with fresh rodi water. If not everyday that could also be attributing to your inability to keep Zoas and this corals

As randy stated ammonia of .25 is an issue if not test error

Have you done any water changes since you started the tank 2 months ago.

Do you have any powerheads

 

[jwshiver]

I bought a Torch approximately two years ago with two heads. It now has 8 heads on it. Sometimes for some reason known only to Torches some of their heads will retract for a few days then open back up to normal. It's not very often but it happens. The first time it happened I freaked out. Now I look at it as normal behavior that I don't worry about. Two heads to eight heads is proof enough for me not to worry anymore.

Plus what Randy said.

 

[Jay1661]

How often do you too off with fresh rodi water. If not everyday that could also be attributing to your inability to keep Zoas and this corals

As randy stated ammonia of .25 is an issue if not test error

Have you done any water changes since you started the tank 2 months ago.

Do you have any powerheads

I top off every other day. So my salinity does fluctuate. I’ve started doing 50% water changes weekly. I have no power head, pump bounces directly off the front glass into the torch so it gets decent flow.

 

[anthonys51]

My advice to you. Top off a little in the morning little at night. Also put tape on the outside so you can see where the water line is. Also 50 percent wAter changes is a lot. I would cut them back to 10-20 %. Too big a water change can cause all the parameters in your tank to change suddenly. Most corals don’t mind a range in these things. But they don’t like them changed all at once in a flash of a few seconds

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I top off every other day. So my salinity does fluctuate. I’ve started doing 50% water changes weekly. I have no power head, pump bounces directly off the front glass into the torch so it gets decent flow.

Why so big?

 

[Jay1661]

Why so big?

Honestly just thought the bigger the water change, the better. Figured I’d go big since it’s only a 10g.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Honestly just thought the bigger the water change, the better. Figured I’d go big since it’s only a 10g.

I'm not sure there is any real problem this is fixing and such big changes can be stressful.

 

[sghera64]

Hey all, not sure if this is the right place to post. Over the last week I’ve noticed my torch coral hasn’t been opening as big as the day I got it. It’s a few inches shorter. I’m just worried about my water quality. Tank is a 10g nano open top. Low to moderate flow.

Salinity 1.023
Kh 170ppm
Ph 8.1
Ammonia 0.25
Temperature 76f

My light is a Kessil A80 tuna blue that’s about 6-7” above the surface of the water. Lights are only on for about 5 hours because it does get some indirect sunlight during the day.

Just giving as much information about my water quality as I can not sure if it’s even relevant but I cannot keep zoas. I’ve tried multiple times. Over the coarse of three weeks they just open less and less until they all eventually close up very tightly. Zoas get low flow and are at the sand level. Torch also may be trying to grow another head? There is a bubble forming in one of the mouths.

You might consider also posting your question here:

Let’s see those Torches, Hammers and frogspawns
https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/Let’s-see-those-Torches,-Hammers-and-frogspawns.357075/

BTW, my green torches looked like trolls for the first 3 months in my tank. Then their polyps slowly drew In shorter for reasons I don’t understand. 13 years later, they’ve grown so many polyp heads that I have had to frag them dozens of times.