Torch help would be great

[Heres_doe_]

Ok so i have a torch some days it's looking great some days it's looking sad. I dipped in brightwell koral Rx (something like that) when i started noticing it act weird. No bugs or anything. Brought it to lower light and a bit lower flow. Still acting the same. I couldn't figure it out i just left it alone. Was growing a head had currently 3. Woke up couple days ago and it's melted. It's got 1 head with polyps. What could i try to do to save it. I heard iodine dip. I was previously feeding and i had to bring my nutrients down so i stopped. Everything in my tank looks great and SPS, LPS and softies. Only issue is the torch.
Parameters are
salinity 35ppm
Nitrates 15ppm
Phosphates .17

 

[MaxTremors]

Your phosphates are kinda high. Is your alkalinity stable (and are your other parameters stable)? What kind of lighting and what kind of fish are in the tank? Need more info to try and nail down what might be the cause.

 

[Heres_doe_]

Your phosphates are kinda high. Is your alkalinity stable (and are your other parameters stable)? What kind of lighting and what kind of fish are in the tank? Need more info to try and nail down what might be the cause.

Dude my phosphates we're at .92 months ago and nitrates at 56 ppm and the torch looked marvelous. Took me months to get them down because everyone was suggesting that numbers are very high. Soon as I brought everything down. GHA came along. Torch looking crazy. A bit of cyano. When everything was at those high numbers tank was looking crazy good. But 8.22 is my average no crazy swings in alk about a .1-.2 alk swing at most. Viparspectra lights. Skimmer running all day. Feeding every other day rods original blend. Got a flame hawkfish,goby pistol shrimp, mandarin and clown pair. Few snails and 2 emerald crabs. The torch doesn't have any brown jelly. Just melted half of it.

 

[ADAM]

Based on the info givenmajor reduction in feeding is likely the issue. The remaining tissue looks slightly bleached which usually means too much light. However once they start looking “rough” it takes several weeks to heal in most cases. The reduction in food would help reduce PO4 and NO3 but a rapid drop in those would also make for an unhappy torch. A drop in NO3 is likely your main issue with the torch. With the lower NO3 level the light stressed the zooanthelle which caused the partial bleaching and probably some tissue burn also, hence the melted head. Swings in PO4 will also make a torch very unhappy too so watch your nutrients and bring them down slowly.

If it were me I would aim for 0.08-0.1 PO4 and 10-20 NO3

For starters light mixed iodine will help clean the remaining tissue but the decaying tissue needs to be cleaned off the skeleton first and foremost. Once that’s cleaned off I would used a white cup with tank water and enough iodine to make the water look like green tea. Then very gently swirl the torch around a bit and then let it sit for 5-10 minutes in the mixture before returning to the tank. Keep in a lower light area with enough flow to keep the tentacles moving slowly. Once the tissue looks to be growing back you could slowly work it back to a slightly higher lighting area a little at a time. For a full recovery of the remaining head I’d expect 3-6 months depending on system parameters and stability.

 

[Heres_doe_]

Based on the info givenmajor reduction in feeding is likely the issue. The remaining tissue looks slightly bleached which usually means too much light. However once they start looking “rough” it takes several weeks to heal in most cases. The reduction in food would help reduce PO4 and NO3 but a rapid drop in those would also make for an unhappy torch. A drop in NO3 is likely your main issue with the torch. With the lower NO3 level the light stressed the zooanthelle which caused the partial bleaching and probably some tissue burn also, hence the melted head. Swings in PO4 will also make a torch very unhappy too so watch your nutrients and bring them down slowly.

If it were me I would aim for 0.08-0.1 PO4 and 10-20 NO3

For starters light mixed iodine will help clean the remaining tissue but the decaying tissue needs to be cleaned off the skeleton first and foremost. Once that’s cleaned off I would used a white cup with tank water and enough iodine to make the water look like green tea. Then very gently swirl the torch around a bit and then let it sit for 5-10 minutes in the mixture before returning to the tank. Keep in a lower light area with enough flow to keep the tentacles moving slowly. Once the tissue looks to be growing back you could slowly work it back to a slightly higher lighting area a little at a time. For a full recovery of the remaining head I’d expect 3-6 months depending on system parameters and stability.

It's been literally over 3 months i been working on dropping nutrients it's not a overnight thing that's why I didn't dose so i don't get a rapid drop. I would assume that's not a rapid major drop in nutrients. I only did it with WC and feeding less. Idk I'm not an expert but 3 months plus of bringing nutrients down seems slow. Am i wrong? But i will take down notes and still do as said to try and save it.

 

[ADAM]

It's been literally over 3 months i been working on dropping nutrients it's not a overnight thing that's why I didn't dose so i don't get a rapid drop. I would assume that's not a rapid major drop in nutrients. I only did it with WC and feeding less. Idk I'm not an expert but 3 months plus of bringing nutrients down seems slow. Am i wrong? But i will take down notes and still do as said to try and save it.

3 months shouldn’t be too fast at all! If you haven’t seen any “jellying” of the tissue I would think something either damaging the flesh (light) and it’s breaking up before the bacteria can colonize and give the jelly appearance or something is killing it from inside the skeleton. I’ve had both with mixed results.

Iodine will help clean the tissue but for something internal like a bacterial infection a more aggressive medication would be needed. Most nowadays are using Ciprophalexin for system treatments and some even dose as part of maintenance every month or two. Prior to Cipro many were using Chemiclean to treat the tank in hopes of reducing of excessive “bad” bacteria.

 

[terraincognita]

Dude my phosphates we're at .92 months ago and nitrates at 56 ppm and the torch looked marvelous. Took me months to get them down because everyone was suggesting that numbers are very high. Soon as I brought everything down. GHA came along. Torch looking crazy. A bit of cyano. When everything was at those high numbers tank was looking crazy good. But 8.22 is my average no crazy swings in alk about a .1-.2 alk swing at most. Viparspectra lights. Skimmer running all day. Feeding every other day rods original blend. Got a flame hawkfish,goby pistol shrimp, mandarin and clown pair. Few snails and 2 emerald crabs. The torch doesn't have any brown jelly. Just melted half of it.

Stability over #'s. One person's tank is never anothers. If your tank was doing well when you had higher phosphates and nitrates go back to wahtever you where doing then.4

 

[Heres_doe_]

Stability over #'s. One person's tank is never anothers. If your tank was doing well when you had higher phosphates and nitrates go back to wahtever you where doing then.4

My first tank and everyone was on me about those numbers. There was about 3 ppl who said leave it off there's no issues that everyone's tank isn't the same. The only major difference now is that with these numbers i can actually keep SPS.

3 months shouldn’t be too fast at all! If you haven’t seen any “jellying” of the tissue I would think something either damaging the flesh (light) and it’s breaking up before the bacteria can colonize and give the jelly appearance or something is killing it from inside the skeleton. I’ve had both with mixed results.

Iodine will help clean the tissue but for something internal like a bacterial infection a more aggressive medication would be needed. Most nowadays are using Ciprophalexin for system treatments and some even dose as part of maintenance every month or two. Prior to Cipro many were using Chemiclean to treat the tank in hopes of reducing of excessive “bad” bacteria.

And it's only 1 torch so i was thinking maybe some type of bacteria because my other euphyllia are having no issues

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

My first tank and everyone was on me about those numbers. There was about 3 ppl who said leave it off there's no issues that everyone's tank isn't the same. The only major difference now is that with these numbers i can actually keep SPS.

And it's only 1 torch so i was thinking maybe some type of bacteria because my other euphyllia are having no issues

Don’t chase numbers. I don’t even test my tank for anything but salinity anymore. If everything is healthy and looks fine it’s irrelevant what the parameters are in my opinion.

 

[Heres_doe_]

Anyone tried revive?

 

[ADAM]

Yeah, great dip but haven’t seen great results when trying to save a torch, or other euphyllia. Iodine(Lugols), Furan2, Chemiclean, and Ciprophalexin are staples of my reef keeping journey, particularly for torches.

 

[Heres_doe_]

Good to know just tried we'll see they don't have those around me i have to drive further

 

[terraincognita]

Good to know just tried we'll see they don't have those around me i have to drive further

How's it looking after the dip? definitely leave it alone now wherever you've put it again. I'd make sure it was low/moderate flow with decent light somehow if possible and just see if it'll recover.

 

[Heres_doe_]

How's it looking after the dip? definitely leave it alone now wherever you've put it again. I'd make sure it was low/moderate flow with decent light somehow if possible and just see if it'll recover.

Put it mid tank moderate light and flow

 

[ADAM]

Good to know just tried we'll see they don't have those around me i have to drive further

The Cipro you’ll need to search for “fish antibiotics”. Valley Vet Supply is where I got my last order from. There’s a thread on here about application and dosage per gallon for a thorough explanation. I crush a tablet and thrown it in the filter sock. The every 2 days after for 4-5 total doses I add Microbacter7 (any reef bacteria supplement will suffice)

 

[Heres_doe_]

The Cipro you’ll need to search for “fish antibiotics”. Valley Vet Supply is where I got my last order from. There’s a thread on here about application and dosage per gallon for a thorough explanation. I crush a tablet and thrown it in the filter sock. The every 2 days after for 4-5 total doses I add Microbacter7 (any reef bacteria supplement will suffice)

I keep hearing about ppl dosing reef bacteria to their tank even after tank is established. What is the purpose

 

[ADAM]

I keep hearing about ppl dosing reef bacteria to their tank even after tank is established. What is the purpose

I only do it after a treatment like Cipro or similar. The maintenance dosing of bacteria has been the topic of some extremely long threads…

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

This melt off was in no was caused my your nitrates and phosphates. They are elevated yes, but still perfectly in range to keep healthy coral