Torch taking a nose dive?

[JoJosReef]

Not sure what to make of this, but the flesh seems to be splitting on the torch with polyps going between.

And this is what it looked like last Thurs:

And this Monday:

I'm a bit paranoid when it comes to Euphyllia, so I'm hoping this isn't the downward spiral to another dead torch

Checking parameters in a bit, but as of yesterday before water change:
Sg: 1.026
NO3: 20
PO4: 1.0 (high, and it's been that way barely budging despite adding PhosGuard)
Alk: 7.5-8ish... this is lower than it is supposed to be. RSCP from LFS has been off on parameters for a few batches and just switched to self-made HW, which is ALSO a bad batch (mixing at 7-7.5ish).
Ca: 415
all Red Sea kits


Right when you think things are going well...

 

[Lavey29]

Maybe it's branching off a new head?

 

[JoJosReef]

Maybe it's branching off a new head?

That would be ideal. Never had a Euphyllia branch before, so I don't know what that looks like. Worried this torch is going to bail...

 

[Lavey29]

Torches are tricky. I have 5 in close proximity to each other. 4 are thriving beautiful but the 5th, my Masters torch is like 75%. Not sure why, it gets everything the others get but on water change day will try a dip.

 

[Lavey29]

As long as your parameters, flow and lights are good your euphyllia should thrive.

 

[JoJosReef]

AI Prime 16HD running over 10g Nuvo, Saxby/AB+ schedule. Been working great so far.

Yesterday PO4 read at 1.0. Today it reads at 0.5 (Salifert). Alk in the tank is also up a bit, strangely, around 9 (Salifert), but I might have to retest.

Flow was decreased last night, because I added a macro, which seemed to have blocked some of the flow keeping the torch polyps wavy--I moved the macro to a new spot today, so back to the same flow as previously.

That's it as far as changes go. I might add some Brightwell Restore tonight.

 

[Lavey29]

You want nitrate at 10 and phosphate. 05 to .1 fir euphyllia.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Biggest issue you will face is not having patience. If all the other corals are looking good, you changed the flow back to where it was, all parameters are constant, relax a bit. Give it time to sort itself out.

If after a few days or a week it is worse, maybe have to treat with antibiotics or lugols, but for now, it really does not look bad at all.

Take a deep breath.

 

[JoJosReef]

You want nitrate at 10 and phosphate. 05 to .1 fir euphyllia.

Those are my long-term targets! I have a lot of filter feeders, so trying to slowly dial-in the PO4, and I think the NO3 will also come down slowly with the macros and the clam.

Biggest issue you will face is not having patience. If all the other corals are looking good, you changed the flow back to where it was, all parameters are constant, relax a bit. Give it time to sort itself out.

If after a few days or a week it is worse, maybe have to treat with antibiotics or lugols, but for now, it really does not look bad at all.

Take a deep breath.

Points taken! I have some cipro at home in case things start looking BJD-ish. Battle scars from prior Euphyllia losses have me very wary, though.

Thanks!!

 

[ELChingonsReef]

I've lost a few torches myself until I found the KFC dip.. its the kung-fu corals dip. Go to kung-fu corals.com and download the recipe. It works great on torches and other lps . I have personally used it with success. Also. When torches curl up their tentacles and look frozen then it's time to worry. The torch will tell you when it's sick by the way it acts. Torches can be very difficult. Even moving it to another part of the tank can stress it and it can die. When I buy a torch I plan where I'm going to put it. Glue it in place and never move it again. I adjust my flow around the torch not the torch around the flow..ill move my pumps before I'll move the torch. Stability is key with torches. No different than acropora. I've had a lot of good advice from different people. Hopefully I can share what I've learned with you and you have success. Keep nitrates at 10ppm phosphate under 1 medium flow and around 150 par. Some Indonesian torches can handle more intense lighting. Australian and Malaysian like Lower flow and lower light. Always buy from a trusted vendor like kung-fu corals. Good luck.. hope this helps

 

[JoJosReef]

I've lost a few torches myself until I found the KFC dip.. its the kung-fu corals dip. Go to kung-fu corals.com and download the recipe. It works great on torches and other lps . I have personally used it with success. Also. When torches curl up their tentacles and look frozen then it's time to worry. The torch will tell you when it's sick by the way it acts. Torches can be very difficult. Even moving it to another part of the tank can stress it and it can die. When I buy a torch I plan where I'm going to put it. Glue it in place and never move it again. I adjust my flow around the torch not the torch around the flow..ill move my pumps before I'll move the torch. Stability is key with torches. No different than acropora. I've had a lot of good advice from different people. Hopefully I can share what I've learned with you and you have success. Keep nitrates at 10ppm phosphate under 1 medium flow and around 150 par. Some Indonesian torches can handle more intense lighting. Australian and Malaysian like Lower flow and lower light. Always buy from a trusted vendor like kung-fu corals. Good luck.. hope this helps

Torch seems to have brightened up. It is back to having flowy tentacles. It seems to behave like the pic above occasionally in the evening when the lights start to go in sunset mode, tucking the tentacles in a bit then coming back out later (this is an office tank, so I rarely get to see all of its behavior in the evening).

Now, it just made it through a vacation incident that has my Octo and my Hammer reeling (both are tucked in tight this week). Basically, set up an autofeeder and had coworker looking after tank. Filtration clogged and ATO bottle emptied, lots more pellets went in than expected, PO4 hit > 3.0, and an RFA peeled off its skin and went for a walk (clearly through the hammer/octo/torch region). The RFA doesn't look like it's going to make it--it had about 30 pellets-worth of crud in the spot where it bailed its skin, so I'm thinking they all just settled on the RFA. After a 3 gallon WC Wedn and another gallon on Fri, the torch is looking OK, but the hammer/octo aren't happy. The torch also wasn't very flowy, and I noticed that the codium had completely taken off on the side of the tank and was likely blocking flow--a bit of a trim and the torch let out its tentacles again.

Long story, but just shows how complicated keeping these corals happy all of the time can be. At least my crocea looks happy as a clam (for now)!

 

[JoJosReef]

I've lost a few torches myself until I found the KFC dip.. its the kung-fu corals dip. Go to kung-fu corals.com and download the recipe. It works great on torches and other lps . I have personally used it with success. Also. When torches curl up their tentacles and look frozen then it's time to worry. The torch will tell you when it's sick by the way it acts. Torches can be very difficult. Even moving it to another part of the tank can stress it and it can die. When I buy a torch I plan where I'm going to put it. Glue it in place and never move it again. I adjust my flow around the torch not the torch around the flow..ill move my pumps before I'll move the torch. Stability is key with torches. No different than acropora. I've had a lot of good advice from different people. Hopefully I can share what I've learned with you and you have success. Keep nitrates at 10ppm phosphate under 1 medium flow and around 150 par. Some Indonesian torches can handle more intense lighting. Australian and Malaysian like Lower flow and lower light. Always buy from a trusted vendor like kung-fu corals. Good luck.. hope this helps

Oh, also I'm aware of KFC. I haven't been able to swing by yet, but hope to someday. I order from AquaSD most of the time and sometimes drive down for pickup, but I've always got an eye out for a deal from KFC to combine a trip.