Torches Are Tough!!!

[PeterC99]

See many R2Rer’s posting questions and problems with their torches.

Torches are very difficult corals to keep. Very susceptible to Alk/Calc and nutrient swings. If these parameters aren’t tightly dialed in then there will be problems.

Had this torch for about 10 months and then I lost it due to a PO4 swing. Heartbreaking!

 

[Rtaylor]

Sorry for your loss, it is hard to lose such a beautiful creature. I would suggest you are speculating on the cause of its demise as there typically isn’t a way to determine cause of death without obvious signs like a visible pest or disease. I think we often jump to conclusions if we find a particular parameter turns out to be ‘off’ at the time of death. There are hundreds of things we don’t test for and probably even more interactions and reactions that we are unaware of or don’t fully understand. How large was the phosphate swing? This is a parameter in which coral regularly thrive under very high and very low conditions.

Did you use something like Lanthum chloride which can cause extreme reductions in phosphate very quickly? Otherwise, it is a parameter that naturally would change fairly gradually.

just bringing this up as assuming cause and claiming certainly can lead to future behavior that may lead to making poor decisions. It also can lead new less experienced reefers to obsessive and unnecessary tweaking of everything to maintain ‘perfect’ conditions. I can’t believe how often I see in fb groups people claiming high phosphates or nitrates killed a fish for example. I suspect these beliefs are informed by taking others assertions as fact.

 

[PeterC99]

Sorry for your loss, it is hard to lose such a beautiful creature. I would suggest you are speculating on the cause of its demise as there typically isn’t a way to determine cause of death without obvious signs like a visible pest or disease. I think we often jump to conclusions if we find a particular parameter turns out to be ‘off’ at the time of death. There are hundreds of things we don’t test for and probably even more interactions and reactions that we are unaware of or don’t fully understand. How large was the phosphate swing? This is a parameter in which coral regularly thrive under very high and very low conditions.

Did you use something like Lanthum chloride which can cause extreme reductions in phosphate very quickly? Otherwise, it is a parameter that naturally would change fairly gradually.

just bringing this up as assuming cause and claiming certainly can lead to future behavior that may lead to making poor decisions. It also can lead new less experienced reefers to obsessive and unnecessary tweaking of everything to maintain ‘perfect’ conditions. I can’t believe how often I see in fb groups people claiming high phosphates or nitrates killed a fish for example. I suspect these beliefs are informed by taking others assertions as fact.

You could be right. Trying to use the process of elimination. Nothing else in the heavily stocked coral aquarium was impacted and PO4 was the only parameter that moved. Did start using GFO to bring down the PO4.

 

[ying yang]

I've had 3 torches so far in my 9 month old tank ,I'm thinking either tank to young or my wrasse dice bombing the sand and sand getting in them and irritating them.( one torch I bought and once got home from 25 minute drive from lfs,I noticed little damage to flesh on outside skeleton then next day noticed brown jelly diesese ( tried witch hazel) but ended up throwing torch away after 3 days ,my green one after 2 weeks on sandbed moved it 6 I ches higher on the rocks ( lasted 3 months ) latest one kept on sandbed 1 month and looking good for 3 weeks then started receding and finally nothing left when come back from holiday ,(my nitrates at 40 are high but all other parameters are in ranges more experienced guys say aim for and stable ) 2x easy sps doing ok/ 1x lobo doing ok/ 5x zoa doing ok and 2 x paly doing ok so,uncertain if livestock or nitrates or idk what's the culprit but staying away from them for a bit anyway ^_^

 

[Tony the Fish]

40 nitrates is high, what are your other numbers?

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

My torch is very finicky. Mine bleached most likely because my tank was at a sustained 81-82 degrees for 3 weeks (that’s when I started noticing the decline). Now my torch coral is hanging on. It was 4 heads when I got him a few months before he bleached. He has 3 heads now that are holding on. He went from a beautiful piece to a practically lifeless thing. I have been trying to get him back to life through every few days/weekly feedings but I don’t think he’ll ever be the same. Recently did a dip and moved him in my tank and that made him even more upset. Probably not going to get another torch, even though they were one of the reasons I got into the hobby. It’s unfortunate, but it’s the way that Reefing goes. Things happen and life moves on.

 

[ying yang]

P04 = 0.1















N03 = inbeteen 25-50 but looks like 40 on salifert and 20-30 on api















Alk=8.2















Ca= 440















Mg=1290















Ph=8.0















Temp 25 •c















Sg = 1.025















All salifert tests except api for ph and nitrate also on second test















9 months old 80 gallon with 9 fish and 10- 15% wc weekly and not many corals like 11 different kinds softy/ lps/ easy sps all seem to be doing well except 3 torches slow decline and one very fast buy put fast one down to got damaged in bag on drive home as didnt see damage to flesh when asked lfs guy to lift it up but sm it soon as put In tank after dipped it in nt labs coral dip.















Orried getting flow fi

 

[ying yang]

So sorry about post.my brand new phone keeps messing with me and moving the letters about and spacing them.let me try edit it and make smaller pffft

 

[ying yang]

Sorry won't let me edit it to rectify.


























unresponsive




And keep getting page

 

[Mal11224]

I think nutrients can play a role but I also think the parameters play an even bigger role. Swings can really stress out euphyllias. Ive stressed out some of my own but they manage to bounce back, when I lose a head, I cut it off. I have not used gfo for a long time and do not use carbon for a while now. Just a simple tank with a skimmer and fuge. one Thing I did was remove a wrasse that seemed to purposely throw sand on all my LPS corals.

 

[ying yang]

Yeah my silver belly wrasse often dive bombs the sand and goes under then straight back up then grans pods and such out the now water column, few other fish love it and wait near him when does it lol.but he my cheapest fish but my favourite as so brightly coloured and got him for purpose if coral pest prevention ( well to help keep in check if needed) but my plan at momemt is keep away from torches and get some easy fast growing softies to help me consume some nitrates and keep up my wc weekly and try lay off little on the fresh clams and oysters as nitrates started rising after started feeding these when got my copperband

 

[Saltees]

Torches love flow… plenty of them.

My torches survived for a month or two of high nutrients PO4 of 0.6ppm and NO3 of 50ppm due to my overzealous fish stocking. I lose torches to low flow (BJD usually surface) and placing them too close to each other that they smother each other as they grow, NEVER ONCE to high flow. Torches are pretty resilient IMHO.

BTW, I keep both Aussie and Indo torches. I use GFO and LaCl, my PO4 is capped at 0.1 currently, NO3 is still 50.

 

[LegendaryCG]

Sorry to see it go poorly - I have to admit I consider my euphyllias to be pretty darn hardy. That green frogspawn in the lower left corner came as a single head in a bag of 55F water.

 

[Lavey29]

I've got 6 torches in my 9 month tank all thriving. Indo, ausie and Malaysia but I can't keep a frogspawn going at all....lol

Sorry for your loss that was a nice torch. Was it an HG?

 

[Lavey29]

P04 = 0.1















N03 = inbeteen 25-50 but looks like 40 on salifert and 20-30 on api















Alk=8.2















Ca= 440















Mg=1290















Ph=8.0















Temp 25 •c















Sg = 1.025















All salifert tests except api for ph and nitrate also on second test















9 months old 80 gallon with 9 fish and 10- 15% wc weekly and not many corals like 11 different kinds softy/ lps/ easy sps all seem to be doing well except 3 torches slow decline and one very fast buy put fast one down to got damaged in bag on drive home as didnt see damage to flesh when asked lfs guy to lift it up but sm it soon as put In tank after dipped it in nt labs coral dip.















Orried getting flow fi

So looks like it is lighting or flow possibly? I would check trace elements to. Your numbers are not to bad mag a little low, nit a little elevated should be easy to correct. I keep my torches in the middle of the tank.

 

[PeterC99]

I've got 6 torches in my 9 month tank all thriving. Indo, ausie and Malaysia but I can't keep a frogspawn going at all....lol

Sorry for your loss that was a nice torch. Was it an HG?

It was sold to me as an Aussie gold.

 

[Ryde]

See many R2Rer’s posting questions and problems with their torches.

Torches are very difficult corals to keep. Very susceptible to Alk/Calc and nutrient swings. If these parameters aren’t tightly dialed in then there will be problems.

Had this torch for about 10 months and then I lost it due to a PO4 swing. Heartbreaking!

I've never thought torch to be very difficult. I have only had a total of 4 and 3 are doing really well, other than not growing as fast as id like, are they even growing?) The only one I had lost was a "Holy Grail" it died to polyp bailout. I still never found out what pushed it over the edge, perhaps a swing in alk/cal, but more likely a po4 swing. I really do miss that stunner and am trying to hold off till there prices drop. Torches are probably my favorite coral in the hobby, but really expensive for a highschooler right now.

Your torch was a beauty, "Aussie Gold" can't find these for a good price either, and never owned one because of it. I'm heartbroken for you! Best of wishes friend.

 

[PeterC99]

I've never thought torch to be very difficult. I have only had a total of 4 and 3 are doing really well, other than not growing as fast as id like, are they even growing?) The only one I had lost was a "Holy Grail" it died to polyp bailout. I still never found out what pushed it over the edge, perhaps a swing in alk/cal, but more likely a po4 swing. I really do miss that stunner and am trying to hold off till there prices drop. Torches are probably my favorite coral in the hobby, but really expensive for a highschooler right now.

Your torch was a beauty, "Aussie Gold" can't find these for a good price either, and never owned one because of it. I'm heartbroken for you! Best of wishes friend.

Thank you!

 

[ADAM]

It was sold to me as an Aussie gold.

Aussie gold are particularly finicky, most torch collectors won’t even buy them anymore because of your experience. They’ll usually be perfectly fine for 3-6-12 months and then out of nowhere they die for no real reason. You can find the rare post about someone who’s had one for years but true AG that survive long term are few and far between

 

[Scorpius]

Run your tank temp cooler. I went from 78 to 76-77 and saw improvement with Euphyllia. Guy at my LFS saw same result.