What Is Wrong With My Torch Coral

[frederickthefish]

Tank Parameters:
-Temp: 78°F
-Salinity:1.025
-Nitrates:4ppm
-Phosphates:0
-Tank size: 40 gal
-Tank age: 1.5 months
-Tank contents: 2 torch corals, 1 alveopora, 1 toadstool leather, 1 bubble tip anemone, 2 clownfish, 1 fire shrimp, 4 peppermint shrimp, astrea and nassarius snails, hermit crabs.

My torch corals tentacles retracted a bit but now they are so far in its skeleton on the front two heads. Im not really sure what’s going on. My other torch coral is thriving. There does appear to be spirorbids on the coral but from what I had read it should be harmless. Recently, my BTA did crawl all over the tank to near where the affected torch is, so it’s possible he stung him. I did dip this coral before adding him to the tank. Oh also I added some new astrea snails recently to combat some diatoms and they have been enjoying crawling on the base of both my torches.

Note: I am new to the hobby.

 

[frederickthefish]

For reference this is what it used to look like

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Phosphates are low. Those should be .02-.05. What about alk or calcium?

 

[DED65]

Phosphates are low. Those should be .02-.05. What about alk or calcium?

Nitrates could be higher too!

 

[BrokenReefer]

Nitrate and phosphate are low; when I've had this issue it was also related to flow. Might have a look at that as well. The tank is still quite new and you may have a few other biologic things going on that I am not at all qualified to opine on.

 

[frederickthefish]

Phosphates are low. Those should be .02-.05. What about alk or calcium?

What is the best way to increase those? And ooh I’ll need to get test kits for alk and calcium. What are the recommended ranges for those?

 

[frederickthefish]

Nitrate and phosphate are low; when I've had this issue it was also related to flow. Might have a look at that as well. The tank is still quite new and you may have a few other biologic things going on that I am not at all qualified to opine on.

Nitrates could be higher too!

What level should nitrates be? For some reason I thought under 5ppm was desired.

 

[Bbyari]

Check your flow....I reduced mine and things changed.

 

[Dburr1014]

It's real early to be adding a nem. Possibly the lps, but maybe not.

PO4 needs a boost. NO3, my feeling on that is you have some so your okay. That is the end product because we can't test for N.

What lights do you run? Do you know the par?
Is this a dry rock start?
Got flow? Random?

 

[Dragen Fiend]

What level should nitrates be? For some reason I thought under 5ppm was desired.

Statistically based off most reefers I see 5-10. But it can vary based off what your tank demands are. My tank thrives in low 20s.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

What is the best way to increase those? And ooh I’ll need to get test kits for alk and calcium. What are the recommended ranges for those?

For me, I fed more, and it raised my nitrates and phosphates. Alk should be 8-12, calcium 380-450.

 

[DED65]

It depends on the tank and how it reacts. I don’t let mine below 20 and try to keep below 30.

 

[Uncle99]

I seek stability in my chemistry rather than any one number within reason.

 

[frederickthefish]

It's real early to be adding a nem. Possibly the lps, but maybe not.

PO4 needs a boost. NO3, my feeling on that is you have some so your okay. That is the end product because we can't test for N.

What lights do you run? Do you know the par?
Is this a dry rock start?
Got flow? Random?

I run the Nicrew Hyperreef 150. I attached what it says for PAR. I keep it at a higher intensity for blue light and a lower intensity for white light.
Started with live rock, 5 gal of water from LFS, and turbostart. I have flow in the tank (use Fiji flow pump at 70) but it’s from return pump, not random.

 

[frederickthefish]

Also I should mention the peppermint shrimp were a recent addition to combat some Aiptasia growing on the alveopora frag plug. Do you think the peppermint shrimp could be messing with the torch?

 

[Lavey29]

Euphyllia aren't going to do well in a one month tank.