What is wrong with my torch

[Dave1993]

With calcium extremely high, I would look at alk also as they work together. I also see what looks like excessive water flow. One of the biggest problems I have seen beginner hobbyists have is failing to account for the calcium demand for these corals. If there is insufficient calcium in your aquarium water, these corals will not be able to make their coral skeleton and if too much shrink. You should also never lift a torch coral out of the water if you can avoid it. You could tear the polyps, and torn polyps are prone to infection followed by necrosis
Torch require typical parameters including:
Temperature : 77-79 degrees
Specific gravity 1.025
Ph of 8.1-8.3
Calcium level of about 400-440 ppm
Phos-.04-.06

Like most large polyp stony corals, a torch coral benefits from moderate water flow. The polyps will remain retracted and under-inflated if the water current is too fast because the large flowing polyps are prone to rip and tear in high or ultra-high current environments.
The torch coral is a photosynthetic coral, meaning it has a relationship with symbiotic zooxanthellae (single-cell photosynthetic organisms) that live inside its tissues that converts the light energy into sugar. In exchange for a home inside the coral, the zooxanthellae split their harvest and feed the coral. Therefore, it is possible to keep the Torch coral without any feeding at all. However, all corals are animals, and animals are meant to eat.
The best placement for a torch coral is in a location that gets moderate water flow and moderate-intensity lighting.

alk is 8.6 tested yesterday

 

[Dave1993]

i just don't know why the tentacles have lost air its not even retracted the tentacles has lost air does no 1 know the cause why they lose the air in them?

 

[fishguy242]

yes ,your calcium is at 600 ,would be considered an emergency in my tank.

 

[Dave1993]

post #19 has calcium at 600 and he said he had no problems

How high is too high for calcium??

So I recently tested my.friends calcium and it was over 600 (using a Hanna tester), and I checked my tank just to see if It was accurate cause that seemed really high to me and mine tested at 510. I mixed 5 gallons of the salt he was using(we use the same HW reefer) and it was 520. After doing a...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[RGoltz]

@Dave1993 I think you have good advise here in this thread:

• Lower calcium to 450
• Raise magnesium to 1400
• Find an area where the coral will receive less constant flow

I think this is the best advise we can give without [NO3, PO4] measurements.

 

[Dave1993]

so i test calcium with hanna calcium checker and been reading about and every 1 says they are rubbish

 

[Dave1993]

i don't dose my salinity is 1.025 use red sea coral pro so how can my calcium be off the charts

 

[fishguy242]

Try different test kit ,double check ,even api wont be that far off.

 

[Goaway]

i have googled and i can't find anything about tentacles going flat

Denial is the biggest enemy as a reef keeper. The only time my torch ever deflated was due to injury. They just don't nip at the tips. Seeing is believing. While you aren't watching, who knows what is taking place.

Also, your torch may just hate 600 calcium. It is showing serious signs of issues and you are in denial trying to justify not getting that number down.

If you believe there are other issues taking place, I would suggest a red light at night and watch for bugs eating at the torch.

This is mostly a water quality/flow issue.

 

[Reef.]

ill swap to red sea blue bucket

The reason for your high calcium is not your salt, I don’t know any salt that has 590 calcium, my guess is your salinity is too high or more likely your test is either wrong or you carried out the test incorrectly.

 

[Shirak]

The Hanna Ca checker is finicky and takes some practice to get consistent and accurate measurements. I would be more inclined to ask how you are testing your salinity and Alk. If your Ca measurement is correct then it's likely your salinity is way high also if you haven't dosed anything. High salinity will suck the water out of coral tissue...

But to answer your question. Only time I have seen flat as a pancake torch tentacles was a few days before they bailout or just disintegrate from BJD. Basically the coral is in poor health and unable to inflate its tissue properly.

 

[Dave1993]

Test the water with hanna checker salinity 1 and alk with hanna alk

 

[Dburr1014]

Torch

www.youtube.com

it don't look good half the tentacles are flat

calc 594
Alk 8.6
Mag about 1300
Nitrate/phos unknown have just ordered hanna checkers for this

Tank age 1 year 2 months started with ocean live rock

This is not new damage. This torch has not been happy for some time.
How long has it been in your system?
What is your sg?

 

[Reef.]

so i test calcium with hanna calcium checker and been reading about and every 1 says they are rubbish

The Hanna checker for calcium is not great, have you tried testing a few times and then averaging out the results? Salifert is good for calcium, it’s cheap too.

All you can do is get all your parameters right and the conditions for the torch to be healthy, you keep asking why it has flat tentacles, no one really knows exactly apart from saying it’s a sign your coral is not healthy, hence the advice to get your parameters and conditions corrected and stable.

 

[Dave1993]

This is not new damage. This torch has not been happy for some time.
How long has it been in your system?
What is your sg?

1.025
2 week its been in my tank it was happy and healthy untill i did a water change then it just become worse and worse

 

[Dave1993]

The Hanna checker for calcium is not great, have you tried testing a few times and then averaging out the results? Salifert is good for calcium, it’s cheap too.

All you can do is get all your parameters right and the conditions for the torch to be healthy, you keep asking why it has flat tentacles, no one really knows exactly apart from saying it’s a sign your coral is not healthy, hence the advice to get your parameters and conditions corrected and stable.

tested a few times blinks 600 meaning its over 600 but i don't dose calcium so it seems impossible i have ordered red sea pro calcium test kit but its not coming till the 20th

 

[Reef.]

tested a few times blinks 600 meaning its over 600 i have ordered red sea pro calcium test kit but its not coming till the 20th

Test some fresh salt mix, and also dilute the tank water sample then test again, just to see if your checker is faulty.

If you are sure your salinity is correct, which many test and think it is but turns out their salinity checker was wrong, then I can’t think how your calcium is so high, not saying that is the issue but it could be apart of the issue because if that is so high, others things in the salt could be too, and if the water change was the thing that made the coral ill then it could explain this.

 

[LeftyReefer]

OP, Torch tentacles don't have air in them... they are inflated with water.

maybe you can have your LFS do a quick parameters check on your water while you are waiting for more tests to come in?

Always nice to get a few sets of eyes or different tests on an issue.

I agree, a calcium reading of over 600, without dosing calcium, seems unusual.

 

[Dave1993]

OP, Torch tentacles don't have air in them... they are inflated with water.

maybe you can have your LFS do a quick parameters check on your water while you are waiting for more tests to come in?

Always nice to get a few sets of eyes or different tests on an issue.

I agree, a calcium reading of over 600, without dosing calcium, seems unusual.

Don't have any LFS near me i order online

 

[Reef.]

Don't have any LFS near me i order online

Where are you ordering from? 2 weeks to wait for an order is crazy!