What the heck happened here?

[Sharkbait19]

Hi,
I returned from an 8-day vacation, and most the tank looks fine. I lost a mushroom coral and there was some water evaporation, but one thing particularly strange happened with my torch coral. The skeleton appears to be decaying, and I’m not entirely sure why… I know there was a power outage that left my light off these past few days, but I feel like this wouldn’t explain the skeletal issues…
I recently added a pencil urchin. Could the algae grazing have caused this? Or is there a bigger problem here that I should be concerned about? Thanks!

 

[SindoCanales]

The torch heads seem fine which is a good thing also their flesh. Maybe the urchin got hungry and munched on it ? It looks like something was eating it remember this is practically bone to them. I know from experience urchins eat coraline algea. Maybe it was eating this also. Keep and eye on it. What else you got in the tank that has like a beak. Trigger or puffers ?

 

[Kapachuka3]

The torch heads seem fine which is a good thing also their flesh. Maybe the urchin got hungry and munched on it ? It looks like something was eating it remember this is practically bone to them. I know from experience urchins eat coraline algea. Maybe it was eating this also. Keep and eye on it. What else you got in the tank that has like a beak. Trigger or puffers ?

i agree, its most likely the pencil urchin, i have one that tried to eat my kenya tree but i pulled the urchin off of the coral a few times and i havent had any problems with it eating the coral anymore.

 

[Sharkbait19]

The torch heads seem fine which is a good thing also their flesh. Maybe the urchin got hungry and munched on it ? It looks like something was eating it remember this is practically bone to them. I know from experience urchins eat coraline algea. Maybe it was eating this also. Keep and eye on it. What else you got in the tank that has like a beak. Trigger or puffers ?

Nothing else that can chew on it in there. My coral beauty angel was in qt when it happened (and that hasn’t bothered anything but a gorg anyway).

 

[SindoCanales]

Nothing else that can chew on it in there. My coral beauty angel was in qt when it happened (and that hasn’t bothered anything but a gorg anyway).

Maybe you got a pest in there? You got any wrasses ? I also suggest on having a 6 line wrasse since they’ll keep pest at bay. Also try during the middle of the night to shine a flash light in there and see what could be on the base or crawling around on the rock and other corals. You might have something in there you haven’t seen our caught yet.

 

[Sharkbait19]

I’ve been seeing what looks like fireworms lately, I doubt they could do that to a torch though.
No wrasse, I’ve been considering a 6 line (as I could use a tough fish that can stand up to my clowns) but with my luck I’d end up with the worst one ever.
Any of my original live rock has been in place for 2 years now, I’m sure I’d have noticed just about everything major by now (famous last words I know).
I’ll definitely keep an eye on the urchin. Hopefully I don’t have to pull it.

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

From what I have read and observed, pencil urchins are not reef safe. Here is from liveaquaria:

Pencil Urchin: Saltwater Aquarium Invertebrates

 

[SindoCanales]

I’ve been seeing what looks like fireworms lately, I doubt they could do that to a torch though.
No wrasse, I’ve been considering a 6 line (as I could use a tough fish that can stand up to my clowns) but with my luck I’d end up with the worst one ever.
Any of my original live rock has been in place for 2 years now, I’m sure I’d have noticed just about everything major by now (famous last words I know).
I’ll definitely keep an eye on the urchin. Hopefully I don’t have to pull it.

Yes your best bet could be keeping an eye on the urchin and by far the best pest control a 6 line.

 

[Wasabiroot]

I'd second the pencil urchin being a culprit. They are not coral safe - I had one that mowed down a leptoseris

 

[Sharkbait19]

Thanks for the replies.
I’ll be keeping a close eye on him - worst case scenario back to the lfs he goes…or I’ll go soft and move him into a separate tank lol

 

[sfin52]

Thanks for the replies.
I’ll be keeping a close eye on him - worst case scenario back to the lfs he goes…or I’ll go soft and move him into a separate tank lol

Sump?

 

[Rickybobby]

I had two pencil urchins. Not reef safe! They ate corals. I had to rehome them

 

[Sharkbait19]

Sump?

All I’ve got is the hob…

 

[Reefing102]

My guess is the pencil urchin as well. Mine is going to be sumped once he gets out in the open. He killed my maze brain colony and I’m pretty sure a couple rainbow chalices

 

[Sharkbait19]

Crazy that I didn’t know this about pencil urchins before…I was told that these guys are the best at their jobs, and are generally model citizens….I guess I may have to just swap him for a safer species. Any idea on if the broken portion of the skeleton will eventually regrow, or will it remain this way? This may also explain why a mushroom coral disappeared, though I’m not too sure on what types of corals this urchin would eat.