Whats wrong with my torch?

[BanZI29]

Woke up this morn to my torch with a grey looking area and not out like he usually is. Does anyone know what it is or what happened?

 

[Macbalacano]

picture is too blurry, can you post another?

 

[Dkmoo]

Also please include tank parameters, age, lighting into and how long torch is in your tank. this might look like torch spilling its guts while is a sign of stress. Again too blurry to tell and would need more into above.

 

[BanZI29]

He was good last night.
params:
ammonia: 0
Nitrite:0
nitrate: 2
phos: .06
calcium 120
alk: 9
salinity: 1.026
temp: 78.8
all these are constant and steady. tank is 5 months established.
Lights: current USA orbits 18" X2 + Orphek OR 3 uv/blue bar 24"

 

[BanZI29]

This was not fragged correctly form the LFS that I bought it from. I've had it for 3 weeks now and has always been out and looked happy.

 

[tnewell]

If it was brown and a jelly substance, it’s possible it’s BJD. It looks like a goner, let me guess, slowly flaking away? Losing tentacles everyday?

 

[BanZI29]

it didn't look like that last night. it was out and full. no jelly at all. it white but not flaking away...yet. I used a baster to see if it would come off and it didnt.

 

[tnewell]

Does he still have a mouth, or is it open and gaping? It looks like it’s expedited all of its last ditch efforts to save itself

 

[BanZI29]

Can't tell. I THINK so but it hard to see without moving the tentacles outta the way. I dont wanna stress it out more.

 

[tnewell]

Can't tell. I THINK so but it hard to see without moving the tentacles outta the way. I dont wanna stress it out more.

Well, when half the skeleton is exposed, usually means it’s already dead. If you pulled it out of the water and smelled it, and if it smells rotten it’s dead and decaying

 

[shakygator]

Unfortunately I've never seen them come back from this.

 

[Pau Hana Reefer]

What CUC do you have in your tank?

 

[Uncle99]

Looks like someone had lunch
Any hermits?

 

[BanZI29]

Snails and crabs

 

[Pau Hana Reefer]

Snails and crabs

As @Uncle99 said, it looks like something ate it. What type of crabs and how many? And how old is your tank?

Emerald crabs and certain hermits will eat corals if they don't have enough algae. In younger tanks and clean tanks with really good husbandry, you'll want to supplement feed your CUC to keep them from going after your corals. And sometimes... the occasional few will still go rogue even if there is enough algae to eat.

I had a $150 aussie torch that looked a lot like yours after my peppermints decided to make it their midnight snack. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to save my torch despite guidance from R2R community. I suspect it was just too much stress for my torch to take.

Sorry to see your coral like this. Hopefully someone here can help you save it.

 

[SaltISlife]

When torch looks like that theyre gone. Id toss it before it jumps to the other torch. That thing isa goner

 

[OrangeCountyReefer]

Its done. Toss it

 

[Macbalacano]

Sad to say that it's very unlikely to come back. If it was just one head that was like that it could be ok, but if its both/all heads then it's unlikely to make a comeback

 

[Uncle99]

Safest is never to mix, crabs and LPS, snails are fine.
I did this 5 years ago now.
Since then, no overnight losses....

My apologies to crab lovers

 

[Johniejumbo]

I leave it be for a while personally. I’ve had a hammer come back from looking worse than that. Only reason I could tell there was any flesh in the bottom of the skeleton was the slight glow from the actinic light. A few months later in a stable tank environment it bounced back. But if something is eating it, it obviously won’t do any bouncing back.