Coral Troubles

[DarkReefer]

Hi guys,

I've just recently lost a trachy, and I fear my Lobo might be following suite.
I've also noticed my torch that has been in the tank for quite a while has thinned out and shrunk back and my new gold torch looks really average!

Can someone please help me? I don't want to lose more corals.

My levels

Salinity - Was 1.027-1.028, I've since adjusted it down to 1.026 (my tank has often sat around 1.026-1.027)
Alk - 8.2 and seems pretty stable around here. I dose it once a week maybe twice sometimes to bring it up by .5, but it's always close to this when tested.
pH - around 8
Phosphate - approx 0.1 (I find it hard to differentiate the colours around these levels on the salifert)
Magnesium - 1245, this seemed surprisingly low, I tested on the 18th (3 days ago), and it was 1275, I then added around 600ml of Coral Essentials Magnesium + Trace. (Not enough to bring it to 1350, but approx half, so expected low 1300's)
Calcium - 410
Nitrates around 15 (using API Marine kit)

I'm thinking I'll dose more magnesium, also calcium and carbonate (alk) to bring up the latter two a little and try and do more for the magnesium.

Here's a few reference pics of what's going on.

Gold Torch when first put in

Gold Torch now (I tried to drop some LPS coral pellets on it in an attempt to help it feed)

Purple Torch a month or two back

Purple Torch now ( you can see it's shrunk and very skinny compared to before - notice the green tip is fine)

The lobo I'm also concerned with

 

[MnFish1]

1. Possible that one is stinging the other?
2. Possible that fish are pestering them?
3. Possible that there is some other toxin in the water? (ICP test?)
4. Light changes/issues?

 

[DarkReefer]

1. Possible that one is stinging the other?
2. Possible that fish are pestering them?
3. Possible that there is some other toxin in the water? (ICP test?)
4. Light changes/issues?

1. Didn't think torches stung one another?
2. I've not seen them bother these, but not saying it doesn't happen.
3. Would the LFS do these ICP tests?
4. No changes to light, Been running my Hydra 32 on 60% acclimation mode for months.
(Gold one might notice the change from whatever the lighting was at the LFS, it's sitting probably just around mid way up the tank on the rock ( but nearing top of the rockwork I have in the tank).

 

[MnFish1]

well - there is some discussion about this if you look at the forums. Corals of different genus' can sting each other. My point was you have a couple corals of different genus fairly close together.

 

[Reef_Colors]

You should get an icp test done, its a mail in water sample. Not sure which to reccomend seeing you are in Australia. I used Triton icp test. If you dont see the corals touching, it could be chemical warfare from the corals. Run fresh carbon, if you see some improvements that would prove so.

 

[MnFish1]

You should get an icp test done, its a mail in water sample. Not sure which to reccomend seeing you are in Australia. I used Triton icp test. If you dont see the corals touching, it could be chemical warfare from the corals. Run fresh carbon, if you see some improvements that would prove so.

There are often sweeper tentacles - that are open in the dark that extend far further than the actual coral. An ICP test is a fine idea. My impression was this was a fairly new tank - which would make it somewhat less useful.

 

[DarkReefer]

well - there is some discussion about this if you look at the forums. Corals of different genus' can sting each other. My point was you have a couple corals of different genus fairly close together.

I know that corals of different species have been known to do it, wasn't aware that different genus do it (by genus, does this include different coloured torches for example?). I've set my tank up to keep most of my corals of different types away from one another. Ie. There's a hammer garden & frogspawn together, but the torch 'garden', if you could call it that, is on the opposite side of the tank far away from them. There's some corals inches away from these, however I don't believe them to be in stinging distance (I've seen the tentacles that come out, whether there's the sweeper ones that are a far longer I can't say).

You should get an icp test done, its a mail in water sample. Not sure which to reccomend seeing you are in Australia. I used Triton icp test. If you dont see the corals touching, it could be chemical warfare from the corals. Run fresh carbon, if you see some improvements that would prove so.

Thanks, it looks like Triton are available in Australia now too so will have to look into this.
With regard to the carbon, the tank is 4.5 months old, is this likely to be useful or is this what @MnFish1 was referring to as being somewhat useless due to the age of the tank?

 

[Reef_Colors]

Regardless of tank age, carbon will help remove the toxins corals release (chemical warfare) if any. He was was refering to icp test since your tank is new.

 

[DarkReefer]

Regardless of tank age, carbon will help remove the toxins corals release (chemical warfare) if any. He was was refering to icp test since your tank is new.

Thanks, will look to get some carbon media to add in there then.