EMERGENCY! New torch suddenly very unhappy!

[kalebos]

I recently bought my first and nice coral. A indo gold blue tipped torch. I've had it for 2 weeks now. It almost immediately opened and seemed to thrive when I placed it in my tank. And yetserday very suddenly his tentacles seemed super thin and wilting. Today he hardly has any tentacles out at all and they still look bad. I can even see his skeleton. Actually he looks awful... Is he too far gone?

Ammonia: 0
Nitrates: 12
Phosphate: 0 (bad i know. I used too much gfo recently. It should rise soon hopefully)
Ph: 8.1
Alk: 7.5 a little but should be fine, right?

Also, I have a hammer, a scoly, zoas, mushrooms, a xenia, and a couple encrusting montis... All are THRIVING. Excellent growth and polyp extension.

I've only begun this hobby at the start of the year so I have much to learn! Should I be worried? Do they do this from time to time to expel waste? Is there something I should proactively do to help him?

This is by far my most expensive and favorite coral. It was be a shame to see him die.

 

[kalebos]

I would be surprised if it is pest related. I've dipped every coral and haven't had an issue so far...

 

[kalebos]

Also my tank is currently fallow. I only have snails in there.

 

[jassermd]

Euphyllia require stable reef water conditions and are intolerant to major swings in water quality which may have occurred. This coral will start to get irritated or even die if the calcium levels are too low. A calcium level of about 400 ppm is just right. Avoid extremely bright locations or areas of very high current, and avoid areas that are too dark or with currents that are too low. They are sensitive in this respect and i always recommend moderate light and water flow and placement around the lower third of tank. The polyps should sway in the current, but not sustain so much pressure they are constantly bent over their skeleton. Too much flow will tear the polyps (worst case) and cause the polyps do not extend in the first place (best case). So, don’t give them too much flow.
Hammer corals are more subdued eaters who would benefit from the occasional feeding of meaty marine foodsuch as mysis shrimp, rather than powdered foods like reef roids.
So what are the other things that irritate them? STRESS is the answer. What causes stress:
- too much water flow
-too much light
- red or black bugs
- salinity too high or low
-ph too low
-Alk too high
-Ca low or too high
-High nitrates

A few things to check and monitor

You may want to read the post from vetteguy53081 on euphyllia in general...

Sorry to say... that torch is likely a gonner. Looks like you have polyp bailout.
There isn't much you can do at this point to help in recovery.

It's hard to say what the exact cause was, but I'd be willing to wager on parameter swings and/or flow/lighting . IME, if parameters are stable and within range, flow and lighting are the most likely culprits to torch demise.

Hope that helps...

 

[BiggestE222]

Corals use phosphate

 

[kalebos]

You may want to read the post from vetteguy53081 on euphyllia in general...

Sorry to say... that torch is likely a gonner. Looks like you have polyp bailout.
There isn't much you can do at this point to help in recovery.

It's hard to say what the exact cause was, but I'd be willing to wager on parameter swings and/or flow/lighting . IME, if parameters are stable and within range, flow and lighting are the most likely culprits to torch demise.

Hope that helps...

I appreciate the reply. I have him in a shaded spot with low flow to minimize stress now. I will just sit back and hope for the best.

Obviously something must have fluctuated or there is a problem somewhere. Im honestly baffled though. I havent been consistently checking my parameters so maybe there was a swing and I missed it.

 

[jassermd]

My pleasure!
Where was it before you moved it? And what's your Ca? Didn't see that listed; and how quickly did your po4 drop? That could have caused it as well.
They are finicky at best and any change can contribute.

 

[HB AL]

Indo torches are known for a certain type of flatworm they can have that will eventually kill em but it takes alot longer than 2 weeks. I would look into your water params as the possible cause of the quick demise.

 

[kalebos]

Indo torches are known for a certain type of flatworm they can have that will eventually kill em but it takes alot longer than 2 weeks. I would look into your water params as the possible cause of the quick demise.

Yeah I'll double check everything today. When I originally dipped him, he was actually open and not a single worm or anything fell off.

 

[HB AL]

Just worth mentioning, as I experienced that with an indo torch before the ban around 4 years ago, for 4 months it thrived and grew then started going downhill and I couldn't figure it out till I gave it a simple iodine dip and holy **** it was infested largest an inch long. Live and learn. I went torch less the whole time till around 3 months ago when I started adding them back to my reef. The lfs's I get them from are dipping them in harsher dips but although it bums the torch out for a week or so they are finding them on some of the indo torches coming in and separate and continue treatment till they are clear and recovered. I do give them an iodine dip just to make sure.

 

[jassermd]

Beautiful reef! And I totally agree on the flatworms... I've lost more torches due to them than anything else.

 

[Shirak]

See any brown slimy looking stuff? A little hard to see but with the speed you describe as it going downhill to virtually nothing in a couple days.., bjd brown jelly disease

 

[DarthSimon]

Do you happen to know ur par level where the torch is?

 

[kalebos]

My pleasure!
Where was it before you moved it? And what's your Ca? Didn't see that listed; and how quickly did your po4 drop? That could have caused it as well.
They are finicky at best and any change can contribute.

I did not check calcium. Alk seemed fine and my others calcium consuming coral are fine as well. And it was in a similar spot to where it was just now, it just had more flow hitting it.

 

[kalebos]

Do you happen to know ur par level where the torch is?

I did measure it once, but my setup is a little different since then. If I had to guess the par is probably roughly 100 where he is

 

[kalebos]

See any brown slimy looking stuff? A little hard to see but with the speed you describe as it going downhill to virtually nothing in a couple days.., bjd brown jelly disease

forutnately no, i did not see that at all

 

[kalebos]

My friends tank once crashed hard and his hammer looked like it had entirely bailed. He was about to take out of the water and throw it out of the way... but somehow it recovered and is completely back to its former glory just a few months later. I'm just holding on to the little hope I can find... which will probably just drag out the stress haha

 

[MSunkin23]

Looks like brown jelly, that torch is dead, I would remove it before it causes a death spike. Happens, gotta roll with the punches.

 

[Shirak]

Polyps look like they are still there for the most part. Doesn’t look like bailout to me. Can you post an updated photo that’s in focus?
I’m still leaning towards bjd just starting to hit it.

 

[Shirak]

My torches will contract tightly at times but they don’t look thin flopping and wilted. Torches I have lost in the past to bjd will look deflated then they start breaking up into pieces as the bjd wipes out the center and flesh on the skeleton