Rescue Torch Coral!

[REEF_TO_KEEP]

Hi Everyone,

I was given 3 torch corals to me 2 weeks ago by a friend because his tank suffered from high nitrate and phosphate. When I picked the up that night, they were in very bad shape and I put them in my tank (I wish that he could give them to me sooner). One Torch died the next morning, all the tissue turned brown and smell.

The second torch is doing well and happy.

The third had some polyp extension the next day but minor tissue loss on at one end (it has two eyes but has not split). I started feeding it and it took in reef roids. But day after day, very slowly, the tissue starts to recede and taking over to the other end with dead tissue. It spreads to the other eye now. I have tried everything, but I am losing it. It frustrated me because it still eats and has some polyp extension. I begin to think it is some sort of infection taking over. Has anyone had some experience with this or please tell me how to save it?

Thanks

 

[KrisReef]

You need cipro now
0.125mg/liter of tank water for In tank treatments - very safe and well documented.
Original Post for more information.

 

[Dr4gula.f32]

I recently went through this on an 11 head hulk colony I have/had. For a week one head failed to extend, and I'd notice tentacle tips here and there on the substrate. The forum wasn't much help so I went to a local reef store. He advised me to cut off the affected head asap, and CoralRx dip as well as iodine. Told me to watch the other heads in the coming weeks. Sure enough 2 days later 2 other heads exhibit the same issue. I snipped off those heads as well, and dipped it again. It's been great ever since. Dude def saved my coral with his advise.

 

[REEF_TO_KEEP]

You need cipro now
0.125mg/liter of tank water for In tank treatments - very safe and well documented.
Original Post for more information.

Thank you very much for helping out.

I went to the doctor and got cipro on Friday. It was a funny story with the doctor but I got the pills. I took out the torch and placed it in one gallon jug with air pump and heater. It is a solid pill and I scrapped the pill off and mixed with the water. The dose I used is a lot higher than 0.125mg/liter (20 times at least) because I know it needs cipro fast. I treated it for a full day and put it back in the DT because it looked cranky. I honestly think it stopped the spread today. The tenticles near the infection still have not fully open but it do not turn brown. I will keep an eye on it and update it.

 

[REEF_TO_KEEP]

I recently went through this on an 11 head hulk colony I have/had. For a week one head failed to extend, and I'd notice tentacle tips here and there on the substrate. The forum wasn't much help so I went to a local reef store. He advised me to cut off the affected head asap, and CoralRx dip as well as iodine. Told me to watch the other heads in the coming weeks. Sure enough 2 days later 2 other heads exhibit the same issue. I snipped off those heads as well, and dipped it again. It's been great ever since. Dude def saved my coral with his advise.

I just found out from you that there is a treatment for it and cipro. I have treated it cipro, it seems to work. I will you post it. Thanks for your help

 

[KrisReef]

I’m concerned that the display tank may harbor the bacteria that causes this disease. The treatment you performed may solve the disease? If the disease reappears I would encourage you to treat the coral in the tank. Treating the tank allows all lps that have been exposed to the bacteria to get cleaned up together.

Cipro is very forgiving, just curious what the Mg milligram dose was per pill that your dr supplied? I love your doctor, btw. My brother is an anesthesiologist and I can’t ask him for anything like this, he’s totally by the book while I am more like Abby Hoffman (“Steal This Book.”) but he is still my brother but just barely

 

[REEF_TO_KEEP]

I’m concerned that the display tank may harbor the bacteria that causes this disease. The treatment you performed may solve the disease? If the disease reappears I would encourage you to treat the coral in the tank. Treating the tank allows all lps that have been exposed to the bacteria to get cleaned up together.

Cipro is very forgiving, just curious what the Mg milligram dose was per pill that your dr supplied? I love your doctor, btw. My brother is an anesthesiologist and I can’t ask him for anything like this, he’s totally by the book while I am more like Abby Hoffman (“Steal This Book.”) but he is still my brother but just barely

All the rest of the corals in the DT are healthy and have no sign of BJD and I did not have the courage to treat the whole tank. Thanks for your advice, I will keep an eye on the rest of the coral. If things go south I will act on it.

The doctor gave 6 x 500mg of cipro (white pill).

 

[KrisReef]

500mg x Liter/0.125mg = 4000liters, or each pill dissolved can treat 4000liters which is 1056 gallons/pill!

Cipro is light sensitive. If you do treat the DT, dissolve one pill in a liter of water. Use 100mls/100 gallons of tank water. Keep the excess in the refridgerator and wrap the bottle with foil to keep light out. It will last awhile.

I'm thinking your treated torch is going to be ok going forward, -mission accomplished!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Cipro is hit and miss with coral but more effective with anemones. before dumping any snake oil products or powders- you have to recognize cause and prevent it
With torch, often just taking the coral out of bag and exposing to air can stress and make torch prone to infection as will elevated tank temperature or salinity.
Placement in tank plays a vital role as they have to be in area of moderate light and moderate to medium water flow. High flow will tear their polyps off their skeleton and vigorous movement will do the same and cause them to retract. Speaking of skeleton, They have calcium needs which should be no lower than 380.

 

[REEF_TO_KEEP]

500mg x Liter/0.125mg = 4000liters, or each pill dissolved can treat 4000liters which is 1056 gallons/pill!

Cipro is light sensitive. If you do treat the DT, dissolve one pill in a liter of water. Use 100mls/100 gallons of tank water. Keep the excess in the refridgerator and wrap the bottle with foil to keep light out. It will last awhile.

I'm thinking your treated torch is going to be ok going forward, -mission accomplished!

I would like to thank you and I like to provide an update on the torch coral. After one day treatment of Cipro, the torch is now fully recovered, and it has not lost a single tentacle. It fully extends and eating reef roid.

The original torch had two eyes but not split, it was one continuous tissue and skeleton. One eye died off and half of the skeleton exposed. Would the remained eye regrowth to the other side of skeleton?

 

[KrisReef]

I’m very glad to hear that your coral is going to live. The living tissue will deposit new skeleton and repair the base where it is at, extending upwards as a single head. Eventually as it grows taller it should again widen and elongate growing until it divides to form 2 joined heads and finally two (or more) separate heads.

 

[REEF_TO_KEEP]

I’m very glad to hear that your coral is going to live. The living tissue will deposit new skeleton and repair the base where it is at, extending upwards as a single head. Eventually as it grows taller it should again widen and elongate growing until it divides to form 2 joined heads and finally two (or more) separate heads.

thank you

 

[REEF_TO_KEEP]

I got another torch shipped and placed in DT. Tissue started to recede. Same method of treatment using Cipro. It is back in the DT now and it is good. Cipro really works