Torch coral is skinny

aidanwil3 · Apr 17, 2025

Hello everybody. Im a long time lurker who just made an account to ask this question as i cant find anything solid on google.
I have had a new york knicks torch for about 6 months now. I didnt notice it because it happened slowly, but i was looking at old pics and i realized my torch looks skinny now.
The flesh band looks decent, i know its hard to tell in the video but the color is good it has its nice yellow stripes. But the tentacles just stay short and skinny.
My softies in my tank are growing new heads so i know the water is good enough for them. My acans seem to be getting bigger even though i havent seen any new heads, and my torches and hammers mostly seem okay; they have good color and flesh bands. But i will say that the torches, hammers, and elegance dont look as open as i know they could be.
If anybody could help me understand why my torch is skinny i would really appreciate it. Its a really cool color that i got from a friend and i want it to thrive.

parameters:
calcium 320
nitrate 10
alkalinity 10
salinity 1.025
temp 79
(just ordered stuff to check phosphates and ph as well)

i feed aminos every other day and just started target feeding solid food 1 day ago thinking it would help him.
- maxspect jump mj165 light at 85% about 16 inches right above from where the torch is placed.
-36 gallon bowfront display
-5.5 gallon sump with filter sock, sicce shark 300 skimmer, live rock, bag of carbon that is probably overdue for a change.
-2 gyre wave makers set to alternating flow

Also this was taken after the lights started dimming for night so it is a little smaller then how it looks in the day, but its not to far off. the tentacles look that skinny just longer.

Mr. Mojo Rising · Apr 17, 2025

My thought is either lights too bright or flow too high... but I'm just guessing.. And bumping for more views.

kevgib67 · Apr 17, 2025

Calcium is to low and is needed for skeletal growth, need to shoot for 450, calcium levels have no effect on soft corals just lps and sps. I would like to know what your magnesium is, mine seem to thrive at higher levels, 1400 or a little higher. How often do you do water changes and what levels does your salt says that the magnesium and calcium should mix to?

aidanwil3 · Apr 17, 2025

Mr. Mojo Rising said:
My thought is either lights too bright or flow too high... but I'm just guessing.. And bumping for more views.

ill see if i know anybody that has a par meter i can borrow just to double check that.

aidanwil3 · Apr 17, 2025

kevgib67 said:
Calcium is to low and is needed for skeletal growth, need to shoot for 450, calcium levels have no effect on soft corals just lps and sps. I would like to know what your magnesium is, mine seem to thrive at higher levels, 1400 or a little higher. How often do you do water changes and what levels does your salt says that the magnesium and calcium should mix to?

I dont have a magnesium test but the last time i had a store do it for me it was 1300 i think, which was about 3 weeks ago.
i dont do water changes all that much to be honest because i was dealing with dinos for a while and still am but they are going away finally. but i heard water changes are bad for dinos so i havent done any in a while - i just check my nitrates and make sure they dont get too high.

kevgib67 · Apr 17, 2025

aidanwil3 said:
I dont have a magnesium test but the last time i had a store do it for me it was 1300 i think, which was about 3 weeks ago.
i dont do water changes all that much to be honest because i was dealing with dinos for a while and still am but they are going away finally. but i heard water changes are bad for dinos so i havent done any in a while - i just check my nitrates and make sure they dont get too high.

That explains why both are running low, what’s being consumed is not being replaced but it makes sense with dinos. You can dose both separately, like Ido to bump them up. When a coral shows outward signs of distress it’s usually the last thing to show and the coral has been struggling for awhile.

aidanwil3 · Apr 17, 2025

kevgib67 said:
That explains why both are running low, what’s being consumed is not being replaced but it makes sense with dinos. You can dose both separately, like Ido to bump them up. When a coral shows outward signs of distress it’s usually the last thing to show and the coral has been struggling for awhile.

i think im going to order seachem reef advantage for calcium,
it says:
"Reef Advantage Calcium™ also includes magnesium and strontium in amounts proportionate to typical utilization ratios (100:5:0.1, Ca:Mg:Sr). This allows one to maintain these two important elements while maintaining calcium. Unlike limewater (kalkwasser), Reef Advantage Calcium™ does not have a caustic pH and will not deplete magnesium. Used as directed, it will not deplete alkalinity."

does this sound like a good option?

kevgib67 · Apr 17, 2025

aidanwil3 said:
i think im going to order seachem reef advantage for calcium,
it says:
"Reef Advantage Calcium™ also includes magnesium and strontium in amounts proportionate to typical utilization ratios (100:5:0.1, Ca:Mg:Sr). This allows one to maintain these two important elements while maintaining calcium. Unlike limewater (kalkwasser), Reef Advantage Calcium™ does not have a caustic pH and will not deplete magnesium. Used as directed, it will not deplete alkalinity."

does this sound like a good option?

I haven’t used that product, I dose separately but it sounds like it will do what you’re looking for.