Torch coral

[Garth Schafluetzel]

ok so its the second try for my boss to try geting a nice torch but just like last time it looked great untill it when in his tank and it seems like it deflated its self alot of it tentacls are still coming out they just look deflated its in a 65gal with 2-150watt current 14k bulbs and i basic setup urchin skimmer filter sock heater and returnprobly 75 punds live rock and live sand any ideas or similar situations

 

[Saltysteele]

you had to know this was coming :D lol

what are the parameters of his tank? (ph, N3, N4, etc., etc.)

 

[Garth Schafluetzel]

this is not my tank to the only parameter i know ar salintiy 1.025 on it has a slow disolving trace element block in the sump. ill take my cal and alk kits with me tomorrow but thats all i have right now except for dip strips but i will use one of those as well. it has been maintaned by someone else but im slowly taking it over trying to save him some mony but he's just not currently impressed but the more and more i convince him to get new things he likes them but he realy likes the torchsand i realy want him to love his reef ya know and not to mention the tank is 10years old lol so its pretty stable

 

[Saltysteele]

oh, i hear ya :)

 

[Garth Schafluetzel]

any ideas at all im at a my wits end

 

[paintballer768]

Slow dissolving trace element block? Thats enough to throw something off right there. I think that if you use a dripper test kit the problem will show up.

 

[Garth Schafluetzel]

yeah i plan on testing it with what i have im thinking if the cal and alk are off and any nitrats show up ill have a place to start but wouldnt everything be effected by this i read some were that alk was extremly important for these coral. what bothers me is everything else is fine plenty of coraline. i did notice however there seems to be a dead spot under one of the caves but like i said befor this tank has been up for 10 years and in its 10 year life its coral list has been xenia brown polyps and you guessed it more xenia the micro i sold him is doing well it was doing great untill a snail knocked it off and the brown plyps stung part of it but i think it will pull threw. i put 2 different more color ful styl zoas in there and they are fine he hads some candy cane coral hairy mushroom rock and a ric thats been there for 3 years and all of these are fine but he purchases a torch and it never seems to come out and always ends up dead

 

[oceanparadise1]

i would get rid of that black asap ive never heard of ANY one using something like that on a reef. that could be your problem right there!

 

[fishes2889]

Where is the torch located in the tank?

Flow rate in the tank?

Acclimating correctly?

 

[Garth Schafluetzel]

med flow low light and temp acclimated and i aggre about the block ive never herd or seen it befor and cant find it online either lol

 

[Azurel]

I have used mineral blocks back in the day....The problem with them is if they are in an area of to much flow they will dissolve at a higher rate then what the water can hold(precipitation) and can lead to to high parameters.....They are supposed to be in areas of low to no flow so as the minerals are depleted out of the water they will be drawn out of the block.
Wither it works or not is a whole other story.....I would remove the block and have him do multiple water changes over a couple week period and re-test. Then buy another torch and I bet it will work out fine... Not to mention who knows how the quality of these blocks are and if there isn't any quality control issues with them.....But it does sound like a parameter is off causing the torch to collapse and die off....

 

[Garth Schafluetzel]

the thing that bothers me is its only the torch nothing else. but like mentioned befor everything in there was rooted in the tanks prime 5 or 6 years ago its 10 year b day is this christmas lol but that sounds like a great place to start forgot to get tests yesterday but i work tonight and ill get what i can from it.