Torch receding at the base yet fully opens!

Katze · Jul 1, 2023

Hello !

I got this torch now nearly two weeks ago, looked healthy fully opens to this day. But the tissue is receding at the base.

Parameters:
NO3: 50-100 (let's mention that this is very stable)
PO4: 0,06-0
Mg: 1200
Ca: 470
Salinity: 1024 (bringing it up to 1025)

So what happened ?

4-5 days ago I started to see the recession, had no idea what caused it. I increased UV and green by a total of 7% (daily 2-3% change) so It gets 120 par instead of the 80 before increasing.
After light change:
day1-2: Dip in RS DipX, 3 flatworms came off
day3: monitoring healthy
day4(today): seeing that the tissue is still receding <0,5cm left on the outer part
At the connection between the skeleton and the tissue, tonight I've seen white stringy mucus somewhat red-ish in the middle if I remember correctly

The recession started this week.

Coral during the day as usual, nothing changed (took this picture before recession but it looks the same except the lost tissue at the base) :

Coral tonight:

Tissue a few days ago, and already receding:

SnazzyUrchin792 · Jul 1, 2023

My frogspawn did this. I couldn’t think of anything to do. One day it stopped opening and then slowly dissolved over the course of 2 days. Prayers that you have a better outcome than I did.

Katze · Jul 1, 2023

Flow (a week ago, again still looks the same during the day):

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal · Jul 1, 2023

They can/will look open and flowing until the day they bail out or just dissolve... In the 2 weeks you've had it, it's been subjected to poor water quality and will likely continue to decline... Low salinity, low magnesium, low phosphates with high nitrates -all are problematic. What is your alk and how stable has that been?

Outlaw Corals · Jul 1, 2023

Lower light for growing flesh

Katze · Jul 2, 2023

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal said:
They can/will look open and flowing until the day they bail out or just dissolve... In the 2 weeks you've had it, it's been subjected to poor water quality and will likely continue to decline... Low salinity, low magnesium, low phosphates with high nitrates -all are problematic. What is your alk and how stable has that been?

Now I can do something with Mg, and salinity but nothing with nitrate. My nitrate never moves rarely from 100> to >50

Dutch_Mill · Jul 2, 2023

Katze said:
Now I can do something with Mg, and salinity but nothing with nitrate. My nitrate never moves rarely from 100> to >50

Water changes, carbon dosing, less feeding, algae reactor, algae scrubber, more (fast growing soft) coral.

Plenty of ways to reduce nitrates. Just make sure you keep phosphate in balance by feeding higher phosphate food or dosing it.

Katze · Jul 2, 2023

Dutch_Mill said:
Water changes, carbon dosing, less feeding, algae reactor, algae scrubber, more (fast growing soft) coral.

Plenty of ways to reduce nitrates. Just make sure you keep phosphate in balance by feeding higher phosphate food or dosing it.

All the things you mentioned, nothing worked. I have softies doing very well, like zoas and such. What would that "balance" be ? Redfield ratio ?

Katze · Jul 2, 2023

Just measured NO3: close to 50 (salifert)

Katze · Jul 2, 2023

Good news ! Seems like that the recession stopped/slowed down for now. I'll update if anything happens !

marinehead · Jul 30, 2023

Any update on this?

Katze · Jul 30, 2023

marinehead said:
Any update on this?

Yes, the coral survived and gained some tissue back.

marinehead · Jul 30, 2023

That’s great, any thoughts on what you changed? Currently have some going through this

Katze · Jul 30, 2023

marinehead said:
That’s great, any thoughts on what you changed? Currently have some going through this

Hmm... As far as I can remember I maybe decreased my flow a tiny bit but I'm not sure. I also went trough this with a saved/salvaged torch colony which survived so far and there I had salinity issues 1,024 after increasing to 1,025 the recession seems to be stopped.
Here are the things to look out for:

-Nutrients: NO3: in my experience corals don't care about this but should never be zero for LPS
PO4: I have/had this around 0,0X
-Salinity atleast 1,025 because some specimens may not like 1,024
->Mg Ca in the sweet spot(s) (for Ca I was recommended ~+400)

-Have around 120 pars, atleast a 100

->Fragbox TV on youtube made very good videos regarding torches, those may help.

I can also recommend to take photos of the coral and compare it day by day to see what happened.