What is this my Torch just threw up?

Rodolfo Garcia

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My torch just had these brown strands of what i can compare to hair come out its mouth. What is this? At first i thought it was its stingers but then the flow blew them away in to the filter. Did it just throw up?

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Bigfishy1

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I believe it is expelling it stomach lining. Frim my understanding this is a normal process. Does the Coral look healthy otherwise. It can also be a stress response due to water are lighting changes.
 
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Rodolfo Garcia

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I believe it is expelling it stomach lining. Frim my understanding this is a normal process. Does the Coral look healthy otherwise. It can also be a stress response due to water are lighting changes.
Yes it’s actually really funny because i looked at it like 2 hours ago and I thought to myself that the coral was doing absolutely great and looked full and happy. Next thing you know it’s throwing up like an hour later but YES! I increased my blue lightning from 65% to 70% today. You think this would kill it? I did this increase in light in the early morning and it was looking great.
 

Twitch PhD.

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My torch just had these brown strands of what i can compare to hair come out its mouth. What is this? At first i thought it was its stingers but then the flow blew them away in to the filter. Did it just throw up?

20250716_200929_84B065B2-1DF1-4DED-B0E0-9E864120C9E1.png


20250716_200937_D720B0A5-7A5D-4576-BEEA-B5F5E5C91D93.png


20250716_200938_BD7423E7-DB99-41C4-B2E4-91B2B94243F3.png
Zooxanthellae expulsion - When stressed, corals can expel their symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae), which can appear as brown stringy material. This is concerning as it may indicate the coral is bleaching or under stress.
Mucus with debris - Corals naturally produce mucus to trap particles and waste, which can appear brown and stringy when expelled, especially if it contains digested food particles or accumulated detritus.
Mesenterial filaments - These are the coral’s digestive filaments that can be extruded from the mouth during feeding or stress. They typically appear as white or brownish stringy material.
Check your water parameters immediately - test for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, and salinity. Sudden changes in water quality, temperature fluctuations, or poor flow can stress torch corals. Also examine your lighting schedule and intensity, as changes can trigger zooxanthellae expulsion.
If the coral’s polyps are still extending normally and it’s responding to feeding, it may just be clearing out waste. But if you notice polyp recession, color loss, or the coral staying closed, this could indicate more serious stress that needs addressing quickly.
 

BryanM

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Yes it’s actually really funny because i looked at it like 2 hours ago and I thought to myself that the coral was doing absolutely great and looked full and happy. Next thing you know it’s throwing up like an hour later but YES! I increased my blue lightning from 65% to 70% today. You think this would kill it? I did this increase in light in the early morning and it was looking great.
I doubt a 5% change caused this.

Let us know how it looks tomorrow! When they expel waste they look bad, and bounce back, and that is normal.
 

Bigfishy1

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Yes it’s actually really funny because i looked at it like 2 hours ago and I thought to myself that the coral was doing absolutely great and looked full and happy. Next thing you know it’s throwing up like an hour later but YES! I increased my blue lightning from 65% to 70% today. You think this would kill it? I did this increase in light in the early morning and it was looking great.
I don’t think a 5% change would do this. Do you have a par meter where you can measure the light at the coral
 

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