Why is my torch dying??

reefrunner

reefrunner

Member
I have a torch coral that I bought about a month ago. It has been doing well up until about a week ago. Suddenly it has started dying....branch by branch. It looks fine, and then all of a sudden, the tentacles wither, and within 12 hrs., it's dead. I've got only one branch that hasn't died, left on this poor thing. I will post my water parameters, and if anyone has any ideas....please share.
37 gal cube
250w 14k MH w/lunars. On a 6 hr cycle, and supplemented by 18w actinic.
Salinity- 1.026
Amonia- 0
Trites- 0
Trates- 20
PH- 8.3
Calcium- 450
Phosphates- 3
Temp- 77-80
Lots of flow
 
farslayer

farslayer

Active Member
Hmm, can you post a pic? Torch corals do not like a lot of flow, which is generally true for all LPS corals. The flow can cause them to retract and die if it is too intense. Are there any other corals near him? Do you have any leather corals, and if so do you run carbon? Do you notice any film or other substance on the dead branches?
 
reefrunner

reefrunner

Member
Originally Posted by Farslayer
Hmm, can you post a pic? Torch corals do not like a lot of flow, which is generally true for all LPS corals. The flow can cause them to retract and die if it is too intense. Are there any other corals near him? Do you have any leather corals, and if so do you run carbon? Do you notice any film or other substance on the dead branches?
The only thing I notice, is that they look fine until all of a sudden, the tentacles wilt, and within 12 hrs it is completely dead. A day or two after that, nothing is left but the skeleton.
 
dmjordan

dmjordan

Active Member
probably too much flow. their tentacles should move slightly with the current. if the flow is too much the tentacles will get beat up and cut on its own skeleton
 
reefrunner

reefrunner

Member
Originally Posted by dmjordan
probably too much flow. their tentacles should move slightly with the current. if the flow is too much the tentacles will get beat up and cut on its own skeleton
Where the @%$* is the happy medium with this hobby?!
I really don't think I have too much flow...It's not like my tank is a tsunami in a box. K....heres what I have for flow....
Cascade 700 canister filter.....185 gph
Seaclone 100 skimmer....bout 150 gph...but much less than that when I open the valve to make it actually skim.
Max-jet 600 powerhead....180 gph with a rotating head.
All that equals about a 14/hr turnover if you include all the water being moved, and not just the water going through the filter.
 
dmjordan

dmjordan

Active Member
what i meant was just move the coral to a place in your tank where there is less flow. i have 1900 gph in my tank but there are spots where the flow is less than others. the tentacles on your torch should be barely moving with the current.
 
liadb

liadb

New Member
My torch just did the same thing. Beautiful one day, dead the next. All the other corals and anemones are fine.
 
liadb

liadb

New Member
bang guy said:
What is the Alkalinity?

Are you using a Seachem PH booster?

What are you feeding the Torch?
Click to expand...
My PH is 8, Alkalinity is 9dkH and I use Red Sea Coral Colors & reef foundation. There is a fairly steady diet of plankton, brine shrimp ( I use both vegetarian & carnivorous cubes).
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
What are you using to maintain Alkalinity?

Sorry for the odd questions. It helps to have the big picture when trying to diagnose something like this.

With what you have given my initial guess is that the Torch is having trouble growing and is therefore dying. They need to grow continually or they perish. This is true of most Calcareous corals.

The phosphate level is probably the main contributor. Phosphate combined with a scarcity of Carbonate to build skeleton and food to fuel the growth. These are not plankton eaters they need an occasional meal of meaty seafood.

Just my opinion but I don't think waterflow has anything to do with it in this case.
 
steelgluer

steelgluer

Member
I had the same thing happen to me. 2 heads 1 split into 2 had 3 then they died right after split confused the hell out of me cause i just brought a pin head size lobo back to the size of a quarter in the same tank. The Lobo is still growing strong.
 
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