Torch Coral help?

[reef3r]

I just bought a torch coral but it's not looking so good today. I got it from liveaquaria and it arrived yesterday and looked alright but today it looks like its rotting away or something. Here's a pic.



The only other coral, a ricordia, is doing great. I've never had a torch coral before so I don't know what to do...

[JEFFR259]

Well, IMO, it doesn't look horrible to me. I haven't ordered coral through the mail yet, but I wouldn't worry only being one day into the acclimation of the piece to your tank. The base of the coral is still "hugging" the skeleton pretty well, it just looks like the polyps are pretty closed.

BUT- what are your water parameters? As a suggestions, they should look like:

PH - 7.8-8.2
Alk - 8-10 dKH
Calcium 420-450
AMM/Nitrite/Nitrate - 0
Mag 1280-1380

Also, Torch corals don't like much flow (just enough to sway the polyps a little. So, if it's in strong direct current from your Koralia, move it away. )

It also looks like the Torch is low in your tank, you may want to move it up to atleast half way up in the water column so it's closer to your PC's.

[ReefEnabler]

to me it looks like the left head of polyps is covered in a slime? Is that just the picture or is it like that in person? I've seen them expell stuff before, but never cover in slime.

If it were mine, I would give it a Lugol's dip for 10 minutes incase its got a bacterial infection of some kind.

[vivioo7]

Whats all that red and green stuff? looks like bad algae. Also Im not sure PCs are strong enough

[JEFFR259]

You know what Enabler, I do now see that too....

And also it looks like some "blades" (sorry, don't know technical term) on the heads are not covered and are poking through the skin of the coral....

Still not a goner IMO, just give it alot of good TLC

[JEFFR259]

PLus, that bottom left head is too close to the sand, it will get irritated from the sandbed and not fully open....

[reef3r]

Thanks. I have moves the powerhead so that it's not in direct flow, now. I tested the water a few days ago.

pH: 7.9
ammonia/nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 10 to 15
I don't test for Ca, Alk or Mag,since I only have two corals.
The coral is about halfway up in the tank, and with the way the rock is stacked I can't get it much higher.


The thing I'm really worried about is that it looks like the tips are coming off.. you can see on the rock, the little green tips that have apparently fell off..
here's the same pic, cropped so you can see it a little closer.

[reef3r]

Okay it's not on the sand (never was) it's just a white colored rock. lol. And the red algae, I"m not totally sure what it tis but its' pretty and easy to remove. I haven't had any problems with it.

[JEFFR259]

Thanks for blowing up the pic, everything is alot clearer now.

Well REEF3R, it does look a little more dismal with the larger view. I can also see some slime and dying polyps.

More importantly, if you plan on keeping LPS you MUST begin to test for Alk and Calcium.

[reef3r]

Okay.. I think I still have a test kit for it but its pretty old.. over a year old now, but it's never been opened. =/

[JEFFR259]

You could try it to see....let us know the results. Is it a kit for Alk or Calcium?

To be on the safe side, I'd run out and get a new kit for each

[reef3r]

Alrighty then I'll test later tonight.. I'm pretty sure I have calcium.. I might have alk.

Would a water change help anything?

[ReefEnabler]

I'd do a lugols dip pronto and place in QT.

if you dont have lugols or some other iodine based coral dip (preferably lugols), then you need some, and testing alk and CA are a definite must.

[reef3r]

Um.. what's a lugols dip?

[ReefEnabler]

Lugols is a standard mixture of Iodine and Potassium Iodide.

different companies sell products called Lugols. I use Kent Marine but It probably doesnt matter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lugol's_iodine

its a great disinfectant and also helps rid corals of pests.

[reef3r]

Thanks.. so what do I do, exactly?

[ReefEnabler]

very straightforward... the dose may vary but the instructions on mine says to add 40 drops per Gallon, stir it up, and then place the coral in for 10-15 minutes.

When I do it, I use a bowl filled with 1/2 gallon of tank water, and I do it on my workbench with a fluorescent light overhead so I can use the opportunity for a VERY close inspection of the coral.

also a good idea to use a turkey baster during that time to force the water deep into cavities in the rock the coral is attached to. you might be surprised what creatures come flying off...... flatworms, bad crabs, evil black worms, coral eating nudibranchs etc etc.

I dip every coral that goes into my tank with Lugols first. If I see something I don't like, it goes into QT and then gets another lugols dip a few weeks later to make sure theres no more unwanted hitchhikers.


iodine can kill whatever bacteria is eating away at a coral and give the coral a chance to recover.

[reef3r]

Alright.. well.. the soonest I could get it is tomorrow afternoon. Think it'll live that long?

Also, do you guys think it's my fault, or could it just be a bad shipper? It was pretty cold yesterday but I got it floating in the tank as soon as it arrived. :/

[ReefEnabler]

Sorry but I have no idea how long that coral has to live. They can make some unexpected fast recoverys, but it doesn't look good to me.


I wouldn't beat yourself up. I've ordered several corals from Live Aquaria.

Only had two small problems:

1) Chalice coral arrived broken in half (shippers fault). LA refunded me 50%. Both halves of the chalice are doing well.

2) Teardop Maxima arrived with pinched mantle... went into QT and died after two days. LA refunded me 100% for this.


So I am willing to bet that LA will work with you on this, they recognize that keeping you as a customer is more important than keeping their profits on this one coral.


But just be better prepared next time:

test all the following parameters and make sure you dont have high nutrients:
Temp
Salinity (sg)
pH
Alk
Calcium
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate
Phosphate

preferably even Magnesium since a good magnesium level will help maintain the right Alk and Calcium (1300-1500 is a good magnesium level IMO).


Also I recommend a lugols dip before the corals go into your tank. Oftentimes in a super confined closed environment like a bag, bacteria or other things can get a hold on a coral.


alot of times the bacteria that kills a coral is actually completely harmless under good conditions.

[ReefEnabler]

and you also need to be aware that even with a lugols dip... the chance of introducing unwanted pests is still fairly high... namely things like acorapora eating flatworms, redbugs etc which have eggs far too small to be seen with the human eye.

QT is the only way to be safe.


that said I still only dip certain corals, knowingly taking the risk. but as my tank gets more and more full of corals I rethink that approach. once you have a tank you are happy with, do you really want to risk everything just for one coral that could wait a month?

[reef3r]

Thanks.. is a two and a half gallon enough for quarentine or should I go to a ten gallon? I know the bigger the better but tbh I would probably take better care of it if it was smaller.

[ReefEnabler]

it would be fine provided there is lighting to sustain the coral through the QT period, and that there is adequate filtration to keep nutrients undetectable. in such a small water volume, nutrients will add up FAST, so you need daily testing and water changes.


but for a single coral, a well established sponge filter would probably be fine. just dont ASSUME its fine, check the levels.

[reef3r]

Okay thanks.

I just looked at it again.. I think it's getting worse.

[A.T.T.R]

it nees to be in an area of better flow imo
and better light


i got an aussie shipment and all the corals arrived like this ( BAD SHIPPER IN MY CASE) i put alot of the torches in direct flow of the pump to help it shed the bactirial slime that tends to form
i lost some heads but i saved alot

also you have an algae problom big time. do you use rodi water or tapwater? if the coral arrived in good condition lke you said this is most likely a flow / quality issue on your end

any news ont eh CA or po4?

[reef3r]

... One person told me not to put them in the flow.. now your telling me it needs more?

It's halfway up. That's the best I can do. I could rearrange my rockwork but that would probably make it worse.

Here is a full tank shot, taken a few minutes ago.

You can see red algae throughout most of the tank, but it's not particularly invasive, or hard to remove. Infact, it's really easy to get off. It looks nice, in my opinion, and I can't see how it's hurting anything... it's not like my tank is covered in cyano or anything.