my torch coral LPS is dying, please help

[CTaylor]

Hi,

I've had my torch for about 15 months. It's grown at least 4x the size from when I got it, maybe 8x. It's been very very well, opening great all the time even when other corals haven't done well or perished. My other corals all look great, including other SPS like elegance and hammer. All the LPS in my tank are in the same area, always have been. No real changes in location. Only change I made was a water change before the down slide and I scrubbed (out side the tank) all my rocks of turf (bryopsis?) algae, and bubble algae. I did a 20% water change right after that. I also cleaned off my Tunze 3 pumps, so the flow is much better now -- like it was when I first got the torch, as I got it when tank was only 2 months old. The tank water is 'great' alk 7.8, Ca about 450. Nitrate 2 ppm (it was 12 for a while, and the torch looked great). Phosphorous 6 ppBILLION. It's always been too low, there fore I try to keep alk below 8 -- seems to work. Temp 76-78.

I cut off a about dead branch yesterday, thinking maybe it was the issue. But if it was, then I did it too late as the reat which was already looking not great looks worse today. It just doesnt open and seems on same path as the branch that died. Attached are pics. **Only other thing that has changed in that last week is that I positioned my ricordeas on a frag holder/magnet holder above and to the back of the torch. But those rico's were on the sand before that in the same area -- close to the torch.

I'm thinking it's infected (??).. What do I treat with if so? Or else what could it be? Please help :-/
The pics are blue.. and all I can show you is that it's not opening well. But it is dying, hard to see in pics though

TY!

 

[CTaylor]

^^^^

 

[Sk8r]

Who is upstream and downstream in the flow? Loose some substrate dust in the tank near the outlet and track where it goes.

 

[CTaylor]

Who is upstream and downstream in the flow? Loose some substrate dust in the tank near the outlet and track where it goes.

As always been, a hammer is upstream, and upstream of that are a few acro frags. And downstream are the rack of ricordeas.
I'm going to try to make time to do a 20%+ WC asap, and do a Coral RX dip. At this point it just looks to me just the WC will not be enough, and if I dont do something substantive (dip) it will die anyhow, unless I get an actual solution somehow. Thanks again sk8r << that was a great way to figure out who is actually up and down stream

**I've lost acros before and other sensitive corals while my tank was 'breaking in' the past 1 1/2 years, but this gets me as it's my 'super easy' coral. ugh

 

[CTaylor]

I'm thinking it was a toxin relezed by the algae. I did two 50-60% wc's . There was very little difference in the torch after even the second one. My other LPS elegans and hammer weren't looking great, not horrible, but just ok at best. I cleaned the rocks off again (they got some more algea buildup, but not horribl). lol... But was careful to rinse a lot before putting back in tank. At same time I got several more astreas, red legged hermtis, other hermits. But also 7 Mexican Turbos. It's been two weeks and I have only a few little batches of "bryopsis" or whatever it is. I also am skimming more. But I really think the Turbos (not the astreas) are doing it. the tank looks soo good now. And after a few weeks time, the torch is coming back, the other LPS are looking much better. I did lose two anthias though at same time (right after the first algae cleaning), but now I know. And I highly recommend the good ole mex turbos. They seem to keep it clean after the rocks are already clean.