Torch corals not extending?

KHenderson

New member
Hi all!

I am new to RC and reef tanks as well. I hope this isn't a repeat, but I scoured the site for help but couldn't find a thread similar to my current issue. Also, please forgive any silly auto-correct mistakes, as I am typing this on my iPad!

I need some advice, my torch corals are suddenly not doing well. I have three small, two/three headed torches in various places in my tank. They have been in there for months, and have always been very happy. For the past 7-10 days, two of the torches have receded. The tentacles are sucked in and very pudgy. I have carefully inspected the corals in day and night hours and I can rule out a pesky CUC member messing with it, pests, and fish bites. The tentacles (is that the proper term? Y'all know what I mean!) are not damaged, discolored, deflated, wrinkly, or coated in anything. I have not seen the coral excrete anything at all, and it still reacts (slightly, of course) to a baster feeding, tucking itself in a little tighter when "sprayed." I have not changed anything on the tank except adding a school of chromis 3 weeks ago. The chromis had undergone a full quarantine stint prior to introduction. The lights are custom LED's, with the par meters reading steady since their installment well before the torches went in.

I'm am thoroughly stumped. After 3 days of this behavior, I changed and decreased the carbon, have checked my params 2x daily to rule out fluctuations, removed a small toadstool leather just in case (which was nowhere near them), and have done a slow 20% w/c. I am reluctant to move or dip the torches or to decrease lighting or flow because I don't want to stress them or my system, and because they have been so happy and growing there for long before now.

The kicker is, the third torch coral is doing phenomenal, along with my two frogspawn and a hammer. This is a mixed reef with lots going on, but all of my corals have been happy and in their places for a while now, with nothing remotely near the torches. I will list params and tank details as best I can below. Any help would be much appreciated, sorry about the novel I wrote here,

100gal DT, 126gal mixed reef system with reef-safe fish, live rock, live sand.
40gal sump with 16gal Refugium
2 jebao r8 power head wave makers
DIY custom LEDs, par levels look great, with 9am sunrise/7pm sunset and lunar lighting (with ramping to imitate the sun levels during the day, like its brightest at noon)

corals:
3 torches
1hammer
2 frogspawn
6 various birds nest, acro, stylo, and Monticap frags up top
1 pipe organ frag
1 small GSP frag
3 Lobos
1 large open brain
1 scoly
Assorted zoas and acan frags
1single rhodactis mushroom

Params
Temp 77.2F
Ph. 7.9-8
Kh. 10
Calc. 440
Mag. 1350
Ammonia. 0
Trite. 0
Trate 1
Phos. .02
Sal. .025


I will attempt to post picture (poor ones) if I can figure out how that works. :uhoh3:




There's one pic of my golden torch with the happy green torch in the background, and the other is of my lonely purple one. (And a hammin' chromis!)
 

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What type of flow do you have it in? I have notice that my torch and frogspawn respond better in low flow. Enough where the tentacles are not blowing everywhere, but enough where they are just swaying back and forth. Maybe try moving it and see what happens.
 
I'm sorry I'm just now replying! I did read your replies and lowering the doth to 9 did the trick. Thanks so much for getting back to me originally. :)
 
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