Torch Damage?

[Salty Waffles]

So one of my torches hasn't been extending as much as usual lately and generally just not as happy. Today I was looking closer and noticed this damage to the stem of each branch. It looks to me like something has been chewing on it or nipping it. The translucent stuff on the left branch look like mucous to me, and is new as of today.

Last night I caught one of my two Emerald Crabs ripping pieces of my Toadstool off with his claws. He promptly went in the sump.

Does this look like damage? Or do I perhaps have something else going on? Can it pull through this?

 

[kfisc]

I'm going to hazard a theory that the damage to the stem and the health of the torch are two separate things. Opening and thriving polyps would have to do with water quality, nutrients and light, while the stem could be getting munched. No clue about the translucent stuff.

Conversely, if water is missing good balance of alk/CA and mag, the branch could become weak (brittle) as well as threaten the health of the polyps.

 

[Salty Waffles]

For reference, tonights tests.

Cal- 350. Low for sure. Down from 450 from last cal test 2 weeks ago. (Red Sea)
Alk- 8.5. Unchanged from last round of testing. (Hanna, verified with Red Sea)
Phos- .02 Down from .05 in last round of testing. (Hanna)
Nitrate- 10 Up from 5. Feeding heavier last week. (Red Sea)
Mag- Will have to wait till tomorrow.
SG- ditto. Always runs 1.025

Ive been running gac for two weeks.

All the other inhabitants are doing well with the exception of the Frogspawn which is not extending quite as much as usual. These other inhabitants include various Favias, Acros, a duncan, a bubble, a couple lobos, candycane, hammer, stylo, galaxia, psamacora, acans, a zoa cluster, a couple softies, and a couple other sps that the names of which are escaping me at the moment.

In addition to the coral, the nems are doing quite well, a RBTA, and a "rescue" LTA that is coming out of the rock she was hiding in at the lfs over the last 4 days.

I am mainly concerned with the munching on the torches stems and how that may affect its health and recovery. Im assuming at this point that it was the emerald.

 

[RobZilla04]

You could try removing it and dipping it in something like Coral Rx and replacing to a med flow med light for some time to observe it.

 

[Salty Waffles]

Thanks for the input so far. Flow definitely might be the issue. I moved this torch to its current location about a month ago, which has less flow but more light than its previous location.

An aside, my Mag tests at 1380. This makes me wonder why the tank is consuming Cal but Alk is remaining steady. I would think with Mag at this level, I would be seeing a proportionate drop in Alk. My snails (trocous and nassarius) have been growing like crazy. Could it be that simple? Any input on why Im going through Cal while Alk is staying steady with Mag levels where they are?

Salinity tested at 1.025 as usual.