Torch is toast - dead

[ScuderiaDavis]

So last weekend I bought a nice green torch. For the first few days it was doing fine. I decided to move it to where it would have more room to grown.

After that day, I noticed it started to "wilt" a little. Then each day after that, I would notice some of the heads on the bottom of the sand floor. Then yesterday, it's all gone.

I'm not sure if something is eating it or it is just dying. I would think that if it were dying, it would have been slower and more remains, but as you can see, it's GONE.

Parameters
no amonia/nitrite
ph of around 8
nitrates range from 10-20 max

4 green chromis/ 1 flame angel, 1 yellow tang, 1 blue hippo tang, 1 diamond goby, 1 cleaner shrimp.
Thoughts?

 

[jml1149]

What about Ca Alk Mg and salinity?

 

[ScuderiaDavis]

What about Ca Alk Mg and salinity?

Alk is in a good range I think.. around 160?

Salinity is right in the range as well. Have not tested Ca or Mg

LFS says I might had them in too high of flow area as well.

 

[jml1149]

I don't really know what that means for Alk?

Before you put any more corals in that tank you NEED to get a an Alk, Ca and Mg test and throw in a refractometer. Really.

I've had torches in high flow areas and they just close up. I understand they only eject as in what you're talking about if they're really really ticked off. Something bad happened but without the tests cant determine what.

 

[jml1149]

Just curious what size is the tank?

 

[ScuderiaDavis]

Just curious what size is the tank?

it's a 90 gallon. I've got zoas and a leather and a plate coral that are doing nicely.

But yeah, this torch did NOT like it!

testing Ca tonight, had to order a test kit. I'll have to get a Mg tester also since I'm starting to keep more things like this

 

[jml1149]

Do you hear the sirens? In the distance? That's the tang police. They're coming. You've been warned.

Yeah at a minimum you need the core 4: Alk, Ca, Mg, PO4. How do you add Alk and ca to the tank now?

 

[ScuderiaDavis]

Do you hear the sirens? In the distance? That's the tang police. They're coming. You've been warned.

Yeah at a minimum you need the core 4: Alk, Ca, Mg, PO4. How do you add Alk and ca to the tank now?

I do pretty routine water changes so I have never had to mess with anything just yet. I've never had to worry about Ca or Mg because I wasn't keeping any LPS. PO4 has always been low also.

I run a skimmer and Chemipure and that is good for keeping PO4 down.

 

[jml1149]

Well now it's time LPS are great but it takes the reefing game up a notch. One becomes two becomes a full tank. How do you plan on dosing Alk and Ca?

 

[ScuderiaDavis]

Well now it's time LPS are great but it takes the reefing game up a notch. One becomes two becomes a full tank. How do you plan on dosing Alk and Ca?

I agree!

And no idea on the dosing. Never have done it lol

tips?

 

[jml1149]

You're going to need some two part. I use Randy's Alk recipe (google it) Kent liquid calcium and BRS two part mag. Get all of your test kits, test every day for a week and verify your current levels are stable. Then add your first LPS coral, test every day / every other day and monitor consumption. At the end of a week you will know your weeks consumption, figure out the dose back to normal levels. Then take that, divide by 7, and dose that daily. Add your next coral and rinse and repeat.

It's way easier then it sounds I promise. But I feel we owe it to the animals we put in our tanks to do the best possible job for them.

 

[jml1149]

There are plenty of great guides here, especially written by Sk8er.

 

[Bl@ckbird]

Every euphylia I've owned wilted pretty quick under high flow too so in addition to checking parameters I'd move the next frag somewhere with medium flow


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[CrayolaViolence]

Alk is in a good range I think.. around 160?

Salinity is right in the range as well. Have not tested Ca or Mg

LFS says I might had them in too high of flow area as well.

If ALK (in the way you're using it) stands for alkalinity, that's your PH. I would hope it would not be 160.
If you mean calcium hardness, then 160 is off the charts.

I've been told to keep calcium hardness anywhere from 9-12.

Do you have any tiny white sea stars in your tank? Those have been known to go bad and eat torches as well as other corals. I started picking them out of mind when I found out (after I had a torch disappear completely not even any remains except the skeleton).

 

[Bl@ckbird]

Torch is toast - dead

I think his ALK reading must be in PPM. If so I believe that would translate 160 ppm to a 8.9-ish dkh.


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[ScuderiaDavis]

You're going to need some two part. I use Randy's Alk recipe (google it) Kent liquid calcium and BRS two part mag. Get all of your test kits, test every day for a week and verify your current levels are stable. Then add your first LPS coral, test every day / every other day and monitor consumption. At the end of a week you will know your weeks consumption, figure out the dose back to normal levels. Then take that, divide by 7, and dose that daily. Add your next coral and rinse and repeat.

It's way easier then it sounds I promise. But I feel we owe it to the animals we put in our tanks to do the best possible job for them.

Thanks! I'll start that today. Will need to hit the store for all of that.

 

[ScuderiaDavis]

Thanks everyone. very helpful!