Trying to identify what ate my Torch Coral

[thommyboy12183]

Hello All,

I know this isnt the easiest thing to do but I am trying to determine ate my torch coral. I think I have a likely culprit but Wanted to check with everyone here.

I have a 29G Biocube with AI Hydra Edge 44 light. I just performed a water change yesterday morning and everything looked good.

Based on the below is it a safe assumption that the camelback shrimp is the culprit or is there something else that could have eaten the torch? I have not lost anything else recently. About a month ago i lost a blenny and clown that I have since replaced(i at first assumed that was the carpet that may have eaten those two fish).

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Before I take the camelback out. Not sure if i should remove anything else from the tank to ensure the safety of the rest of the fish.

phosphate = 0.02
Nitrate = 10ppm
Nitrate = 0
ammonia = 0
Alkalinity = 240
pH = 8.0
SG = 1.032
temp 77.6C

In the tank:

Inverts:
1. Large Brittle Star Fish
2. Fighting Conch
3. Turbo Snails
4. Hermit crabs(halloween, Blue legged, Red Legged)
5. Tiger Pistol Shrimp
6. peppermint shrimp
7. Camelback Shrimp
8. Sunburst BTA
9. Green BTA
10. Green carpet anemone

Fish:
1. Two Snowflake Clowns
2. McCosker Wrasse
3. Bicolored Blenny

Coral:
1. Encrusting Montipora
2. Stylocoeniella
3. Ricordea Mushroom
4. Birdsnest
5. Soft Coral Tree
6. Acon Coral
7. Torch Coral

 

[griss]

I would say, of your tank inhabitants, the most likely to pick at corals is the camel shrimp. They are known to pick at corals, especially LPS.

A couple other observations, your salinity is pretty high and your alkalinity is pretty low.

 

[thommyboy12183]

I would say, of your tank inhabitants, the most likely to pick at corals is the camel shrimp. They are known to pick at corals, especially LPS.

A couple other observations, your salinity is pretty high and your alkalinity is pretty low.
View attachment 32417183

Thank you for the call out and my mistake i rush my typing my salinity is 32 or 1.023/1.024. Noted on the alkalinity i will take a look at that.

 

[Uncle99]

Thank you for the call out and my mistake i rush my typing my salinity is 32 or 1.023/1.024. Noted on the alkalinity i will take a look at that.

Salinity should be 35ppt.
I vote camel.
Not reef safe.

 

[griss]

Thank you for the call out and my mistake i rush my typing my salinity is 32 or 1.023/1.024. Noted on the alkalinity i will take a look at that.

I wasn't trying to call you out, just wanting to be sure you're providing the best parameters to be successful.

Actually, I made a mistake on the alkalinity. Not sure what I was thinking, I'll blame it on the time change. I'm not sure how you're testing alkalinity if you're getting a reading of 240. Alk is typically measured in either dKH or meq/L. See chart above for what you should shoot for.

 

[thommyboy12183]

Here is a picture of my torch. ALK is in ppm

I wasn't trying to call you out, just wanting to be sure you're providing the best parameters to be successful.

Actually, I made a mistake on the alkalinity. Not sure what I was thinking, I'll blame it on the time change. I'm not sure how you're testing alkalinity if you're getting a reading of 240. Alk is typically measured in either dKH or meq/L. See chart above for what you should shoot for.

 

[griss]

Any brown jelly on the Torch? It does look picked pretty clean. Sorry to hear/see this.

ETA - Ah, ppm. Then your Alk is actually a tiny bit high.

 

[kfisc]

It looks more to me as if it's receding. I wonder if it's not so much being munched as not receiving correct nutrients. I read about your lights, they seem powerful enough, but I still wonder about spectrum and intensity vs. placement of the coral. They can surprisingly come back, even from much worse than this.

 

[Uncle99]

Here is a picture of my torch. ALK is in ppm

If that happened in 24-48 hours, likely tasted. All shrimps can do that easily.
The skeleton looks very white so I’d suspect the damage has been in a day or too.
240ppm is too high, your at or over 12dkh and while in the band, no need to run that high as you’ll have no room on the upper limit. 150ppm is about 8.5dkh and is plenty allowing some room on each side.