What is happening to my torch coral?

[jaman1020]

I'm not sure what's happening to my torch coral. It looks like one of the heads are splitting and a piece is falling off. If I didn't know better I'd say it was dropping a frag. All my parameters are fine, and the torch has great polyp extension, even on the bit that is detached from the main colony. It's just hanging there, and has been hanging there for about a month now. Any idea what this could be?

 

[jaman1020]

Nobody has any ideas?

 

[Dummyforclownfi]

I have never seen that happen in mine bud. Dont know what to say. Hopefully someone chimes in.

 

[knukles55]

if this is anything like my flowerpot coral it grew a seperate piece and eventually popped off and grew into its own colony the tissue recovered on the flowerpot mother colony

 

[jaman1020]

I've thought that might be what it could be, but I've always heard that torches split heads or grow them. I tried searching around for torch corals dropping frags but came up empty.

 

[knukles55]

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/8/aafeature1

I did some digging around on this forum actually found some good information look into the dripping part of the article it shows a frog spawn doing pretty much the same thing hope this helps.

"Dripping"

Dripping is a term used to describe a slow detachment and separation of viable tissues from an adult coral colony. The separation is in essence a cloning of the adult which allows colonization of an area immediately surrounding the adult. The new colony may, or may not, contain a skeleton.

 

[jaman1020]

Looks like we might have a winner. It is just hanging on by a thread now, so we'll see what happens when it falls off completely. Do you think I should leave it where it falls or move it to a more sheltered location?

 

[knukles55]

attatch it to a plug and leave it on the sand bed