Torch coral problem

[Thelonious]

Hi guys. I bought a biocube for my girlfriends place about three months ago. I helped it cycle with a raw shrimp, because it was 90% base rock, and then let it cycle for a month before starting water changes, then another month before adding a couple of hermits and snails.


So now a month after that, three months total, I haven't see any ammonia or nitrites for months and have been adding a pinch of flake every other day, but my nitrates have been pretty high. Usually around 20 ppm and even up to 30 ppm occasionally, but I was a little lax on water changes when there was nothing in the tank. That said the inverts have been fine, the tank is teeming with life and a shroom I brought in on a piece of rubble, has grown immensely. After the initial green hair algae bloom, I haven't had much but a small tuft I have left alone to sink up some nutrients.


So I went and bought a juvenile true perc, some nass snails and torch coral. Acclimated everything, the torch opened up nicely last night and the clown is feeding and looks healthy. Problem is this morning the torch had closed right up, has deflated and I noticed it shed some flesh. Still vibrant green, but looks very unhealthy and almost melting away.



I made a stupid mistake and don't have any alk, mg, or calcium tests on hand. Ordered some today, but I sort of assumed the regular water changes were at least keeping things at an acceptable level. So my question is, what can I do in the short term to save the coral? I don't think it has any disease like brown slime, I noticed a little clear discharge which I assumed was some shedding zooanthelle (sp?), but I'm really concerned that the flesh has deteriorated and seems to be melting away.


Thanks if anyone can offer any advice, could nitrates in the 20-30 ppm range really be doing this?

Some extra information if needed: ro/di water, 1.024 sg, placed originally mid height in tank in low flow area, moved to bottom area in higher flow tonight and no change.


thanks,

 

[Anonymous]

What kind of water changes are you making? Do you have RO?

 

[Thelonious]

Water source and salt are good. RO/DI and the water has been used in my pico. Tested it this morning and it is less than 1 tds.



I have been doing about 5 gallon changes once a week. I'm feeling pretty stupid that I assumed her trace elements would be supportable to an LPS, and the thing is looking even worse today. Those biocubes have low flow to start and I moved it to the calmest part of her tank last night. This morning the flesh has various rips and the exoskeleton is exposed on one side.



I'm starting to think I should I should just pull it out before it mucks up her water too much.

Thanks

 

[mr_X]

what salt are you using? i rely on waterchanges alone, and i don't have to add anything.
i seriously doubt that a lack of trace elements would effect a coral, like you described, in 1 day.

 

[Mike612]

In my experience, torch coral seem a little picky about where you place them in the tank. It's possible that you just didin't put it in a place with enough flow, or that you put it somewhere with too much. You've got to move it around to different spots every couple of days to see where it's the most open and the most frequently. That's just my experience with them.

 

[mr_X]

yeah, but they don't fall apart with too much flow, they just retract. not overnight.
i still think there is a more logical explanation.

 

[SnowManSnow]

I would seriously consider that the water isn't clean.

What test kits are you using?> Was it RODI water?

B

 

[Anonymous]

I'd think water quality as well. Also, don't discount that the perc may be attempting to host in it and irritating the coral.

 

[Thelonious]

Thanks for all the responses guys!


Unfortunately, I couldn't save her coral. The next day following the post the coral's exoskeleton was exposed with little to no flesh left. Amazingly, after I took the coral out, I was unloading some RO/DI water to do a big water change and upon returning, dead pods were literally floating to the surface like souls ascending to some heaven. The mushroom in the tank was completely closed and the hermits and snails were very sluggish, but after a water change all the major inverts, fish and mushroom are fine.


I agree that it was due to water quality. I have salifert mg, alk and ca tests coming in this week to check it. I have been using a new salt called 'meersaltz'. A trusted reef shop chose to stock it over IO because it tested better, a little more expensive, so I assumed it was ok. I'm going to run a full battery of tests on some mixed RO/DI when I get the extra tests in. I have a hunch that her alkalinity is going to test very low.


Needless to say I am totally embarrassed as an aquaculture student that I assumed the coral would be fine and entirely traumatized my girlfriend in the process

 

[Thelonious]

BTW, anything else I should test for? The tank is full of base rocks, old dried tonga, but I don't think they are leaching phosphates as she has had little algae. I'm questioning the trace elements in this salt because the fish, snails, crabs, filter feeders and a hardy mushroom have been thriving.


Also, while I think the little perc was annoying the coral a little bit. I don't think it can explain the shedding flesh. The coral completely rejected the tank after initially opening up