Torch Coral Question

[smalltownfan]

I the last two days it seem like 2 heads have died and the third is on it's way. Ideas?

[Benja]

If you see brown jelly coming from the receding heads they are goners for sure.

Judging from the photo... the adjacent torch heads look fine.

I'm guessing: some sort of physical trauma.
I have had a pair of clowns kill 5 heads on a piece of frogspawn.

If you are really concerned, it migt be worth splitting the piece and chucking the dead heads right away.

[10gnano]

I would say that it is chemical war fare from the frogspawn

[White Lightning]

I have had this happen a few times. One time I added a new torch to my tank and it died within a week also killing my massive spaghetti leather. I would break off the dead heads and consider running some carbon.

[Bob P]

If the photo is where coral has been placed all along,
looks awfully close to the rock. Any damage to the mucus
coating can kill the heads quickly.
You also mentioned in another thread your ph was 7.8 correct?

[JetJumper]

Don't always toss corals out thinking they are goners.. I have had a few that I tossed into a frag tank and new heads appear out of the old skeleton after it seems the thing has completely died off.  Then they make great for frags

If you don't have the area to put them then yes you can toss it.  But just tossing that idea out there.

[smalltownfan]

If the photo is where coral has been placed all along,
looks awfully close to the rock. Any damage to the mucus
coating can kill the heads quickly.
You also mentioned in another thread your ph was 7.8 correct?

I've moved it away from the rock and "planted" it on the bottom in a bit more flow.
Yes my ph is 7.8. Time to add water hardener?

[Benja]

Time to do a water change.

[Bob P]

I've never had to adjust anything parameter wise
in my tank. I know ph should be 8.2 ish.
Maybe someone else here can lead you on that.

[NjOyRiD]

are you adding kalk in your top offs? that helps!

[ordi260]

+ 1 on water change.  i would do a couple of 20 % on a span of a couple of days and try to bring the ph up relying on the new salt mix...

[Rybren]

Randy Holmes-Farley, the reef chemistry guru, has some interesting articles on pH.  In one, he states:

"Another interesting and important fact is that the pH resulting from equal volumes of two solutions being mixed together is not just an average of the two solutions' pH values (which the measurement scale's logarithmic nature alone implies), but is also determined by each of the solutions' buffering power and, to a lesser extent, by more esoteric factors. Sometimes the pH that results when two solutions are combined is not even between the two starting values. Consequently, evaluating pH problems and potential solutions requires some knowledge of more than just the pH of the solutions involved. This fact is important for reef aquarists when considering, for example, whether the pH of pure freshwater impacts the pH of seawater when added to it. In this case, the pure water's effect is almost negligible, regardless of its measured pH value."

Here is the whole article... http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-05/rhf/index.php

and here's another article on low pH issues... http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.php

HTH

[ordi260]

Thanks for sharing!

[smalltownfan]

Randy Holmes-Farley, the reef chemistry guru, has some interesting articles on pH. 
Here is the whole article... http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-05/rhf/index.php

and here's another article on low pH issues... http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.php

HTH

WOW
All that happens in my tank?
Thanks for the link!

[smalltownfan]

Hooked up the nano skimmer...day 1 results.

Dropped the torches to the bottom in the flow. Did a 50% water change, PH is @ 8.0

Two heads on the torch picked right up and are doing better. Gave them a snack of LPS

[salvini55]

very nice  always good to have em come back to life. Might just have been touched or walked on by a hermic causing a tear in the polyp. I dont think that a PH of 7.8 would kill a coral unless it was swingin' all day and night like crazy

[Rybren]

dont think that a PH of 7.8 would kill a coral unless it was swingin' all day and night like crazy

Agreed.  Mine was at 7.8 for a few months with no ill effects.  It's now at 8.2 and to be honest, I see no difference in the corals.

[NjOyRiD]

very nice  always good to have em come back to life. Might just have been touched or walked on by a hermic causing a tear in the polyp. I dont think that a PH of 7.8 would kill a coral unless it was swingin' all day and night like crazy

agreed, mine is at 7.8 all the time! because of my CA reactor....
But you should add kalk to your top offs...

heres a video about it for you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POsLy2Mp0m8

while you at it...look at my buddy'S video when he says hi to me hahaha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQfjmannefw