Torch Coral Placement

[mickeyfish]

First new corals in the tank yesterday (cycle complete, ammonia and nitrites 0 while Nitrates are about 20). Many have opened and seem to be doing ok except the torch.

I placed him up high to isolate him from stinging my future corals but he has bo opened. Any suggestions? Should I place a torch lower? Perhaps in the sand?




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[afish70]

if he is new to the tank put in the sand for a week or so to acclimate it to the tank. Then i still wouldn't go up past midtank for him.

[nereefpat]

lighting?

[scooter31707]

I have had luck with them low to mid level the tank and moderate flow. This is under LEDs 12 inches off the water surface. Also, they really do well when my phosphates are high, unfortunately--lol.

[mickeyfish]

Ok I will move down low. It is under the stock Biocube LEDs.


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[Uncle99]

Always start low.
See a wavemaker in the pic.
Just checking, the torch movement should be a very, very gentle waving motion

[mickeyfish]

Been about two weeks since my last post on this and I have not moved the torch. However, it still is not opening more than below. Any suggestions? I have tried target feeding with Coral Frenzy.




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[sde1500]

You were given multiple suggestions to try lowering it in the tank to start, but didn't? What other suggestions are you looking for? They don't need to be fed, and you are likely just irritating further if it isn't happy and you keep blasting it with food.

[Arcar]

Tank looks nice man! I got the same rock!

[mickeyfish]

Originally Posted by sde1500

You were given multiple suggestions to try lowering it in the tank to start, but didn't? What other suggestions are you looking for? They don't need to be fed, and you are likely just irritating further if it isn't happy and you keep blasting it with food.

I just went back and looked over the thread and my latest picture is deceiving. It is not placed up high anymore, the rock that it is on now is about 5-6 inches off the bottom of the tank.

[mickeyfish]

Here is a new tank shot.


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[sde1500]

Coral doesn't seem all that unhappy really. Its not fully extended but also not terribly pulled in either. Some times they just take time to settle in, but wouldn't hurt to test out a few new areas too. I had a hammer and frogspawn that were always extended, but didn't grow for about a year that I had them. Moved them both to a new spot, just slightly higher and more direct current, and they've doubled in size in a couple months. Small changes make a big difference. Could be a flow thing too. Mine actually likes a pretty high flow rate, but most don't seem to tolerate a lot of flow.

That is a lot of coral in a very new tank, I would not have recommended adding that many so fast either, they like stability, and no new tank is that. Since you have them now, what are your parameters? You'll need to monitor alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium, along with nitrate, closely.

[rvareef]

Id say your tougher lps are struggling because of how new the tank is, and that you used mostly dry rock which takes a long time to become live. If your whole tank had used liverock instead of just that one small piece, your goni and torch might be doing better. Also I see clowns, sometimes they will host the torch,hammer and frogspawn and for a small stressed frag this will most likely kill it.

[mickeyfish]

Thanks guys. Yes, point taken on the newness of the tank. I have since slowed down. I plan only to add a fish or so a month (until I get to 5 fish total) and a few cleaner shrimp until the tank matures and the rock starts to purple. Then I will resume with soft corals and some LPS. In the mean time, just want to give those corals that I already have the best shot. The clownfish do not go near any of them, they of course have hosted in the back corner of the tank behind the rock.

Latest params below.

Temp: 78.1
SG: 1.026
PH: 8.0
Alk: 9
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate:10
Phosphate: .25
Calcium: 460

[ReeferNoob4ever]

I had a frogspawn that didn't open until I put it on the substrate. Now it opens like a champ. As a matter of fact, all my euphyllia are on the substrate and open up a lot. Maybe toss yours down there and see if it changes. I know people say not to move corals but I move mine all the time until they are completely happy.

[afish70]

I just put a new LED light on my tank and now my War Coral is bleaching out. My Torch & Frogspawn are opening up quite nicely but not really growing at all.

[mickeyfish]

Is this a feeding tentacle coming out? I often see these during the day and they end up disconnecting and flying around the tank.


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[Uncle99]

I have serveral torches, all on the bottom, all different as to size of torch, length of extension and colour......just leave it alone.....for a couple of months....looks fine to me and your water is on point...

[top shelf]

Originally Posted by mickeyfish

Is this a feeding tentacle coming out? I often see these during the day and they end up disconnecting and flying around the tank.


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Looks like just a string of algae and if it goes floating around the tank that's more then likely. I have 2 corals with a single strand growing out of them.

[jlmawp]

That strand looks like xooanthellae to me (the mutualistic photosynthetic algae that coral use to produce food from light). Look closer and it’s likely coming out of the mouth. They will expel it if they have too much of it for the current lighting conditions, typically. They can also expel it due to stress. I would think either of those two situations could apply here.

I would put that torch in the sand. It doesn’t look super happy, but it also doesn’t look bad. I think time and not messing with it as much as possible are the best thing for it right now. Torches can come back from incredible stress and environment changes, so I wouldn’t sweat it at all. Mine looked MUCH worse than that for weeks during a cyanobacteria outbreak, and it came back just fine. Leave it be where it is, or put it in the sand and leave it be. Let it acclimate and figure itself out. Torches don’t need to be spot fed at all, and will get everything they need from water nutrients and light. Torches don’t have feeding tentacles, since they don’t feed

Beautiful color on that torch though, I’m jealous!

[sde1500]

Torches most certainly eat. I feed mine all the time.

[jlmawp]

Originally Posted by sde1500

Torches most certainly eat. I feed mine all the time.

Well then I need to switch torch types because the food just floats right through mine.

[Reefpuck]

Put it in the sand bed...and give everything a few weeks to settle down. As mentioned before...the torch doesn't look bad.

[Betaktical]

I didn't see alkalinity on your parameters list. I have a couple small torch frog and hammers in my tank. The most important thing I've learned about this hobby is alkalinity. I can tell after a few days of not testing if my alk is low just by how some of my corals look. Also the torch does not look bad. It has decent color and doesn't look receded on the underneath skeletal base. With the newness of the tank and the dead rock it doesn't look terrible at all. Extension of the polyps will come with time

[SRQreef3r]

Second putting it in the sand, then just leave it be