Green torch not looking so good

[Bigals-nano-1]

I have had this green torch in my tank for approximately 3 weeks and seemed to be doing fine but the last couple of days it hasn’t been opening up properly. I noticed this kind of growth coming out of it and I’m not sure if this it splitting the head and why it’s not fully opening. I’ve looked for signs of brown jelly but don’t see any. All other corals seem to be thriving and all parameters seem to be ok and staying stable with the daily dosing etc. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. 

[seabass]

I'm really not clearly seeing the growth that you have circled.  However, you can see the skeleton and tissue recession.

 

The ammonia level appears high.  Most of our ammonia kits test total ammonia, so would come back at 0.28 ppm.  Plus, at a pH of 7.9, there should be some NH3 unless you are dosing something like Seachem Prime.

 

From: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-02/rhf/index.php

 

Problems with LPS (and other stony corals) often are the result of alkalinity swings, other corals stinging (or irritating) them, inadequate feeding, or improper flow.

 

1 hour ago, Bigals-nano-1 said:

with the daily dosing

What are you dosing?

[Bigals-nano-1]

25 minutes ago, seabass said:

I'm really not clearly seeing the growth that you have circled.  However, you can see the skeleton and tissue recession.

 

The ammonia level appears high.  Most of our ammonia kits test total ammonia, so would come back at 0.28 ppm.  Plus, at a pH of 7.9, there should be some NH3 unless you are dosing something like Seachem Prime.

 

From: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-02/rhf/index.php

 

Problems with LPS (and other stony corals) often are the result of alkalinity swings, other corals stinging (or irritating) them, inadequate feeding, or improper flow.

 

What are you dosing?

Hi thanks for your reply, I’m only dosing ca and mg daily with microbe-lift after working out the daily dosage which seems to be keeping things stable. The torch wasn’t near any other corals that could sting it. I use the api test kit for the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates but the Red Sea kit for the ca,mg,po,kh etc. 

[seabass]

2 minutes ago, Bigals-nano-1 said:

I use the api test kit for the ammonia

That's weird, How did you get a breakdown in NH3 and NH4 with a resolution down to the nearest hundredth of a ppm?

 

10 minutes ago, Bigals-nano-1 said:

with microbe-lift

Are you also running a protein skimmer?  Normally this type of product is used with a skimmer.  Is there a reason why you are using a sludge reducer, or just as a precaution?

 

 

The bigger thing is alkalinity stability.

8 minutes ago, Bigals-nano-1 said:

I’m only dosing ca and mg daily

That's weird.  Neither should be fluctuating much at all compared to alkalinity.  You're not dosing alkalinity or buffering pH?

[Bigals-nano-1]

4 minutes ago, seabass said:

That's weird, How did you get a breakdown in NH3 and NH4 with a resolution down to the nearest hundredth of a ppm?

 

Are you also running a protein skimmer?  Normally this type of product is used with a skimmer.  Is there a reason why you are using a sludge reducer, or just as a precaution?

 

 

The bigger thing is alkalinity stability.

That's weird.  Neither should be fluctuating much at all compared to alkalinity.  You're not dosing alkalinity or buffering pH?

I’ve no idea where the NH4 reading came from or how to even work it out but the app that I use for recording my readings added this figure in by itself. The tank is the Fluval evo sea 52lt and Yes I use a protein skimmer in chamber 1. I don’t buffer Ph and it has always been stable at 7.9 since setting the tank up a couple of months ago but i do use the red sea kh buffer that came with the reef mature kit I got while cycling the tank. I was advised by my LFS to increase the kh up slightly from 8.5 to about 11 which I done gradually over the course of about 9 days. The mg and ca buffers were recommended by the same LFS and also used personally but them in there own tanks.  

[seabass]

My assumption about Microbe-lift was way off.  I thought it was a waste reducer like Waste-Away.

 

16 minutes ago, Bigals-nano-1 said:

I don’t buffer Ph

Good, there are very few good reasons to buffer pH.

 

18 minutes ago, Bigals-nano-1 said:

i do use the red sea kh buffer that came with the reef mature kit I got while cycling the tank. I was advised by my LFS to increase the kh up slightly from 8.5 to about 11 which I done gradually over the course of about 9 days.

This is probably the problem.  Stability is key.  You can maintain alkalinity at 7 all the way up to 11 dKH, but it shouldn't change.

 

I feel that you should be trying to match the dKH of a freshly mixed batch of saltwater.  So if that is 8 dKH, that's what you should be targeting.

[Clown79]

1 hour ago, seabass said:

My assumption about Microbe-lift was way off.  I thought it was a waste reducer like Waste-Away.

 

Good, there are very few good reasons to buffer pH.

 

This is probably the problem.  Stability is key.  You can maintain alkalinity at 7 all the way up to 11 dKH, but it shouldn't change.

 

I feel that you should be trying to match the dKH of a freshly mixed batch of saltwater.  So if that is 8 dKH, that's what you should be targeting.

100% this ^

[DevilDuck]

Just in case it is some type of infection. I would suggest a 5 min dip in tank water with a couple of drops of Lugol's solution.

 

I find that I need to do a couple of these dips whenever I get new lps. They are prone to infections that cause tissue necrosis.