Is this algae on torch tips?

[goody]

I had had been dealing with some algae issues in my tank for a couple weeks. In that span, my Todd's torch started to have some weird looking tips, very pointy, and some looking like they were going to detach. Since all other coral were doing fine, and a torch next to it was splitting, I figured it too might be in the process of splitting. Tentacles started to not extend, sometimes looking like it was pinching. Now I'm seeing what looks like algae on the tips so concerned and not sure what I should do. Photos are in a span of 20 days.

 

[Rjukan]

@VintageReefer is a torch guy.. any insight?

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Alage won't grow on coral tissue. Not sure what it is though.

 

[goody]

Alage won't grow on coral tissue. Not sure what it is though.

That's what I thought, too.

 

[goody]

Tried to get some up close shots.

 

[BristleWormHater]

Brown jelly disease, maybe?

 

[Julbra]

Not algae. I’m afraid those heads may be already gone. Can’t be sure what it is but to me it looks like dead tissue melting away with some mucus.

Something similar happened to one of my torches. It expanded less and less and after 6 months of slow decline the heads died. While dying they looked a lot like that. No other coral was affected (inc. 2 other torches) and I never got to the bottom of it.

Do you have any crabs, like emerald or anything known to bother LPS?

 

[goody]

Brown jelly disease, maybe?

I considered that but it's not jelly like. Maybe it's the beginning of it? Wondering if I should do KFC dip.

 

[goody]

Not algae. I’m afraid those heads may be already gone. Can’t be sure what it is but to me it looks like dead tissue melting away with some mucus.

Something similar happened to one of my torches. It expanded less and less and after 6 months of slow decline the heads died. While dying they looked a lot like that. No other coral was affected (inc. 2 other torches) and I never got to the bottom of it.

Do you have any crabs, like emerald or anything known to bother LPS?

I do have 3 emeralds and just picked up 5 Pitho crabs that came in the other day.

 

[Julbra]

I do have 3 emeralds and just picked up 5 Pitho crabs that came in the other day.

I really don’t want to wrongly accuse innocent crabs! but does the timing of the torch retracting coincide with the crabs’ arrival? If so try and spot them after dark. Crabs are true pirates, some can turn evil.

It’s also possible the torch declines for some unrelated reason (like flatworms etc.) and the crabs just clean up the dead bits.

 

[goody]

I really don’t want to wrongly accuse innocent crabs! but does the timing of the torch retracting coincide with the crabs’ arrival? If so try and spot them after dark. Crabs are true pirates, some can turn evil.

It’s also possible the torch declines for some unrelated reason (like flatworms etc.) and the crabs just clean up the dead bits.

I've checked the tank at 12am-1am multiple times because the Pitho crabs were quite a bit larger than my emeralds. I have only seen them chowing down on the algae, but I definitely won't rule them out. Appreciate the responses.

 

[goody]

Some of the previous photos I shared were after I dipped it in bayer and then gave it a lugol's bath. Here's what it looked like a few days after and today. Notice many tentacles are without tips and not seeing much if any of the "algae" I had inquired about. The extension is a bit more than before the dip but nothing close to the June 30th photo.

 

[BristleWormHater]

Some of the previous photos I shared were after I dipped it in bayer and then gave it a lugol's bath. Here's what it looked like a few days after and today. Notice many tentacles are without tips and not seeing much if any of the "algae" I had inquired about. The extension is a bit more than before the dip but nothing close to the June 30th photo.

Looking better!

 

[goody]

My Todd's torch continues to improve. I discovered my nutrients nearly zeroed out, so I'm wondering if the "algae" on the tips was related. Looking like tips have regrown on most of the tentacles.

 

[kevgib67]

Late to the party but your torch had a nice healthy flesh band, far from a goner. Low nutrients were starving it. Keep phosphate at.05-.1 and nitrate at 10-15 . Make sure magnesium and calcium are at the correct levels as well and you should have any more problems.

 

[goody]

Late to the party but your torch had a nice healthy flesh band, far from a goner. Low nutrients were starving it. Keep phosphate at.05-.1 and nitrate at 10-15 . Make sure magnesium and calcium are at the correct levels as well and you should have any more problems.

This is my first mixed reef, so been trying to find the sweet spot for my po4 and no3. I test regularly with Salifert kits and have also been sending out ICP tests over the last 6 months. My po4 was .3 and no3 was 28 at one point. As I acquired more sps, I thought my numbers might be too high, but both dropped to less than .04.

I do run a refugium with quite a few macros and run a skimmer sometimes so it's just going to take some time figuring out my import/export of nutrients, but I am planning on shooting for the range of numbers you give.

Thanks for your response.

 

[kevgib67]

This is my first mixed reef, so been trying to find the sweet spot for my po4 and no3. I test regularly with Salifert kits and have also been sending out ICP tests over the last 6 months. My po4 was .3 and no3 was 28 at one point. As I acquired more sps, I thought my numbers might be too high, but both dropped to less than .04.

I do run a refugium with quite a few macros and run a skimmer sometimes so it's just going to take some time figuring out my import/export of nutrients, but I am planning on shooting for the range of numbers you give.

Thanks for your response.

You never want to make changes quickly anyway, I think you’ll see improvement at those levels. Happy reefing!

 

[Julbra]

Looks much improved on the latest photos!

Something must have upset it but you'll never know what.

I would question whether low nutrients could cause a sudden retraction like that. I have been running with 0.03 phosphates (ICP) and undetectable nitrates and have very happy torches.

 

[goody]

Looks much improved on the latest photos!

Something must have upset it but you'll never know what.
I would question whether low nutrients could cause a sudden retraction like that. I have been running with 0.03 phosphates (ICP) and undetectable nitrates and have very happy torches.

I'm not sure, the other euphyllia and sps all looked good when this piece started it's downward spiral. Could have been the dip or increase in nutrients that has it looking better. Either way, I'm glad it's improving.

 

[goody]

So the torch is doing great and now I'm wondering if it is in the process of splitting or simply growing new tentacles. When I look down on the head, there are clearly two darker spots on opposite sides. The flesh band has receeded a bit but I don't really notice it pinching and I don't know if this is how they grow new tentacles. Thoughts?