Torch Dropping Heads?

[dmweise]

My torch has been doing something I would classify as strange. For the past month or two, two of the heads have stayed fairly retracted. I thought that they were not getting enough light so I rotated the colony.

Now the two heads seem to be detaching from the skeleton. The heads do not seem to be broken, they just look like little anemones that do not have their feet attached to anything. They have not completely let go of the skeleton.

I have heard that euphyllias can "drop heads" to reproduce. Could that be what my torch is doing?

[kkiel02]

Someone posted this awhile back. If I remember correctly the coral was stressed but after they were reglued to the rock they started growing again.

[ACE]

I have been told this happens when Mag levels are low.

[dmweise]

I will take in a sample of my water for a Magnesium test. I am fairly certain that my trace elements are fine though. I do my water changes each week so that should keep the traces from being depleted.

[dmweise]

Thanks guys.

[Bill S]

Try an iodine (Lugols) dip. Sometimes pests like planeria can irritate the base. Dip them in 4 drops per liter of tank water, for 15 minutes. GENTLY shake them around after the dip - you don't want to damage them!

This can be done daily - they seem to "like" it.

[Squiers007]

Even with frequent water changes your trace levels can still be low. I do 15-20% water changes every 2 weeks and my magnesium levels would barely get above 1100, so I thought, wtf is going on... so I decided to test the water I was buying from my LFS (they use Instant Ocean, not Reef Crystals) and the magnesium level using a salifert test kit was at 1050! Now it all makes sense. So I have decided to start buying and mixing my own water so I dont have to constantly dose magnesium to keep my levels up. I figure this will save me money in the long run too.

[dmweise]

Ah, there's a good question for me to ask the next time I am in the LFS. I need to increase the amount of my water changes. Right now I do 15 gallons of ~100 gallon system every week. I am thinking that I should do 20 or 25 gallons per week.

I have been considering mixing my own water, I am just not all that sure how to go about it.

[Crazyeyes]

You can still stay at the same water change amount, just mix your own. Just make sure you get the higher end salt because it contains more minerals. Like reef crystals, coral pro red sea, tropic marin, etc. To be quite honest I do 10g water changes weekly and I too own a 100g tank, but I use coral pro salt.

[apedroza]

I had a torch that did the same thing a few yrs back. It is caused by stress but the fallen polyps can survive and grow. The call it polyp bailout. I ended up with 3 new torches. It can also be caused by competition between the polyps. Usually the lower polyp heads get over shadowed and will bailout and reattach to another location. Be careful of powerhead though cause they can wreak havoc if sucked into one.