help with torch got stung by zooanthid colony

[pitogo]

Hi all,

I have what I believe is a torch, brown body with single green tips that come out of a stony base with 4 branches. While aquascaping, I didn't secure a colony of zooanthids well enough and it landed on top of the torch and bounced off. For the last 2 days its been going down hill and today 3 of the 4 branches lost their flesh, the only thing left is the white skeleton. I took it out and put it in my sump/refugium hoping the last branch can stay alive andmake a comeback. Anyone have thoughts on what else I can do?

 

[DaveK]

You have two possible options. One is to leave the coral alone and hope what is left of it recovers. The other is to frag off the good parts and hope they live.

Yea, I know, bad choices all around. I'm sorry this happened to you.

 

[MikeNapoli]

Unfortunatly Torches are very fragile when it comes to stuff like that. I lost my first one a long time ago for something similar. It was over a 3 week period that it kept receeding. I would cut the one good head that's left and place it in a lower flow area of the tank and hope it makes a recovery.

Bill Lange (blange3) has a really nice hammer coral that's about 14+ heads that came from 1 left over head after his whole colony died. Great story about recovery.

 

[pitogo]

Thanks, I haven't touched the torch except to move it into the sump. I'll leave it there and see what happens. Of all the LPS and SPS in my tank, that torch seems to be the most sensitive. Everything else is thriving.

 

[MikeNapoli]

How much flow is going through your sump. If it's a quicker flow, I'm not sure if that's going to help. If it's a slow flow then it's best to keep it there.

 

[blange3]

Can you find a spot in the tank with moderate to low flow and moderate light?

It needs to be away from other corals as well. How about that little cave on the left side bottom that I saw in your tank build pictures? You will have to prop it with rubble so the remaining flesh isn't touching glass or rock.

Torches will do best in moderate to low flow with periodic surges in current. Try target feeding it as well. Soak mysis or small pieces of clam or krill in selcon. Turn off the pumps while you feed. It's best to give it a little bit to stimulate a feeding response and wait. Then when you see that it is ready to feed, give it some more.

Keep the water parameters in check, don't move it around once it is settled and safe from other corals and too strong current, and be patient.

 

[Hawkeye]

torches and xenia - both never liked my tank... : I wish i knew about this board when I had them. I was dumb -I put my torch right off the tunze...

 

[pitogo]

Well its too late :-[ The last of the heads have started to release its flesh. Looks like reapers veil as others have called it. I'll keep it in there a bit longer. Its in the refugium in the sump. The hard part of my setup is its hard to find a low flow area, everything swirls and surges.