Torch Coral question

[Debbie64]

Hello - total newb to corals, here.

I've done a lot of reading, but I'm still not sure if the following is a normal reaction to a new setting or if I should be even more concerned than I already am.

Yesterday, I added my first coral - a green torch (Euphyllia glabrescens) - to my tank. I acclimated him for a little over an hour using the drip method then "planted" him at the bottom. The tentacles in all the branches are withdrawn although they started to peek out yesterday evening after he was introduced to the tank. Of course, they were tucked in when I first opened the bag, too. (Shipped from LiveAquaria.) They are all still withdrawn this morning.

There's a nice moderate flow down there. My water quality is good. Measured ammonia, nitrites, nitrates - PO4, too this morning and it's all perfect. Temp 80.4, sg 1.025. I use RO water. Ca is at about 395 and coming up (ESV B-Ionic). dKH 10.75, pH 8.4. Lighting: 260 watts PCs, dual daylight, dual actinic. I dose Kent Marine Strontium & Molybdenum and Essential Elements.

Here's a pic. Quality's not perfect, but I think it's good enough. If it's not, I'll snap another:

Thank you!

 

[mogurnda]

From what I can see of the polyps, it looks good. My frogspawn tends to stay retracted for a few days after a big change, so I wouldn't worry about it yet. The conditions sound fine, although the light may not be quite strong enough at the bottom of a 90 with PCs. Low light won't normally cause retraction, though.

You might check alkalinity as well, because stonies need both calcium and carbonate for their skeletons.

If it goes a week without extending, then there may be a problem like too much current.

 

[holyherbiness]

Give it time
I've had lots of Euphyllia corals, and all opened within 24 hours.

once they become rooted and settled, their tentacles will grow like mad!
gluck.

 

[Debbie64]

Cool, thank you, both. I'll try not to be too concerned. I'm hoping the coral and my two clowns become close.

Oh, Dave, you mentioned alkalinity. According to Salifert, alk is 3.83 meq/L.

Thanks again!

 

[mogurnda]

Cool, thank you, both. I'll try not to be too concerned. I'm hoping the coral and my two clowns become close.

Oh, Dave, you mentioned alkalinity. According to Salifert, alk is 3.83 meq/L.

Thanks again!

Sounds like your conditions are great! Keep posting on how the coral's progressing.

 

[Debbie64]

Well, I'm certainly happy with the water conditions. And, fortunately, the fish seem to be happy, as well - and the shrimps. I love how at feeding time, they all climb up on the rock out of their caves and just sway - like it's a club in there.

The coral, on the other hand, is looking worse than it did this morning. I was sitting there inspecting it when I noticed a pea size, mm, half baby pea size bubble pop up out of one of the branches. Then 10 or 15 minutes later, there was another. I've noticed that the peppermints have come along occasionally to clean bits out of the branches, but it worried me when a nassarius snail hopped up for what looked like a snack earlier today.

I'm seeing what looks to me, with my limited knowledge, like dead tissue, not so much the green bulbs on the ends of the tentacles anymore. It doesn't look like what I've heard described as brown jelly - I understand that would be bad. I suppose it looks more like the brown stringy stuff that I believe is the zooxanthellae being expelled?? But it still doesn't look good. Took another pic, catching a shrimp in the act.

 

[Debbie64]

OK - ack.

There was quite a foul odor going on in the tank last night. Also, the water seemed to be getting a little cloudy. I took another picture this morning - torch1. Torch2.jpg is the one I first posted where you could still see the green bulbs on the ends of the tentacles.

I dropped a bag of charcoal in the sump last night and the odor seems to have dissipated, but this poor coral looks decimated. I moved it a bit in order to see more inside the branches. I'm about to do some water testing and I'm pretty sure I need to do a water change. Should I pull that coral out? - I could at least put it in quarantine where it won't foul the tank if it dies/if it's dead.

:help:

 

[Debbie64]

Just a quick update FYI. I called LiveAquaria, explained the look, the smell, the cloudiness - he suggested I pull the coral out and put him in quarantine, but he's calling him dead and he credited me for it, no questions.

Bummer. Not a good first coral experience.

Thanks again for the help.

Debbie

 

[mogurnda]

Sorry to hear it. I guess the shipping stress was too much for it. Always a bad sign when your scavengers start to regularly hang out on a coral.

Good luck with the next round. Definitely go for aquacultured frags, they adjust so much more easily.

 

[Debbie64]

Good luck with the next round. Definitely go for aquacultured frags, they adjust so much more easily.

Wow, what a long day. Thank you, I'm not discouraged. Tired, but not discouraged. And I'll take your advice, too, about the frags. Anything to make acclimating easier for them.

Thanks again.