HELP!!! Torch coral dying???

[ladyhealth]

I came home today to see three heads of my torch coral, which I 've had for a year, with a brown substance. Not sure if this is brown jelly disease. I have about 20 other corals in my tank. Don't have a fragging kit so not sure what to do. Should I quarantine in a 10 gallon tank that I have with water from previous water changes? I don't actually have a quarantine tank set up, but have water from old water changes that I can put into a 10 gallon with a power head for flow.
Should I do an iodine dip? How do I do this?

Parameters are:
Sp gravity: 1.023
Nitrate 0
nitrite 0
Phosphate (off the chart) it was gold appering on my API test; i checked twice -->
Alkalinity 7 dKH
Calcium 360
Magnesium 1300

 

[ZANYMASTER]

That phosphate kit is really not reliable.

 

[KathyC]

Nelson, if it is showing a reading that high, odds are it probably isn't incorrect about there being a substantially high amount of phosphates in the tank.

Here is some good info on brown jelly disease:
http://www.athiel.com/lib/bacterial.html

You might want to consider siphoning off the goo that is there now and snapping off those particular heads in hopes of that being the end of it.

 

[ladyhealth]

Thanks guys. I plan on cutting those three heads off now and doing a 20% water change to get the phosphates down tomorrow. I had a hammer coral die from brown jelly disease int he past and don't want to risk it with the torch. Hopefully, this does not spread throughtout the tank.

 

[KathyC]

Do you run a phosban & or carbon reactor on the tank?

 

[ladyhealth]

No. I have the JBJ nano 28g HQi 150W. I've thought of adding phosban to the 3 stage filter, but never did it. Not sure what a carbon reactor is. I just fragged the 3 heads off and will wait to see what happens with the rest of the tank. I hoep all goes well. I miss my lovely torch already, but I wanted to save it.

 

[KathyC]

A carbon reactor would be a Phosban reactor filled with carbn instead of a Phosban type product..lol
http://www.twolittlefishies.com/documents/1202405781.pdf

More frequent water changes, cleaning your skimmer cup more often and less feeding (& rinising the food if you use frozen food), will all help lower your phosphate levels.
Since you don't have a reactor, adding a product like Chemipure Elite will also help and that caan go in one of those compartments in the rear of the tank.

Do let us know how the rest of the torch does!

 

[Sandyp1]

Phosban is a white powder that comes in a bag.that absorbes phosphates mostly. I use it in my Nano on top of the carbon ( Actually a bag of Chemi-pure Elite ) and have no trace of phosphates. Change it every 6 months and its worked for me. Good luck with your torch. Mine had 7 heads, had the same problem, clipped off 3 and the other 4 have been fine.

 

[Sandyp1]

I have a JBJ and have 1 sponge on the bottom, the a bag of Chemi-pure Elite next, a bag of Purigen and then filter floss. Works great ! ( Thanks Kathyc , lol )

 

[Sandyp1]

P.S. - forget the Phosban comment, I had a senior moment ! :iamwithst

 

[ladyhealth]

Thanks guys and gals. I'm at work now, so will see how my torch and other corals are doing when I get home. When I left my house this morning, the other 4 heads looked okay under the LED lights. I plan on doing a water change tonight. I will definitely look into adding Phosban.

I've been doing water change every 2 weeks, but my algae blenny recently died so this may have driven my phosphates up??? I had him for 2-3 weeks, but was not eating any food I woudl feed the two clown, although he was eating in the store. He did eat from the rocks and algae, but not sure if this was enough. I guess he never acclimated???

Thanks