1 head of 2 headed torch dead in 2 days HELP please

[Jstadler]

One head of my 2 headed torch just withered up and died within 2 days, and I can't figure it out. Water tests good. Ammonia and Nitirites at 0, Nitrates at 5, pH 8.2, 78.4 temp, .026 salinity,mag 1320, my alk is skyhigh at 15 (which is lower than it has tested before(extemely hard water)). All my other LPS look good, softies and zoas same. I checked it tuesday early before the lights were on and it was slightly deflated, by the time I got back home at 7pm, it was totally defalated at was showing quite a bit of skeleton, by this morning it was all skeleton, but the other head still looks normal. I don't get it. I've had it in my tank since the Lansing swap. The only change to the tank was I bumped the halides up to 8 hrs from 7 hrs. Let me know what you guys thinks is going on.

[jolson10450]

my first question is what coral is around it? i once had a hydnophora next to my frogspawn and a whole head was dead the next day, come to find out my hydnophora's sweepers came out and stung it and boom it was gone, i moved the hydnophora away from it and within 2-3 weeks the head came back to life.

[Jstadler]

Nothing else around it at all. I attached it to the side of my main rock structure, in a very low flow area that still gets a lot of light. You think it may make a comeback?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jstadler]

I've just got the normal stuff, 3 peps (had two camels for a couple months until I realized they weren't peps(surprisingly my LFS still swapped them out for me)), cleaner shrimp, emerald and maybe 6 or so hermits, turbo, nassarius, and ceriths. The only fish is my mandarin, I'm sure he wouldn't do anything.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jstadler]

I got it at the Lansing swap, so about a month. It was initially in somewhat high flow, but I moved it about 2 weeks ago to a very low flow area. After I moved it expanded alot more and seemed really happy. The other head still looks really good. I'll watch the shrimp.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bigbill]

my green crab tore mine up not sure if u got one of those i have all seen pistol shrimp kill them bye trying to move them bye there ten

[binford4000]

Is that alk in dkh??? 15 dkh is waaaaaaaay up there.I would bet if thats in dkh thats what killed the trumpet head.Natural sea water is in the upper 7's to low 8's.I would address the alk if it was me.Good luck

[Jstadler]

Is that alk in dkh??? 15 dkh is waaaaaaaay up there.I would bet if thats in dkh thats what killed the trumpet head.Natural sea water is in the upper 7's to low 8's.I would address the alk if it was me.Good luck


That is DKH, why would it just affect this coral and not all my other LPS, including a hammer coral. I'm open to suggestions on how to lower it.

[binford4000]

That is DKH, why would it just affect this coral and not all my other LPS, including a hammer coral. I'm open to suggestions on how to lower it.

High alk is one of the quickest way's to nuke a coral.I would keep an eye on the other head.What salt are you useing?

[Jstadler]

Right now reef crystals. I started the tank on bio sea, but ran into some issues with availability and switched. One LFS suggested I try a non reef salt like IO and see how that mixes with my water. Alk tested just about as high with bio sea.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[binford4000]

I don't think your the only one haveing the issue.I just started to change from RC to Brightwell,I'm finding rc mixing at 13 to 15 dkh depending on the bucket and just discussed this with the LFS and they said people are seeing as high as 18 dkh with both rc and io.We use red sea pro on the wifes tank and it mixes at 9.3 everytime but it's very expensive.She's spoiled I guess.I'm mixing up my first bucket of brightwell as I type this.I will be back when I'm done mixing and testing to share the info.

ok mixed up three buckets now all three test at 11.2 dkh alk and 420 ppm ca,atleast they're consitant at 68 degree's.The buckets are now at 78 degree's alk has now changed to 10.2 dkh and cal is at 415 ppm,as advertised what a surprise??

[dlhirst]

I was just getting ready to ask for help on the opposite problem. I am also using IO, but I can't get the DKH much above 7/8. Been adding alk buffer - so my pH stays above 8, but I was hoping for a less intrusive solution?

[Jstadler]

Well I've got 20 gal of RC mixing right now, I'll test it when I get home from work. Anybody know off hand if salifert alk test will work on freshwater?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jstadler]

Ok juat tested my fresh batch of water

Temp 78
1.024
ph 8.4
Cal 440
Mag 1470
Alk 20.4 Dkh I had to check it twice first was off the chart second in low res mode.

[binford4000]

Ok juat tested my fresh batch of water

Temp 78
1.024
ph 8.4
Cal 440
Mag 1470
Alk 20.4 Dkh I had to check it twice first was off the chart second in low res mode.

Wow,that's unreal.Britewell follow up for ya.Changed 20 gallons(that's enough for a few days) checked the alk and alk was 8.0 dkh and cal 440.That's with doaseing 50 ml of alk and ca over 24 hours with meter liter 3.So long RC,I hope this trend stay's.If you live near Farm Hills pm me and I'll give you enough to mix a bucket up and then you can check the alk with your water.I'm optamistic it would be diffrent.

[Jstadler]

Wish I was closer, I'd take you up on that. It will still leave me with the problem of no local availability.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[binford4000]

Just FYI,tested today 8.0 alk and 440 ca second day in a row and doaser's still running.I see on aqua cave .com they sell britewell at 54.00 a bucket.About the same as a LFS(minus the shipping of course) Here's some links

http://www.aquacave.com/SaltMixes.aspx


http://fish-supplies.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/search?p=Q&lbc=drsfsaquatics&w=salt+mix&af=cat1:fish%20type:product&isort=score&method=and&ts=results&rt=template_switch_search

[dlhirst]

Are you certain that test isn't Giving you PPM? Cuz those are some amazing numbers. I can't imagine it is really from the salt mix. You might double check your source water...

[binford4000]

yeah I'm sure.I've been fighting the RC alk swing for over a month.I have three diffrent kh test kits(becusae I couldn't believe how high the RC was) My ro di water is at 1 ppm by way of inline tds It seems like a honey moon right now but I will know better in a few day's when I test again before I resume the water changes.I'll let you know OK?

[Jstadler]

Culligan is coming tomorrow, I'm gonna get them to give me a complete rundown, and talk about getting a system installed. I'm also gonna grab a few gallons of water from my LFS and mix it up with the RC and test that too.

[binford4000]

Culligan is coming tomorrow, I'm gonna get them to give me a complete rundown, and talk about getting a system installed. I'm also gonna grab a few gallons of water from my LFS and mix it up with the RC and test that too.

Sounds like a good plan,don't be to surprised if it ends up at 13 to 15 dkh.Tested again today(couldn't resist)the honeymoons still on.alk was 8 and ca 440 again!! sweet !! :jester: