Aussie Gold torch help

[jacobus]

Hi reefers, would like to get some advice. Recently got a gold torch and it was doing well initially. Suddenly in the past 2-3 days it was deflated and sad looking.

 

1st photo: first few days after purchase.

2nd photo: 3 days ago tentacles are thinner.

3rd photo: been like that for 2 days.

 

Tested my water and saw that my calcium is high at 500. But this a new test kit brand, I switched from Columbo to Salifert. When I use Columbo it reads 430 (used both test kits). I have been maintaining at columbo's 430 for a while now. So I don't think it is a swing in calcium.

 

I notice that it inflates a bit at night with the lights off.

 

Everything else my lps + zoas tank is happy and extended.

 

Any ideas what can be done to save the torch?

 

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[jacobus]

Forgot to add my params.
Salinity at 1.025,
temp 26-27
Ammonia and nitrite 0
Nitrate 5-10 ppm
Phosphate 0.1ppm
Ph 8.2
Alk 8.9dkh
Mag 1410ppm
Calc 500ppm

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[equiox]

Since 2 days like this Do a 5 min idione dip now. 

3 drops to 200ml of water. 

 

[Mr Kingfisher]

I believe other experts will chip in. My POV. Give it low flow, low light. Wont worry about the Cal. Maybe good to increase Mg. Having said that, I don't think it is the issue. Just low flow and low light. Ya, the dip might help. Maybe they are irritated by something.

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[jacobus]

Update, it spit something out, doesnt look like the usual coral poop. Looks like it's guts?

After a while it looks like it's coming back a little, but did not improve further. Will be trying the iodine dip as suggested.

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[jacobus]

Updates.

Looks slightly better at night with lights off.

The morning it looks ok-ish too. Except I see the guts more now.

I have not done the iodine dip yet since it looked slightly better. Don't wanna stress it.

Thanks everyone for the advice so far. Will keep updating as a record for people to see in the future.
@equiox thanks for the PMs!

@MrKingfisher
It is in a low light and low-moderate flow area. Not been blasted. I don't really do sps so my flow is not high anyway.

I've also been advised in an US facebook group to do a furan-2 dip followed by an iodine dip. Sounds effective from the comments. Might try this depending on how the torch behaves today.

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[Gongon78]

Do a dip..It will hep the coral.In case there r flat worms or other parasites.From my experiences since u got aslo other torches in yr tank oni tis gold torch didnt show fluffyness.Aslo try to scrub around  the stem area of the torch using yr finger  juz in case there r flatworm eggs.I may be wrong thou.Jut a pc of advice.

[heisenberg]

All the best in recovery bro. One thing I read in overseas forums is to start the torch on sandbed, and slowly move it up incrementally to its final location over the weeks. Reason being the torch may have come from an environment in even much lower light than you currently have.

[jacobus]

Found the problem.

So I decided to just dip it since the torch started to deflate again.

Dipped it in Coral Rx 5mins and then I spotted a flatworm falling off. When I first bought the coral, nothing fell off though.

Also dipped in furan-2, then iodine.

Coral-Rx 5mins
Furan-2 5mins
Iodine 5mins

Cleaning with fresh tank water in between dips.

The torch is pretty annoyed and closed right now. Fingers crossed that this will be the end of it!

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[heisenberg]

Hope that's the issue, interested to hear your updates!

[jacobus]

Updates
The torch has been maintaining the same state as the first picture since yesterday.

I hoping that it will recover more tomorrow and there are no more flatworms hiding inside.

Sometime during the day, it's guts was spilling out (2nd picture). But no change in it's extension.

It's better than before but not much improvement. Keeping my fingers crossed.


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[jacobus]

Updates: no improvement. Thinking if I should do another round of Coral Rx followed by iodine.

Gave it a light dash of Redsea AB+ hoping that the amino acids might give it a boost.

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[jacobus]

Dipped it again yesterday. This time only in Coral Rx, followed by iodine.
No more flatworms spotted. Maybe the flatworm was one-off. But it's been like this after the dip and stayed like this since.

The tentacles look like the water has been sucked out of it.

Kinda giving up hope on it. Left it on the sandbed to reduce the light it gets.

Probably won't dip it anymore and let nature take its course, if it recovers then great. If it doesn't that too bad la.


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[jacobus]

Update. Sad day.

Melted.

Guess I'm avoiding aussie golds from now!


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[Nicholas Wong]

I feel u bro.


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[heisenberg]

Damn.. condolences bro.

[jacobus]

Thanks guys! Learnt some lessons and it's time to move on!

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[Mel]

Thanks for your sharing.