Reef nutrition

Show me those torches (or other Euphyllia)

I routinely have phosphates up at the .4 level and have very happy torches. I think consistency is most important with any coral. With a healthy frag, there should be no issues of bacterial infections. I think a lot of the infections come from premature fragging where people cut the flesh and are asking the coral to heal from a dirty blade cut. When I cut, I wait for separated flesh and don't seem to have those issues. (knock on wood) Feeding them likely helps a lot.
 
My newest torch. Picked this up at CFM. Bronze Highlighter torch.
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I routinely have phosphates up at the .4 level and have very happy torches. I think consistency is most important with any coral. With a healthy frag, there should be no issues of bacterial infections. I think a lot of the infections come from premature fragging where people cut the flesh and are asking the coral to heal from a dirty blade cut. When I cut, I wait for separated flesh and don't seem to have those issues. (knock on wood) Feeding them likely helps a lot.

I agree. Consistency is good. I’ve just seen in my tank where I normally keep phosphates in the 0.05-0.08 range, the second it gets around 0.15, I start seeing issues with tissue recession.

As to the bacterial issue, it’s not just in new frags that I’ve seen this problem in. I have had a whole tank of established torches and hammers randomly melt one head by one head over weeks where parameters are stable after I had added a new coral. I seen an introduction of new euphyllia take down existing torches/hammers in a matter of days in some of my other tanks. I don’t think it’s as simple as saying mostly new frags have this problem and healthy frags won’t.

If you believe BJD is bacterial, this offers some evidence what I’m describing happens to others as well.

 
That’s really cool. Ok so what color do you see now that it’s your tank lights - is that purple or just really dark zoox?

I picked up one of those from the same vendor about a month and a half ago. Mine (torch on the righ) has gotten more yellow.

10B59998-0F5F-4898-8FF2-2F8D103900A5.jpeg
 
Can confirm.

I have eight or nine heads of a dragon soul torch upstairs in ~160 PAR that looks good. Have a chunk of the same coral (originally part of the same colony) under ~250 PAR in a different tank with MH lighting and it looks even better.
 
In general yes. As long as you can keep your water parameters stable and have good (medium) flow you should be fine.

Two things I’ve found that has caused me problems:

- high phosphates - I usually start seeing tissue recession when phosphates go above 0.15 in my tank

- bacterial infections - no concrete data here, but I’ve personally noticed more instances of torches just melting away that can be healed a good number of times with antibiotics
Ok, Im dealing with a little bacterial issues now, but once I get that handled Im gonna get one. Thanks for the inspo and insight.
 
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