Torch coral Lost its Head

[Hingeback]

Hi

Hope you are all Ok.

Although browsed the site over the last week or two this is my first post. Hope you can help

My torch coral ( Uk name, I think the Us common name is frogspawn ) has lost / ditched one of its heads. Is this a form of reprodution or is there some thing else wrong. I have placed the head in a trap where it appears to be doing fine ( 3 days). The rest of the heads appear to be fine and extending well.

SG 1.025
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Ph 8.0 - 8.1
Dkh 9
Phosphate as near to 0 as you can get
Calcium 480
Mag 1350

110 UK gallons ( 400 litres )
10 gallon sump
300 watts 10000k MH
2x 54 w T5 actinic
2 x 54 w T5 white
Total Water Turnover 30 x
Calcium reactor
fluidised carbon filter
fluidised rowaphos filter
Live rock ( plenty never weighed it )

Plenty of Lps, sps and soft corals. A few of which are good indicators of problem conditions ( at least I think they are ) 3 different types of pipe organ coral, Acroporas. all of which are growing well.
I also have 5 different Euphyllia all of which appear fine and are growing well. None of these corals are within touching distance of each other or stinging distance for those that sting.

Neil ( UK )

 

[wrightme43]

It may be, kinda just have to wait and see, if it recalcifies and skeleton and starts a new colony for you.

 

[morgan]

how dose your dkh test worrk is it two blue drops then add the second drops untill the water changes yellow, and what meserurment of water do you use 5ml, 10ml because my lfs owner whos marine biologist and botonist told me i need 200 carbonate hardness 20dkh
low calcium carbonate levels over period of time lead to corals losing there polpys but i think urs is pretty good other wise it will grow a new skeleton

 

[steve-s]

my lfs owner whos marine biologist and botonist told me i need 200 carbonate hardness 20dkh

200 ppm = 4 mEq/l = 11.2 DKH.

The highest you need really is 10 DKH and even at that I think it's a bit of overkill. Target somewhere 8.5-9.5 DKH and you'll do just fine. Depends on pH stability and environmental factors in the long run.

Cheers
Steve