Problem with torch coral

Hi PL -

Yes, it was exposed to air twice only briefly - once at the fish store & when I put it in the tank.

We only touched the skeleton - not the fleshy part.

thanks,
julie

 

Well, that could be the problem there. The problem with handling torch is in the fleshy structure of the coral itself. The tentacles are too heavy for the "body" to support when they come out of the water. Taken out of the water, the tentacles droop, and the weight of them pulling down is enough to tear or otherwise injure the rest of the flesh, sometimes badly enough to kill the heads of coral. My best bet now is that this is what has happened.
My other idea was that the fleshy part got touched. The oil on our skin alone can cause infection to torch, so thats another thing to keep a thought on in the future when moving it or whatever. Touching the tentacles is usually ok, but avoid the base where it attaches to the skeleton.
I would think that the heads that are affected are gone; not much you can do about it. The one might still have a chance, but that other one is a goner for sure IMO. The other two healthy heads should be fine if they are showing no signs of anything by now.

 

Thanks for your response PL - I appreciate it!

I'll let you all know how it turns out.

julie