Coral Experts Question Please Advise

[mazdaspeedzoom]

Are you dosing your tank with anything? I just bought a torch coral and I'm pretty new to the coral thing as this was my 1st coral purschase but the LFS also sold me a Kent Marine solutions, which include idodine, stontium & molybenum, liquid calcium... I'm just curious to see if this is really all that necessary or if I should return it? Also what extra tests do you use besides the big 4, ph, am, nitrite, nitrate? Thanks!

[mazdaspeedzoom]

this is the torch i just put in...

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/85426torch.jpg

[Sloth]

1. go sit on the porch for 30 minutes and relax.

2. watch the coral over a period of a few days to see how it's doing. If it's doing well, relax some more. If not, then worry about adding suppliments.

3. I would take the Kent products back. The only one you might need is the calcium one. Never dose anything that you can't test. You could overdose, which would be bad. I think you should get a calcium and an alkalinity test kit, and get the 2 part buffers.

[aural]

yah... what he said! Don't be so worrysome! definitely dont worry about all those suppliments. Keep a close eye on your calcium ppm and your PH.

Torch corals are stunning and from the look of your picture, yours looks nice!

[mazdaspeedzoom]

You guys rock! Thanks! I'll probably hang onto the products just incase it was only ten bucks and better to have it than to not I suppose... I am for sure going to get a calcium test I may just have the lfs test for my alk as I don't think that flucutates as much.... I always use R/O water and I've heard that most of the trace elements in the water is all the coral really needs...

What about feeding, what's the best thing to feed it?

[skipm]

You usually can keep up with trace elements, iodine, etc. by doing weekly water changes which is highly recommended in a nano. You may want to use a 2 part calcium/alkalinity additive like already suggested (I like B Ionic). I am not that sharp on LPS corals but if I am not mistaken a torch can eat small items like brine shrimp and cyclopeeze, I don't think you have to target feed it, it will take what it wants out of the water column with its sweeper tentacles. If I am not mistaken it also prefers to feed after lights out. HTH, Skip

[mazdaspeedzoom]

I'm still trying to get it situated in the tank how I want it to look I know I shouldn't be moving it around too much but I want to make sure the flow is pretty even on it and that it's not too much... I know they like about low/middle flow now it's just trying to adjust the powerhead and the torch's placement to get it that and make it look good in the tank.

[mazdaspeedzoom]

Ok I'm goin with this I promise no more moving it, it's not my fault i'm so finiky about stuff in the tank.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/85426torch2.jpg

[mazdaspeedzoom]

Just tested my water...

Calcium: to be continued once test is bought
PH: seemed a bit low right around the 8.0 mark
nitrite: 0.0
nitrate: less then 5.0ppm (bascially in between 0 and 5.0)
am: less than .25ppm (in between 0 and .25)
S/G:1.026
temp: 80.2

[mazdaspeedzoom]

here it is fully out... looks good so far!

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/85426torch_full.jpg

[mazdaspeedzoom]

ok calcium tested

ca: 420ppm

from what reading I think that's pretty solid, correct?

[Sloth]

You still need to test the alkalinity. It goes hand-in-hand with the calcium. Since your pH is good, I'm betting that it's OK. So yeah, solid.

[LeftCoast]

Nice torch! Also, from what I've heard, it's hard to overdose with the supplements to the detremental level. Do your best to follow the instructions on the bottles and you should do fine.

[mazdaspeedzoom]

What's there usual temperment at night... I looked at mine this evening and I noticed it's kinda retracted in, is this normal for evening, it's been out all day and looked perfect?

[LeftCoast]

At night, torches can be pretty agressive. They can send out long sweeper tentacles that can sting other corals.

[mazdaspeedzoom]

haven't seen any of those... it just looks kinda sucked in and not fully extended anymore....

[Sugar Magnolia]

That's normal behavior at night.