Torch coral reproduction?

Sorry to say, but your torch is probably toast.

Good luck

"Phil" wrote in message
. ..
Hi,

In my 7 gal nano, I have a torch coral who is very healthy and taking
over the whole tank. This morning, I found him tipped off his perch and
leaning up against the glass. My initial instinct was to think that my
new flame scallop (of another post's fame) knocked him over in the night,
but no, the scallop hasnt moved since yesterday.

I went in there to set him back up, and found on the far side was a loose
piece of something. Couldnt tell if it was a snail shell, or a crab, or
rock, it was clearly loose, so i tried to remove it. Turns out it was
one of the coral branches (the bell shaped part) split in half, and loose
from the rest of the animal, like a loose tooth. The soft tissue part on
top was still intact, but the calcium part was split off, hence I couldnt
remove it (feel horrible now that I was pulling on it). Incidentally, the
soft tissue and tenatacles atop the broken branch look fine and healthy.

So what's going on here? Since the branch that split was previously up
against rockwork, I'm now thinking it was this splitting off that caused
it to tip in the first place, and not vice-versa. Is this how torch
corals reproduce? Split a branch in two and it goes off by itself?

Other anomalies: There are some gelatinous white fuzzies floating around
the tank, and on the glass where it was leaning. My peppermint shrimp is
on fire, bloated and gorged on something, and having the time of his
life.

only problem i can see Phil is the broke head can form what is called (from
memory here) "brown jelly" which will kill the entire head and then adjacent
heads as well. best fix it to frag off the broken head or keep it in a spot
of good circulation to help it heal.

might even do a search over on RC about the brown jelly for more info on it.

kc

"Phil" wrote in message
...
Based on what? I'm thinking the worst case scenario is I lose the
affected
branch, but the other branches should be unharmed, no? Also, I've been
doing some reading on torch reproduction, and what limited resources I've
found, the description suggests this is whats happening (the skeleton
divides).

I'm still pretty much in the dark, but if you have reason to believe he's
history, I'd appreciate some rationale behind it.


"Bob Roxbury" wrote in news:zFL8b.4596$3Y2.359
@news2.central.cox.net:

Sorry to say, but your torch is probably toast.

Good luck

almost forgot, my torch reproduces by forming a new head that grows from the
fork of other heads. it has about 30 heads now and has never split in any
way. it unfortunatly has 3 now dead heads on it from where a CC starfish
had lunch.........but he's in the sump now along with the maroom clown

kc

Thanks for the input. I removed the loose piece, but left the rest of the
damaged head. I'll watch it closely.

I considered fragging the whole head off while I had it out of the tank,
but how on earth is that accomplished? There's 5 other heads I dont want
to harm, the whole thing feels like delicate fine china.

So you break off just the calcium skeleton? Or the branch of rock its
attached to? What kinda tools for that? I cant imagine such an operation
without breaking everything.

Plus, I would feel horrible about amputating and discarding living coral.
I felt bad enough discarding the small broken piece when there was still
life on it.

-Regards

"Dragon Slayer" wrote in
:

only problem i can see Phil is the broke head can form what is called
(from memory here) "brown jelly" which will kill the entire head and
then adjacent heads as well. best fix it to frag off the broken head
or keep it in a spot of good circulation to help it heal.

might even do a search over on RC about the brown jelly for more info
on it.

kc

"Phil" wrote in message
...
Based on what? I'm thinking the worst case scenario is I lose the
affected
branch, but the other branches should be unharmed, no? Also, I've
been doing some reading on torch reproduction, and what limited
resources I've found, the description suggests this is whats
happening (the skeleton divides).

I'm still pretty much in the dark, but if you have reason to believe
he's history, I'd appreciate some rationale behind it.


"Bob Roxbury" wrote in
news:zFL8b.4596$3Y2.359 @news2.central.cox.net:

Sorry to say, but your torch is probably toast.

Good luck

to frag it you need to carefuly break it where the heads seperate from the
main stalks. better still is to break the main stalks that have 2 or 3
heads on them and allow them to grow yet larger.

HTH

kc

Hmmmmm.... So how do you 'carefully' break rock, without hurting the
skeletons? Is it brittle enough break by hand, or do you use a hammer and
chisel?

"Dragon Slayer" wrote in
:

to frag it you need to carefuly break it where the heads seperate from
the main stalks. better still is to break the main stalks that have
2 or 3 heads on them and allow them to grow yet larger.

HTH

kc

ok whomever is doing this grow up and get a real life of your own.


i did not send this reply..... if you look at the peroperties its from
someone on "cox comunications"

kc

I would guess it was DaTroll.

"Dragon Slayer" wrote in message
...
ok whomever is doing this grow up and get a real life of your own.


i did not send this reply..... if you look at the peroperties its from
someone on "cox comunications"

kc

i guessed as well, but why go to the trouble of adding all my info to your
news reader and then be so stuiped as to post via your own ISP?

hoepfuly the leter i sent to cox will help solve this issue.


kc

"Bob" wrote in message
...
I would guess it was DaTroll.

"Dragon Slayer" wrote in message
...
ok whomever is doing this grow up and get a real life of your own.


i did not send this reply..... if you look at the peroperties its from
someone on "cox comunications"

kc

There is nothing against any TOS with any ISP for posting as anyone other
than yourself. Period.

Again, call the cops, retard... it's just as stupid.

There is a reason for AOL. You should be on it.




"Dragon Slayer" wrote in message
...
i guessed as well, but why go to the trouble of adding all my info to your
news reader and then be so stuiped as to post via your own ISP?

hoepfuly the leter i sent to cox will help solve this issue.


kc

"Bob" wrote in message
...
I would guess it was DaTroll.

"Dragon Slayer" wrote in message
...
ok whomever is doing this grow up and get a real life of your own.


i did not send this reply..... if you look at the peroperties its from
someone on "cox comunications"

kc