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.