Torch coral in decline

[barkleyfox]

After bringing my corals home today, I noticed one head on a torch isn't looking great.

I know the pic doesn't show much, but there's this clear/white cotton-like area in the head of the coral. The mouth's not even visible.

It doesn't look right, but I'm not sure what's going on. I thought maybe brown jelly, but it doesn't quite match the signs. Am I off the mark?

Any help would be appreciated.

[barkleyfox]

Update* I've got a bit of an issue on my hands now - the problem has spread to the second head. I decided to take it out and give it a freshwater dip. The coral had a pretty strong, unpleasant smell, which from my research seems to be a sign of the coral dying.

Some of the tentacles have a brownish color on the inside, so I'm pretty confident it's brown jelly now. It's a bummer, but I'm hoping I caught it in time to prevent further damage.

[giggle]

I've dealt with brown jelly before, it's a real pain. I had it on my hammer coral too. To get rid of it, you'll want to suck out the dead jelly with a syringe or siphon it off. Then give the coral a freshwater dip with iodine, just 2 minutes, make sure the water's the same temp and pH as your tank. After that, the coral should bounce back.

[flintech]

I think you'll need to cut off the bad parts before they spread and cause more damage.

[FableRyde]

I think you'll need to cut off the bad parts before they spread and cause more damage.

+1. Got the infected heads off, did some water changes. Removing the source of the infection should help prevent it from spreading to other corals. Then I'd recommend keeping it in low light and flow for a bit, since it's going to be pretty stressed out. I've found that some coral dips can be beneficial in this situation. I'd suggest doing a freshwater dip, but be careful - I actually lost a torch to one of those dips once.

[VynoraL]

When you mention freshwater, do you mean using RODI water for the dip?

[Auric12]

When you mention freshwater, do you mean using RODI water for the dip?

I'd recommend using just RO water for the freshwater dip.

[VynoraL]

I'm in agreement with flintech and FableRyde. You'll need to frag the infected parts to stop the spread.

[VynoraL]

I'm experiencing a similar issue with my torch coral - it's not looking too great. I was adjusting my light settings recently and I'm worried I might've put my coral in shock or something. The head of the coral has this weird clear/white cotton-like area, almost like a patch, and the mouth isn't visible. Anyone have any ideas what's going on?