The Torch Coral is one of the most visually appealing corals you can keep in a home aquarium. Related : Acan Coral Care. It got the name by its appearance it looks like a torch. These types of corals are found in different reef habitats, mostly the Indo Pacific region, living in colonies, usually at depths down to feet. To keep these corals in a home aquarium you need the following parameters:. If you are already compliant with these parameters, proceed to the other sections of this article.
All reefers whether they are beginners or more experienced are aware that in order to be successful in keeping corals you need to find their appropriate place in your aquarium. Like in real estate, in the reef keeping hobby, everything is about location, location.
Why is this so important, and why I emphasize it so much? Some types of corals, particularly LPS corals, have developed a certain way of adaptation in order to gain an advantage over other corals in the ocean. The Torch Coral, including all other corals from the Euphylia genus have sweeper tentacles. Those tentacles are dangerous for the other corals in the tank except for corals from the same genus.
In other words, you can keep Torch corals only with other Euphylias. Well, that is not entirely true. You can still keep torch corals with other corals, but you need to be careful. When they are hungry, Torch corals extend their sweeper tentacles and with their nematocysts sting other corals. You can avoid this by distancing them at least 6 inches from other corals.
By now we learned that these corals are aggressive and that we should be careful when choosing a spot to place them in the tank. But, what about their placement in terms of lighting? To be honest with you, in terms of lighting, these types of corals are not that difficult to take care of. Unless your lights are too weak, you are good to go. One of the main reasons people love Torch coral is the way it sways in the current.
Proper water movement is not only good for the health of the coral but to avoid accumulating unnecessary algae, as well. While care and appearance are similar between these species, they can be told apart by some key features.
Mainly, torch corals have long, skinny tentacles. The bottoms of the tentacles are usually noticeably darker than the round tips of the tentacles and are typically a different color altogether. A frogspawn coral has thicker, branching tentacles while a hammer coral have shorter, wider tentacles with flattened tips.
Each torch coral polyp can measure up to 10 inches across with another 10 inches in tentacle. Transparent sweeper tentacles may be even longer than normal tentacles as they extend their reach for optimal feeding and territory defense. As a type of large-polyp stony coral, torch corals have hard calcium carbonate skeletons.
Unlike other euphillyas the Hammer Coral, torch skeletons are branching. Branching torches have defined coral polyps each with their own skeleton base whereas wall corals are a straight line of coral polyps with one connected skeleton. Many varieties of torch coral have been brought into the aquarium hobby with differences in color, tentacle length, and hardiness; in general, the more attractive the color, the more expensive the coral. Torch coral placement varies in the aquarium.
Some hobbyists prefer keeping them in lower lighting with lower flow for the greatest tentacle extension. Other hobbyists like to keep their torches in moderate lighting with higher flow to deter algae. Most reef leds will support a Torch coral. The main thing will be to adjust light intensity or placement to get them within the desired PAR level.
Torch corals tend do better under moderate flow, Higher rates of flow will cause your coral to not extend as far. Higher flow rates are beneficial for delivering food and keeping algae off the skeleton.
Torch corals are moderately aggressive corals and will defend their place in a reef aquarium. At night, these corals will extend their sweeper tentacles in order to feed and to keep other corals from getting too close. Because of this, they should be given enough room to expand and release their sweeper tentacles; this is especially true for other corals that are behind the torch as the sweeper tentacles move with the water flow.
Overall, torch corals are relatively easy to keep and are recommended for beginner to medium-skilled coral enthusiasts. That being said, they do tend to be more sensitive to fluctuations in water parameters and poorer water conditions than other coral species of Euphyllia.
Even though torch corals have sweepers, they heavily rely on the water column to provide the nutrients they need to grow and develop new skeleton. Surprisingly, the problem that most hobbyists run into is having too clean of a tank. Torch corals need nitrate and phosphate; running 0 PPM phosphates and 0 PPM nitrates deprives the coral of important nutrients needed for development and sustaining their vibrant colors. Ideally, nitrates should be kept under 40 PPM and phosphates below 0.
Of course, hobbyists have gone above and below these ideals with success. As long as conditions are stable and your corals look happy, then you have no need to worry. Torch corals do not require any special filtration. More importantly, placement and flow need to be correct. As long as your torch is getting enough light and a strong enough current to carry food and keep off algae, then hang on the backs, sumps , protein skimmers , and canisters work just as well.
As mentioned before, stability is key. Even though torch corals are more influenced by water parameters than other Euphyllia , as long as your tank is testing within a given range and staying accurate, then your torch coral will stay fully extended.
It is generally agreed that dosing is not required for torch corals and other Euphyllia corals; for the most part, these corals will get the nutrients they need from food, fish waste, and the salt mix being used.
However, if keeping a larger colony of torches or a mixed reef with SPS, then some hobbyists might choose to dose for alkalinity, calcium, and other trace elements to help with skeleton growth. The Bubble Magus is a reliable dosing pump with multiple heads. A great way to get started with coral dosing. If choosing to dose for alkalinity or calcium, then you will want to regularly test water conditions to see how your corals are incorporating those additives.
In order to do this, test water parameters right after dosing. Before the next dose, test the nutrients that you have been targeting. Keep a record of the numbers to watch how they interact and decrease between doses. It is possible that clownfish will attempt to host a torch coral, but this can cause the coral to stress out and keep its tentacles retracted.
Torches are reported to live in a range of water conditions, from turbid murky to clear waters with blazingly crips light.
This suggests a certain level of adaptability and ease, which is likely why these corals are great beginner corals. The torch coral does not have particularly challenging husbandry requirements in a reef aquarium.
They require typical reef aquarium water parameters , including a temperature around 78F Like most large polyp stony LPS corals, a torch coral benefits from moderate water flow. The polyps remain retracted and under-inflated if the water current is too fast, as the large flowing polyps are prone to ripping and tearing.
The torch coral is photosynthetic. It has a relationship with symbiotic zooxanthellae single-cell photosynthetic organisms that live inside its tissues. They convert light energy into sugar. However, all corals are animals, and animals are meant to eat. The best placement for a torch coral is in a location that gets moderate water flow and moderate-intensity lighting.
You want them just right. But what does that mean? Conversely, the areas directly in front of your powerheads or gyre pumps are areas of the highest flow. Moderate flow is achieved when the polyps are fully extended and gently swaying, as if in a breeze. The upper areas of live rock high in the tank and areas most centrally located under your LEDs have the highest light intensity.
Assuming you have high-quality reef LEDs, metal halides, or T5s, those areas are best reserved for the light-hungriest corals certain SPS and those corals with the brightest colors. The best placement for your torches would be the middle-to-lower ends of the tank.
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