Looking for the best torch coral care guide?
If you are here, you’re probably interested or thinking about keeping torch corals in your aquarium. Or maybe you are just curious and want to learn something new.
Whatever the reason was that brought you here, stay!
The Torch Coral is one of the most visually appealing corals you can keep in a home aquarium. It has vibrant colors, it’s fairly inexpensive and it’s kind of looking cool the way it sways in the current.
And the best part?
It’s not that difficult to take care of.
This beginner’s guide is all you’ll ever need in order to be successful in keeping these corals.
In this post I’ll show you:
- How to take care of the Torch Coral
- How to find the best placement
- How to avoid possible problems
- Lots more
Let’s get started.
Related: Acan Coral Care
Contents
Torch Coral Care
The Torch Coral (Euphyliia glabrescens), also known as the Trumpet Coral, is an LPS coral, popular among reef enthusiasts. 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 130 feet.
To keep these corals in a home aquarium you need the following parameters:
- Water temperature between 78 and 82 (Fahrenheit) degrees
- Specific gravity (salinity) 1.025
- A ph of an 8.2
- Moderate water movement
If you are already compliant with these parameters, proceed to the other sections of this article.
Placement & Lighting
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? It’s simple. 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. It’s no different in our home aquariums, as well.
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.
It doesn’t sound exciting, does it?
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. Torch Coral requires moderate water flow, not too strong, not weak. Stronger water flow may cause retraction of the tentacles, and weaker water flow may accumulate debris on the surface of the coral.
Feeding & Growth Rate
It’s not mandatory to feed your Torch corals.
LPS corals, including the Torch Coral, rely on nutrients provided by the zooxanthellae, marine algae that live within the coral. With adequate lighting in your reef tank, Torch corals will do just fine. However, additional feeding will be beneficial if you want to speed up the process of coral growth.
My Recommendation: Polyplab – Reef-Roids
It’s surprising how large chunks of food can these corals eat at once. You can feed them with mysis, krill, or brine shrimp. Always be aware of how much food you put in your tank.
These corals are always hungry. The last thing you want to do is to overfeed and compromise the stability of your aquarium.
Torch Coral Dying
One thing that reef hobbyists hate the most is to see their corals die. It can happen to all of us, and the reasons can be unknown, but one thing is for sure. If corals start dying unexpectedly, then there is something wrong with the water chemistry.
Check the basic parameters before you investigate other possible reasons. The first thing that comes to my mind is to check the salinity. If that’s on point, check the levels of calcium in the water. All LPS corals, including the Torch Coral, need calcium in order to make their skeleton.
These corals can be affected by intense lighting, as well. Avoid placing them under metal halides. And always acclimate them slowly when you move them in a new tank.
And last, Torch Corals are susceptible to diseases and infections like any other organism. The most common ones are the brown jelly and protozoan infections.
Learn more here: Why is my torch coral dying?
How to Propagate the Torch Coral
The Torch Coral is a great candidate for propagation. And it’s not that difficult to propagate it just by yourself, as well. Especially with branching types of corals, like the Torch Coral itself.
First, make sure that that specimen you will use is in good health condition. Cut off a branch, and then glue it on a new rock. In time a new colony will form in that place.
The process is simple, yet you need to be careful in order to not harm the coral.
Torch Coral For Sale
You’ve read thoroughly through the article and now you are wondering. Where to buy Torch Coral? Well, you have several options.
If you have friends that are into this hobby and they happen to have torches in their tanks, some of them can give you a small frag to start with. Local reef clubs where you can exchange small frags with other reefers are also good options.
If that’s not your preference you can always buy from local fish stores. Torch Corals are easy to find, and I am confident that you won’t have a problem finding one to purchase.
And, of course, buying from online shops is another option. In recent years, the quality of corals purchased online has increased.
If you are interested to learn more about other corals, check our other care guides. We hope you like it!
- Duncan Coral: Care, Placement, Lighting (Beginners Guide)
- Best Corals for Beginners (Soft, LPS, SPS)
- Mushroom Corals: The Ultimate Care Guide
- Sun Coral: Care, Placement, Feeding (Beginners Guide)
- Toadstool Leather Coral: Care, Placement, Lighting (Beginners Guide)
- Blastomussa (Blasto) Coral Care: Beginners Guide
- Green Star Polyps (GSP) Coral Care: The Complete Guide
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed and found this article helpful. Torch corals are truly amazing and deserve to be in every reef aquarium. Learning how to take care of them is not that difficult. Sure, keeping only fish is much easier.
However, the satisfaction you get watching it the way it sways in the current is indescribable.
Now, I have a few questions for you.
Do you have your own tips on how to take care of the Torch Coral? Or any problems you’re encountered with this particular coral? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!
Featured Image: Bernard DUPONT (CC BY-SA 2.0)