Torch coral and tentacle length

[Tab964]

I have a torch coral that is getting out of hand. It is a green and when I bought it it had tentacles of about 3-4" now they are at least twice that length. They keep get wrapped around items because of water flow and they twist around themselves because of length and movement of water. I thought maybe mine just had long tentacles but after seeing the same frags from same LFS their's are still the normal length. I have it sitting on the sand bottom of a 24" deep tank under 250 mh for about 4 months now.

 

[RachShaffy]

IIRC, Torch's like low water flow for exactly that reason! (Please coorect me if I'm wrong lol).

 

[Tab964]

The coral is not in a high flow area. The tentacles are straight up and they wave with the current. The LFS has their's in a much higher flow area to the point the tentacles are at a 45 degree angle. Mine waves to and fro at twist around themselves at times the ends seem to be bulbous like a balloon. They just get so long and not just a few but all of them. Before the lights come on in AM the tentacles are more normal in length.

 

[GrendelPrime]

what other coral are around ur torch, i notice my torch sends out sweepers when i had it around other coral

 

[BigAl07]

I'm with Grendel on this. Torch and all of it's cousins (Euphyllia) will send out elongated tentacles (Called sweepers) when they detect other coral near by. These will sting and kill MANY other coral so give them room.

 

[PIMPALA]

I'm with Grendel on this. Torch and all of it's cousins (Euphyllia) will send out elongated tentacles (Called sweepers) when they detect other coral near by. These will sting and kill MANY other coral so give them room.

yup. i see this first hand on a daily basis. my frogspawn, hammer, torch... they all are attackers when other stuff is close. i just moved my torch this weekend in my 46 because it was killing my GSP on the sandbed (had to decide if that was a bad thing or not. lol)

 

[Tab964]

There is nothing around it. So it is not killing anything. The closest thing is a acro but that is on a rock outcrop on the top half of tank. I also have a dragons bane bubble which does send out sweepers. I just did a google on this problem and read that if they have lower light they will extend trying to reach the light. Sounds good but it is under 250 mh. Does that make sense I do not want to rearrange if that is not the issue.

 

[PIMPALA]

if its not touching or hurting anything, then whats the problem?


maybe try moving it to a different area of the sand bed. sometimes just switching left to right makes a difference in the way a coral reacts to the light, and flow of a tank.

 

[Tab964]

Other than to tentacles wrapping around each other none. But if it is a problem with the culture I would want to correct. That is why I mentioned the comparison with mine and the one at LFS with normal length tentacles. All dragged from same colony.

 

[tnwillia]

Here is a short video of my big Torch. He's trippled in size in about 18 months. He pretty much has the side of the tank to himself. He sits under one of my MP40s and feeds off the undertow. I never have to feed him. Good luck!