How much light and flow does Torch coral need?

Stony coral · LPS, medium light at roughly 100–150 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ PAR, with medium flow. Light and flow must match: high light with weak flow burns tips, strong flow with weak light thins the tissue.

Will Torch coral attack neighbouring corals?

It has sweeper tentacles: at night it extends tentacles several times its own width and burns whatever they reach. Leave at least one adult diameter between it and its neighbours.

Does Torch coral need feeding?

Optional. It survives without feeding, but regular small doses improve growth and colour.

What water parameters does Torch coral need?

24–26 °C, specific gravity 1.024–1.026, 7–9 dKH, 400–450 mg/L calcium, 1250–1350 mg/L magnesium. That is only 2 dKH wide, so stability matters more than hitting a particular number.

Is Torch coral a good beginner coral?

Difficulty: beginner. Growth: medium. Place it in the midground. Spacing: at least 15 cm from anything else. At night its sweepers reach more than twice its body length and burn whatever they touch.

G-03 / 06Marine

Torch coral火炬珊瑚

Euphyllia glabrescens · Euphylliidae

Torch coral: the classic first LPS — tentacles out by day, sweeper tentacles out at night, and the most common cause of reef-tank sting damage.

Illustration to come

G-03 / 06 · Torch coral Euphyllia glabrescens

SpecificationsCoral atlas

Name: 火炬珊瑚
Scientific name: Euphyllia glabrescens
Family: Euphylliidae
Origin: Reefs of the Indo-Pacific, including Indonesia, the Philippines and the Great Barrier Reef
Type: Stony coral · LPS
Light: Medium light
PAR: 100–150
Flow: Medium flow
Aggression: Sweeper tentacles
Feeding: Optional feeding
Alkalinity: 7–9 dKH
Calcium: 400–450 mg/L
Magnesium: 1250–1350 mg/L
Salinity: 1.024–1.026 SG
Growth: Medium
Placement: Midground
Level: Beginner

Water requirementsMarine

Temp.24–26 °C

pH8.1–8.4

Salinity1.024–1.026 SG

Alkalinity7–9 dKH

Units: temperature in °C, hardness in German degrees (dGH / dKH), marine salinity as specific gravity at 25 °C, volume in litres. These are the values recorded for the species and do not follow the site unit switcher.

Keeping notes

1Spacing: at least 15 cm from anything else. At night its sweepers reach more than twice its body length and burn whatever they touch.
2Flow: medium is right; in strong flow the tentacles stay retracted and the soft tissue at the cup rim tears easily.
3Feeding: optional, but one shrimp or pellet feed a week visibly speeds up splitting.
4Water tolerance: only average against alkalinity and salinity swings — a sudden drop in specific gravity strips tissue off the skeleton.
5Growth form: the skeleton splits into new heads while the soft tissue spreads much faster than the skeleton, so measure spacing by tissue, not skeleton.

Frequently asked questions

How much light and flow does Torch coral need?: Stony coral · LPS, medium light at roughly 100–150 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ PAR, with medium flow. Light and flow must match: high light with weak flow burns tips, strong flow with weak light thins the tissue.
Will Torch coral attack neighbouring corals?: It has sweeper tentacles: at night it extends tentacles several times its own width and burns whatever they reach. Leave at least one adult diameter between it and its neighbours.
Does Torch coral need feeding?: Optional. It survives without feeding, but regular small doses improve growth and colour.
What water parameters does Torch coral need?: 24–26 °C, specific gravity 1.024–1.026, 7–9 dKH, 400–450 mg/L calcium, 1250–1350 mg/L magnesium. That is only 2 dKH wide, so stability matters more than hitting a particular number.
Is Torch coral a good beginner coral?: Difficulty: beginner. Growth: medium. Place it in the midground. Spacing: at least 15 cm from anything else. At night its sweepers reach more than twice its body length and burn whatever they touch.