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The Torch Coral is also known by the names of Pom-Pom coral or Cornet coral is one of the most aggressive LPS corals available. It originates from the Marshal Islands, the Red Sea, Samoa and Australia.
The Torch Coral is great for beginners but it does require some research before it can be added into the aquarium. In this article we will be focusing more on the initial setup of the aquarium required to keep healthy Torch Coral colonies.
Data sheet for Torch Coral
| Aquarium Parameters | |
| Minimum Tank Size | 50 gallons / 190 L |
| Lighting | Medium to High |
| Temperature | 74° – 83° F (23° – 28° C) |
| Salinity | 1.023 – 1.025 |
| Water Movement | Moderate |
| Water Supplements | |
| Calcium | 400-450 ppm |
| Alkalinity | 3.2-4.8 MEQ/L |
| Phosphates | 0 |
| Magnesium | 1200-1350 |
| Strontium | 8-10 |
The type of water and substrate
The water of the aquarium must have the salt concentration required by the fish or corals that will live in the aquarium, so this salinity will usually be between 1,023 and 1,026 ppm. Salinity must be achieved by using special salt from commerce, from specialty shops, in no case kitchen salt, this special ocean salt does not contain nitrates or phosphates and helps to control the growth of algae and salinity check can be done using a salimeter or a refractometer.
The living sand represents the sand along with the microscopic and macroscopic living inside it, such as bacteria, worms, snails, copepods, amphipods and others.
Most of the time, at the acquisition, the sand is populated by bacteria only, the rest of the organisms being installed after contact with the living stone. Bacteria in sand are very important in aquarium cycling because they start nitrification and the rest of the living, continue this circuit by denitrification.
Living stone has to be understood in its true meaning, it is a biogeneous stone made of coral skeletons or inverts of other calcareous organisms. This construction makes this type of stone have a seaweed film and be populated by a lot of micro and mascroscopic organisms, so the stone is not itself alive, it is a living environment.
Living stone is an indispensable component for reef-type aquariums because it contains a great variety of species and functions as a filter due to the presence of aerobic and anaerobic nitrifying bacteria. In addition, living stone acts as a chemical regulator because it constantly maintains the pH level by releasing calcium carbonate. Ultimately, living stone is the source of colonization for living sand, it is very decorative and it is a shelter for small species of fish or invertebrates hiding through its holes or cornisins.
The Cycling process – A very important step for growing Torch Coral
Cycling the aquarium will be done with a lot of patience, after the live stone has been introduced and the sand will also introduce a piece of fish, shrimp, a little fish food or almost any organic matter to decompose and start cycling. We do not want to add torch corals or any type of coral if the aquarium is not cycled.
The decomposition will release ammonia and thus starts the aquarium cycle. Cycling is not a fast process and it takes time and patience. During the cycle, it is a good idea to check the water parameters of the aquarium every few days to see its evolution. First, a peak in ammonia concentration will be recorded, then it will decrease and increase the nitrite concentration, eventually nitrites will decrease and nitrates will increase. Eventually, after 4 to 6 weeks, the bacterial decomposition efficiency will be verified, so the aquarium will feed a quantity of food equal to the amount of fish administered one day, and the ammonia and nitrites will be kept close to 0. After cycling, fish or invertebrates can also be introduced.
Acclimatization – No Torch Coral will survive if put straight out of the bag
Acclimatization is an essential process for marine life because it is sensitive to changes in water parameters. Depending on the class of organisms, acclimatization is different, as follows:
In the case of corals, especially in the case of torch corals, they will be placed in a separate aquarium for observation for a week. In the case of other invertebrates, slowly mix the water from the shipping container with the aquarium water until the parameters are uniform (with a margin of 0.001) but this process must be completed within 30 minutes. Ammonia begins to accumulate as soon as the bag is opened and the survivors must be removed quickly enough before ammonia reaches alarming levels. Under no circumstances will be kept in open bags for more than 30 minutes.
Potential pests that will damage the Torch Coral
Bubble Algae – these algae are relatively innocuous to a small reef fish tank in small quantities, and they even meet in most small aquariums. This becomes a problem when it spreads too much when it rises over the corals resulting in suffocation and later their death.
This algae is spreading formidably quickly because it contains more bubbles and each algae bubble contains spores, and once broken, those spores are a form of reproduction, penetrate the mass of water and contribute to the development of the algae. It is recommended that when removing this algae, do not break the air bubbles, they are easy to recognize, they are the size of a bead and are filled with gas. If possible, it is advisable to remove the rock on which the algae and the bubbles are located and remove it from the aquarium.
Aiptasia is an anemone that can become the nightmare of any marine aquarist. This anemone presents all the ingredients necessary to invade the aquarium: it reproduces easily, is very resistant to environmental conditions and is difficult to remove.
Aiptasia is an anemone that nettles and kills the corals around them and can damage even fish, plus if it will become the mastery of the aquarium, the aquarium will lose all the color and light it once had, having only invisible white shades and brown.
Aiptasia can be removed by several methods, including: lemon juice injection, calcium hydroxide injection, hot water, plucking and others. The faster it is to detect such anemone, the better it is because if it starts to reproduce it will enter the hardest accessible corners, it will penetrate into places where we would not have expected it, and even after the upsurge of most anemones, some copies will survive by retreating, waiting for the right time to reproduce.
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