Torch Coral Sweeper?

[staindsoul]

Is the longer arm a sweeper on my green torch? It is out with all the others and goes in at night with the rest.

If it is, what am I looking for that is causing it to come out? The only corals close are the hammer and frog you see in the picture and they are nowhere close to touching. There is a acan underneath but that is a good 10-12" down.

 

[willietang021]

They tend to stick their sweeper out at night, guarding their own air space. It seems like they can sense another piece of coral is close by, and try and see if their sweeper can reach it and do damge. No worry, I thinkn your torch has enough space for its own. The next closest coral is a branching hammer that is pretty much the same kind, so the damage is too slight to be notice even if it touches the hammer.

 

[sqwat]

Yes

 

[staindsoul]

They tend to stick their sweeper out at night, guarding their own air space. It seems like they can sense another piece of coral is close by, and try and see if their sweeper can reach it and do damge.

thats the thing, it is out all day and goes in at night.

Yes

wow.

 

[kurt_n]

Our tanks are pretty small compared to the ocean. As long as it's in the tank, a coral can smell it and think its too close.

With that said though, it won't be very long before that hammer and torch are "too close". Just my opinion, but I'd consider them too close right now! Not sure if they'll hurt each other though.

 

[SomeDude12]

Definitely sweepers! I would be cautious and try to make sure that they aren't in range of other non-euphyllia corals. From the looks, it appears you're fine.

 

[sjwitt]

Hammer, torch, and frogspawn are all in the same family, euphyllia. They can all cohabitate in peace. I've had all three in the same location, touching eachother with no signs of territorial warfare. The will fight with other non-euphyllia (as others have written).

Compared to other "sweepers" I've seen that's not all that long. You'd be very surprised how long the sweepers can actually go.

 

[staindsoul]

Thanks for the comments. I was just surprised this sweeper was coming out during the day with others and going back at night. Was making sure it wasn't a retarded torch. :lmao:


Kurt, I was hoping the torch would grow more up than grow in a ball. I'll frag heads off the hammer towards that side if necessary. I have read multiple places that hammers and frogs can intermingle, but mixed reading on torches and other euphyllia. So I knew its a possible "risk".

With that said though, it won't be very long before that hammer and torch are "too close". Just my opinion, but I'd consider them too close right now! Not sure if they'll hurt each other though.

 

[Dexters Reef]

My torch started as a 1 inch frag. It was tiny. After 4 months it became a 3" frag. Now it's been 7 months and it's 5" with sweepers that extend a good 3" further out. My sweepers come out in the day time if it's getting too much flow.

Also, mine definitely grew upwards, and not in a "ball" formation. Now that it has become quite long, the head is splitting horizontally into two heads.

View attachment 207501
View attachment 207502

 

[staindsoul]

^that torch has some crazy polyp extension for how slender they get.