Torch Coral Sweeper Question

gilbert

gilbert

Member
I got my torch about a month ago. In that whole time, I have never once seen any hint or sign of sweeper tentacles. Is that normal? I have a xenia and an anthelia colony that are both basically touching it, and still nothing. Also, when I feed it, the food adheres to the tentacles, but I don't see any dedicated feeder tentacles. I can't tell if it is actually eating the food (mysis shrimp), because whenever I look, the food is still atatched to its tentacles. Is this all normal or should I be concerned? Thanks in advance, hope I haven't been to rambly.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Sounds normal to me. If it looks healthy, no skeleton showing, is not bleaching, then probably good to go.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Yes they do eat, will catch food floating in the water column. You can spot feed some mysis into the tentacles and sometimes they will move the food to the center. If the flow in the tank is still on they may not be able to catch the food but not to worry too much they do also feed via the zooxanthellae.
 
gilbert

gilbert

Member
Ok, I tried to feed some mysis to it, but two days later it was still in the center of his tentacles. Not on the tentacles, but on the oral disk.
 
B

beffsmiff

Guest
I feed my torch coral brine shrimp with a turkey baster. The brine shrimp will get caught in it's tentacles and then disappear later that day. Mine is growing like a weed and looks beautiful. I feed it about every other day or so. It's a really pretty coral.

 
gilbert

gilbert

Member
How fast do you define "grow like a weed?" I got mine with one head a couple months ago, and it still has one head. It's splitting (I think), but it's still just one head.
 
B

beffsmiff

Guest
It has the same amount of heads but the tentacles are longer and there are quite a bit more. There are also little new tentacles coming out. I've had to move some corals away from it because it's getting close to them now. Does yours eat well and what does yours eat? They are beautiful corals and I love them.
 
gilbert

gilbert

Member
I feed it mysis, and it catches some on its tentacles, but I don't know if it actually eats it. Yeah, I had to move my xenia because the torch almost killed it. I pulled it off the rock and gave it to my dad.
I don't think it'll make it, though... My torch is my favorite coral I have, and I have it in a place of "honor" in the top half of my tank. My rockwork was done really badly, so the top half is not quite halfway up in my tank. I'm hoping it will kill off part of my anthelia, which is a monster, as they both grow.
 
gilbert

gilbert

Member
Mine is different from others I've seen. It's tentacles are really thin, and the tentacles aren't knobbly and bumpy. Is this because of flow, or a different subspeices, anyone know??
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by gilbert http:///forum/thread/378117/torch-coral-sweeper-question#post_3300508
Mine is different from others I've seen. It's tentacles are really thin, and the tentacles aren't knobbly and bumpy. Is this because of flow, or a different subspeices, anyone know??
Can you take a picture of it.
 
My torch's tentacles become very thing and stringy if the flow is too much. There are different sub-species of torches, usually based on where they are collected. Some have short, nubby tentacles while others have longer tentacles. I have one of each, so I'm positive that there are different types.
 
As for the eating, mine takes about a day to eat a piece of PE Mysis shrimp. You should notice the food being moved closer to the center (where the mouth is) and then it should just disappear. I usually don't feed mine, but let them catch food when I'm feeding the fish.
Under the right parameters, they can grow rather fast. In 6 months I grew two new heads on mine.
 
gilbert

gilbert

Member
Mine looks like the one on the second page, fourth from the left. I'll try to get some pics tonight and post them sometime this week. Don't know how much time I'll have, school starts tomorrow.
 
gilbert

gilbert

Member
Finally, I got the time to take a picture of it! It's not a great pic, but it just split into two heads, so I'm really happy.


And one with a tentacle waaay stretched out. Is this what they use as sweeper tentacles?
 
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