This guide is structured for reef keepers who want the husbandry targets first, then the inventory. Use it to decide whether the coral fits your system before you buy or move it.
What this coral wants
Torch corals reward stable LPS chemistry, measured nutrients, and deliberate placement. They stand out in a reef because movement, color, and collector appeal all show best when the colony can extend without being blasted by direct flow.
At a glance
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Coral Type: LPS
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Scientific Name: Euphyllia glabrescens
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Care Level: Moderate
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Light: 120 to 200 PAR after acclimation
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Flow: Moderate, indirect, oscillating flow
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Placement: Mid-level with room for long sweepers
Target water chemistry
These are Lunar Tide Aquatics holding targets for stability, then cross-checked against peer-reviewed coral physiology literature on flow, calcification, feeding, and nutrient stress.
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Temperature: 77 to 78.5 F
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Salinity: 1.025 to 1.026 specific gravity
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Alkalinity: 8.0 to 9.0 dKH
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Calcium: 420 to 460 ppm
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Magnesium: 1280 to 1380 ppm
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Nitrate: 5 to 15 ppm
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Phosphate: 0.03 to 0.10 ppm
Light, flow, and placement
Light: 120 to 200 PAR after acclimation. Flow: Moderate, indirect, oscillating flow. Placement: Mid-level with room for long sweepers.
Give torch corals enough space that extended tentacles are not slapping rock, glass, or neighboring corals. They look best with broad, indirect flow that keeps the polyps moving without whipping the flesh back onto the skeleton.
For higher-end lineage pieces, stability matters more than chasing peak numbers. Keep nutrients measurable, maintain a tight alkalinity band, and make light increases gradually after the coral has settled in and is extending with confidence.
Feeding and acclimation
Feeding: Broadcast or target feed 1 to 2 times weekly.
Acclimation: Start on the lower end of the light range, then ramp slowly once extension is consistent.
What to watch
Stability target: Keep alkalinity and salinity stable; avoid rapid swings.
Watch for: Direct pump blast, tissue tears, and nearby stingers.
How Lunar Tide uses this guide
We use these ranges as decision support, not as random numbers to chase. Stable chemistry, predictable placement, and consistent observation usually outperform aggressive adjustments after a coral lands.
If you are ready to compare this husbandry target against what is currently available, browse the current Torch Coral. There are currently 4 pieces in that group.
Scientific references
- Jokiel PL (1978), Effects of water motion on reef corals
- Anthony KRN and Fabricius KE (2000), Shifting roles of heterotrophy and autotrophy in coral energetics under varying turbidity
- Houlbrèque F and Ferrier-Pagès C (2009), Heterotrophy in tropical scleractinian corals
- Holcomb M, Tambutté E, Allemand D and Tambutté S (2014), Light enhanced calcification in Stylophora pistillata
- Jokiel PL (2013), Coral reef calcification: carbonate, bicarbonate and proton flux under conditions of increasing ocean acidification
- Page TM, D'Angelo C, Wiedenmann J and Foster GL (2025), Changes in host gene expression patterns underpin responses of the coral Stylophora pistillata to nutrient stress
Current availability
Use this guide against live inventory
The care guidance lives here. When you're ready to compare it against the corals currently available from Lunar Tide, jump straight into the matching collection.
