Micronesian Torch Coral (euphyllia cristata)

While less well known than its Euphyllia cousins, the micro torch makes an interesting addition to a home aquarium.  They look most similar to Frogspawn but their polyps are more tightly packed, giving it the appearance of a bunch of grapes.  They are a branching colonial coral and are available in many of the same colour combinations as Frogspawn such as green, purple, orange and splatter varieties.

Like many corals in the saltwater hobby, micro torch are found in the Indo-Pacific region, most notably in the waters off Tonga.  The majority of specimens available for sale are wild collected but some are now available aquacultured.  In the wild, they are found at shallower depths than most other Euphyllia and tend to enjoy brighter light than other varieties.  They do still tend to prefer waters with gentle movement.  In a home aquarium they can be placed either on the substrate or on the rockwork in the lower third of the tank.

Micro torch are fairly tolerant of a variety of lighting levels but extremely high and low levels of light should be avoided.  Remember to make placement changes gradually so the coral has time to adjust.  Flow should be sufficient to cause the polyps to sway in the water but not so intense that they are blown around or even damaged.  Flow that is too strong may also cause the polyps to remain retracted.

Like most other LPS corals the micro torch  is photosynthetic and does not require supplementary feeding.  However, they will benefit from occasional feedings.  Vitalis LPS Coral Pellets are a good choice, as they allow for precise spot feeding of each head.

 Micro torch can be fragged in the same manner as other branching Euphyllia.  Once there is a clear separation between the heads a bandsaw can be used to cut through the stony skeleton.  Smaller heads can also be cut using coral cutters  Both the new frag and the mother colony would benefit from an iodine dip to help reduce the risk of infection.