My torch needs some help

[Whatsump]

I just got back into reef keeping from 10 years ago and have a 10 month old tank. I have what I think to be good basic knowledge of reef keeping and a friend of mine often looks to me for advice. Me and him both went to our LFS and bought a dark green pinched head of what i hope is an Indo Torch. My tanks water perimeters, fish and coral all look great I thought. Till i saw my buddies torch. It was like locker room shame. His was hang out and flopping around and i felt jealous. I run t5s and he runs a small current usa led. My question is how do I get a full 8 + extension where im only boasting an average 5 1/2. Is it lights? Is it flow? Is it feeding? I would like to add we both use the same brand of salt and this isn't an emergency but I would like some advice,

Thanks in Advance
Small Torch

 

[ScottR]

I can buy 3 of the same coral, place them in the same flow and lighting. One will have great PE. The other moderate PE and the other one dies. Could be how they were handled beforehand. Could be anything. That’s just my experience with corals. I got two long tentacle plates once. Same size and almost identical. Placed them close to each other. One died in one day. The other thrived.

 

[Whatsump]

Thanks for your reply.

 

[Geebs19]

Pic would help. In low flow mine are short and plump. In high flow they are long and stringy.

 

[Whatsump]

I would post a pic but I just feed him. But yes his is long and stringy or spindly. To the point it looks like they are going to shred off