Want to buy my first torch. What to look for and other advice?

[IPT]

I am looking to get a torch. I am fancy on the ones with the blue tips (Grail? New York Knicks?). I have a well established mixed reef and a lot of experience. In addition to some clams and SPS I also have a Frogspawn and two hammers (all of which are growing nicely).

I'm pretty sure I have the skills to keep one, but my question is what's real and what's embellished? I live remote so my only real option is buying online (can't see it in person). I only saw one killer one in person but it wasn't for sale. Who do like for buying torches? Should I ask for specific pictures (like not under all blues)?. Are those torches with the blue tips and yellow polyps really like that in person, even under more white light?

Open to any recommendations and suggestions tog et more educated before I drop some hard earned cash and end up disappointed.

 

[Kodock]

There are Indo, Malaysian and Aussie torches. Stay away from Aussie torches. They don’t hold well in tanks and are prone to dying randomly. Visually, Indos are normally the ones with tips thicker than the sweepers (tentacles), and Malaysian can be the same, but sometimes have smaller tips, even a triangle type pointed tip.

You’ll find a lot of the same corals called different names and some sellers up the contrast to make them look different. You’ll want to see the flesh band under the sweepers, if possible. Try and buy WSYIWYG. A receding fleshband is bad. Once a torch starts to really recede and you can see the skeleton, with fully recessed/deflated tentacles, 90% chance it’s going to die.

You need a solid grip of your salinity, ph, alk, mg, ca, and phosphate levels. Alk may be the only thing you need to focus on keeping at a decent range, depending on how new your tank is and what you have that might be absorbing it in the tank.

I’d recommend starting with an aquacultured torch, which means propagated in captivity - not brought in from ocean cuts. Get some entry level torchs and use them to fine tune your lighting, flow and positioning in the tank for them. Mine like medium to high flow and medium to medium high lighting - but torches can be different under different lighting and what not. Once you have success with those, you can try the more expensive ones. Although, if you’re hammers are doing well, your torches should too.

For high end and common torches, I’d recommend JAYSEXOTICAQUATICS first. Good deals, great packaging, chunky frags. Coral King on ebay can have some good deals.