Candy Cane Coral

Scientific Name: Caulastrea Furcata

Common Name: Candy Cane Coral, Bullseye Coral, Trumpet Coral

Type of Coral: LPS (Large Polyp Stony Coral)

Lighting: Moderate and Moderate to High

Flow: Moderate and Moderate to High

Care Level: Moderate

Temperament: Peaceful to Semi-aggressive

Appearance

Candy Cane Corals will have a base that consists of an exposed calcified skeleton structure.  At the end of this structure will be individual fleshy heads (polyps) with a small mouth in the center. The heads can be green, blue, or brown like in color.  One of the more common colors is a bright almost neon green.  As this coral grows, the heads will split and the skeleton base will branch almost like a tree grows.

Water Conditions

The below link highlights typical water conditions candy cane corals, as with most LPS, will require.  As this is a moderately difficult coral to keep, you should ensure your dKH, Cal and Mag levels are maintained at all times with minimal nitrate and phosphate levels.  As this coral also has a calcified skeleton, it will consume calcium from your water.  In set-ups with a good amount of LPS corals, it is not uncommon to have to dose dKH and Cal in order to keep the water parameters in line.  With only a few LPS corals, a good water change schedule may be enough to maintain your parameters.  In addition to the article in the below link, this coral can also benefit from maintaining strontium levels if you do not have a good water change routine using a very good quality salt.

https://www.reefaquarium.com/2013/the-basics-of-marine-aquarium-water-parameters/

General Information

Candy cane corals, as with all other LPS corals, should be added to mature aquariums. However, I have found candy cane corals to be among the easier of the LPS corals to keep. Provided all their requirements are met, that can grow to a colony size bigger than your average basket ball within a few short years.  Unless you are planning to move or frag your candy cane coral, you should give it as much as 30 inches of space in your tank.

The candy cane coral will release sweeper / feeder tentacles from its heads to collect food.  This will mostly happen when the tanks lights are off.  These tentacles can also sting and damage or kill other corals within reach, which is how the candy cane coral will defend itself.  What makes the candy cane coral more peaceful than most LPS coral is that its sweeper tentacles are much shorter in comparison only measuring a few inches in length.

Although the candy cane coral will get what it needs from the lighting in your tank, it can also benefit from micro plankton or manual feeding of small pcs of meaty foods placed directly on the mouths at the center of each head.  Although manual feedings are not required, it will help to accelerate growth.

As with all corals, the exterior slime coating can be a skin irritant or even highly toxic to humans so please, handle all corals with care.  I would recommend wearing rubber gloves whenever you handle corals

Fragging

Frogspawn corals can be fragged with very good success.