Green Candy Cane Coral Fragment
The Green Candy Cane Coral Fragment is a hardy and attractive LPS coral that brings bright colour, branching structure, and easy reef appeal to a marine aquarium. Also known as Caulastrea furcata, Candy Cane Coral has been a staple in the reef hobby for years thanks to its reliable growth, manageable care requirements, and distinctive fleshy polyps.
This green variety features rounded polyps with a pleasant green oral disc, adding a clean pop of colour to the sandbed or lower rockwork. During the day, the polyps inflate into soft circular heads, while at night they may extend short feeder tentacles from the centre of each polyp. This feeding response is a great sign of a healthy and settled coral.
Green Candy Cane Coral grows in a branching form, with new heads budding from the skeleton over time. As it matures, it can develop into a dense, clustered colony that adds both shape and texture to the aquascape. Its branching structure contrasts nicely with encrusting, plating, and single-polyp corals.
This coral does best under low to moderate lighting, with a PAR range of around 75–150. It can be placed on the sandbed or lower rockwork, ideally in a stable area where it has room to grow. Low to moderate, indirect flow is best. The flow should be enough to keep the coral clean without blasting the fleshy polyps.
Candy Cane Corals are photosynthetic, but they benefit strongly from regular target feeding. Offering small meaty foods such as mysis, brine shrimp, or quality LPS pellets can help encourage growth, polyp expansion, and overall health.
Care Level: Easy
Coral Type: LPS Coral
Lighting: Low to Moderate, 75–150 PAR
Flow: Low to Moderate, indirect
Placement: Sandbed or lower rockwork
Temperament: Peaceful
Feeding: Photosynthetic, benefits from regular target feeding
Salinity: 1.024–1.026 SG
Temperature: 24–26°C
Alkalinity: 8–9 dKH
Calcium: 420–440 ppm
Magnesium: 1300–1400 ppm
Green Candy Cane Coral is generally peaceful and does not usually send out long sweeper tentacles, making it a great option for mixed reef aquariums. It is still worth giving it space to grow, as healthy colonies can steadily add new heads over time.
With its green colour, hardy nature, and branching growth form, the Green Candy Cane Coral Fragment is an excellent choice for reef keepers wanting a reliable and rewarding LPS coral for a stable marine aquarium.
