Candy Cane Coral Care Guide
Caulastraea furcata is a hardy, beginner-friendly LPS coral with rounded polyps on trumpet-shaped stalks, valued in reef aquaria for its adaptability and fast budding.
Overview
Caulastraea furcata is a branching large-polyp stony (LPS) coral traded as candy cane or trumpet coral. Rounded, puffy polyps sit atop trumpet-shaped stalks, and the colony grows by budding new heads from the bases of existing polyps. Among Caulastraea, the small-polyped strains such as C. furcata are the fastest-growing in the reef hobby.
Taxonomy
- Family: Merulinidae
- Genus: Caulastraea
- Scientific name: Caulastraea furcata
- Common names: candy cane coral, trumpet coral
Habitat
The genus is distributed across the Indo-Pacific. C. furcata is usually found over muck or sandy-bottom habitats, which is consistent with its tolerance of moderate flow in captivity.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 80 L
- Temperature: 24-27 °C (75-81 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Salinity: SG 1.024-1.026
- Carbonate hardness: 8-12 dKH
- Lighting: adaptable, from dim to bright
- Water flow: adaptable, from calm to strong
Diet
The coral is photosynthetic through symbiotic zooxanthellae and extends feeder tentacles. It accepts target feeding with meaty foods but can also thrive on light alone.
Reef compatibility
Caulastraea furcata is generally hardy and not particularly aggressive compared with other LPS corals, which makes placement near tankmates straightforward. It is undemanding about lighting and flow.