Kenya Tree Coral (Capnella imbricata) Care Guide
Capnella imbricata is a hardy tree-shaped soft coral of the family Nephtheidae, photosynthetic and easy to propagate from dropped branches.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Capnella imbricata, the Kenya Tree Coral, is a tree-shaped soft coral of the family Nephtheidae, with a branching trunk and feathery polyps. It is a hardy octocoral that draws most of its nutrition from symbiotic zooxanthellae and propagates readily, including by dropping branchlets that root and form new colonies.
Taxonomy
- Class: Octocorallia
- Family: Nephtheidae
- Genus: Capnella
- Scientific name: Capnella imbricata
Habitat
Kenya tree corals are widespread throughout the Indo-Pacific and the Red Sea, occurring on reef slopes in clear water from deep to shallow areas, including zones with strong tidal currents.
Tank requirements
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Salinity: 1.024-1.026 SG
- dKH: 8-11
- Calcium: 380-450 ppm
- Magnesium: 1280-1350 ppm
- Nitrate: below 15 ppm; Phosphate: below 0.1 ppm
- Lighting: 50-150 PAR (moderate; LiveAquaria notes it tolerates a range of lighting)
- Flow: low to medium (LiveAquaria recommends medium to strong intermittent flow)
- Minimum tank age: 3 months
Feeding
Per LiveAquaria the coral hosts symbiotic photosynthetic zooxanthellae that satisfy a portion of its nutritional requirements, and it also benefits from micro-plankton and other foods designed for filter-feeding invertebrates. Maintaining iodine, strontium and other trace elements supports continued health.
Compatibility
Passive and reef-safe with no stinging tentacles, suitable alongside fish and shrimp. It can grow quickly, so allow space between it and slower neighbours.
Propagation
It is easily fragged: per LiveAquaria a limb can be cut with sharp scissors or a blade and attached to rock or rubble. It also self-propagates by dropping branchlets that settle and root nearby.
Capnella imbricata Propagation Guide
Overview
Capnella imbricata, the Kenya tree coral, is a tree-shaped soft coral in the family Nephtheidae (genus established by Gray in 1869). It has a thick trunk with branches that resemble a tree, and colony shape responds to current: stronger flow produces flatter colonies with shorter branches. It hosts symbiotic algae from which it obtains most of its nutrients, and is found across the Indo-Pacific on reef slopes, shaded areas and coral rubble.
Reproductive Mode
Asexual reproduction has been observed in Capnella. Colonies form a distinctive swelling at the base of a branch, and the branch then drops off by fission at that swelling. The coral also reattaches by bending and creeping onto rock surfaces and by basal division. Detached fragments secure quickly, becoming firmly rooted within a day.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
Because the coral drops its own branches, propagation often needs no tools: a naturally shed branch can simply be placed where it should grow. To frag deliberately, cut a branch with a sharp blade and secure it to a plug, rock, or shell, for example with a rubber band, until it roots, which happens fast given how readily detached pieces anchor.
- Use a naturally dropped branch, or cut one with a sharp blade.
- Set the branch on a plug, rock, or shell in low flow.
- Secure it with a rubber band if it will not stay put.
- Expect firm rooting within roughly a day.
Conditions for Propagation
Low flow keeps shed and cut branches in place long enough to anchor, and stable mature water supports recovery. Once rooted, the coral can sit in its preferred light and moderate current.
Common Challenges
The self-fragmenting habit can make Capnella spread faster than intended, scattering rooting branchlets through the tank, so some aquarists treat the weedy strain as something to prune back. Collecting dropped branches before they settle in unwanted spots keeps growth controlled.