Carnation Tree Coral (Nephthea erecta) Care Guide
Nephthea erecta is a photosynthetic tree soft coral of the family Nephtheidae with feathery polyps, easier than non-photosynthetic Dendronephthya.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Nephthea erecta is a tree-shaped soft coral of the family Nephtheidae, marketed as a carnation tree coral, with branching, fingered polyps and a flexible tree-like structure. It is primarily photosynthetic, hosting symbiotic zooxanthellae, which makes it much easier to keep than the non-photosynthetic Dendronephthya carnation corals.
Taxonomy
- Class: Octocorallia
- Family: Nephtheidae
- Genus: Nephthea
- Scientific name: Nephthea erecta
Habitat
Nephthea corals are native to the Indo-Pacific, often found on shallow reef slopes, flats and lagoons with moderate water movement. Their adaptability and moderate growth make them widespread across reef habitats.
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; carnation tree corals are reported to prefer lower light around 100-150 PAR)
- Flow: medium
- Minimum tank age: 6 months
Feeding
Nephthea relies heavily on the products of its zooxanthellae but may also feed on phytoplankton and similarly sized microfauna. Occasional feedings of phytoplankton or fine powdered foods encourage growth and vibrant colour, though it is not dependent on intensive feeding the way non-photosynthetic species are.
Compatibility
Passive and reef-safe with no stinging tentacles, safe with fish and shrimp. It extends better under moderate rather than intense light; give it medium flow and space from faster-growing neighbours.
Propagation
As a Nephtheid tree coral it can be propagated by cutting a branch and securing the fragment to rock, where it attaches and develops into a new colony.
Nephthea erecta Propagation Guide
Overview
Nephthea erecta is a tree coral in the family Nephtheidae, the soft corals known as carnation corals, tree corals or colt soft corals. The family is arborescent with little knobs at the ends of rubbery branches and shows a wide range of rich and pastel colours. The polyps generally retract during the day and emerge at night to extend their tentacles and feed.
Reproductive Mode
Aquarium propagation of this coral is asexual, achieved by fragmenting the branching colony so that each cutting can regrow into an independent tree.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
A branch is cut from the parent colony and fixed to a clean frag plug or rock until it attaches. The rubbery branch tissue and the small terminal knobs of Nephtheidae corals make individual limbs straightforward to separate and mount.
Conditions for Propagation
Nephthea sits in the same family as Dendronephthya, which is notoriously difficult to keep and requires a near-constant supply of small foods such as phytoplankton. Although Nephthea is treated as a hardier relative, frags still benefit from particulate feeding combined with the stable water parameters recorded for this species in the knowledge base.
Common Challenges
The daytime retraction of the polyps can hide a healthy frag, and inadequate small-particle feeding is the main cause of decline in this lineage of tree corals. Settling and attachment of a fresh cutting is the critical early stage.