Candy Cane Corals, also known as Trumpet Corals, are large polyp stony (LPS) corals from the Caulastrea genus and are often pursued by hobbyists for their affordability, ease of care, and circular shaped polyps that are found in a variety of colors.
These fast-growing corals make an excellent option for hobbyists new to reef keeping, or for experienced hobbyists looking to add an interesting piece to their coral collection. Before choosing a coral, it’s important to have a thorough understanding of its care requirements. In this post, we’re going to discuss candy cane coral care, the different color morphs that are often traded in the hobby, and much more.
Candy Cane Coral (scientific name: Caulastraea) is a genus of stony corals, also referred to as Trumpet Coral. These corals fall under the Merulinidae family, which contains other popular genera such as Trachyphyllia and Favites.
From the Author: In this post, we will be referring to all Caulastraea corals as Candy Cane corals for simplicity.
Hobbyists should be aware that there is some confusion regarding the names of these corals. Many hobbyists and vendors will use the name Candy Cane Coral and Trumpet Coral interchangeably, while others refer to only a specific species, Caulastraea furcata as a Candy Cane Coral and Caulastraea echinulata as a Trumpet Coral.
These corals are native to the Indo-Pacific and were first scientifically classified in 1846, by American zoologist James Dwight Dana .
Sean McGrath/Wikimedia CommonsA Candy Cane Coral (sp. Caulastraea furcata) with a Yellow Clown Goby
In their native habitat, Candy Cane Coral colonies can be multiple feet in diameter, but corals sold to hobbyists will be much smaller, typically only a few inches in size. Candy Cane Polyps can be quite small, with some polyps being only half an inch in diameter.
Vendors will often sell small frags at about 1-2 inches in diameter, and frags considered to be large will be about 3-4 inches in diameter.
Candy Cane Corals are fast-growing, and when given proper conditions, can grow up to a ¼” per month.
Providing a pristine environment and direct feeding twice a week can result in the fastest growth rates seen in these corals. It’s not unrealistic to go from 1 polyp to 20 in a year.
Appearance & Types
Candy Cane Corals showcase some of the brightest neons seen in the hobby under actinic lighting. Combined with their ease of care, they offer a lot to beginners looking to purchase brightly colored and affordable coral.
Some color morphs are more common than others. Neon greens tend to be a bit more common and affordable, while dark blues and purples fetch a higher price tag due to their rarity.
Neon Green Candy Cane Coral
One of the most common color morphs, the Neon Green Candy Cane Coral is an affordable Caulastraea color morph that is often recommended for beginners.
Priced between $10-30 for a ¾”-sized coral, the lime green coloration makes a great addition to any reef tank.
Kevin Su/Queen City CoralsNeon Green Candy Cane Coral
Green Candy Cane Coral
Similar to the Neon Green Candy Cane, the Green Candy Cane showcases a darker green coloration and is still as affordable and easy to take care of as the Neon Green color morph.
Prices range from $15-30 for a ¾” sized coral.
Kevin Su/Queen City CoralsGreen Candy Cane Coral
Turquoise Candy Cane Coral
Next on our list is the Turquoise Candy Cane. Similar to the Neon Green Candy Cane, the Turquoise Candy Cane is an affordable color morph that looks great in a home aquarium.
Small ¾” frags can go for $10-30.
Kevin Su/Queen City CoralsTurquoise Candy Cane Coral
Purple Candy Cane Coral
If you’re looking for a rare color morph, look no further than the Purple Candy Cane. Known for its neon green mouth surrounded by purple ridges, this coral is a bit pricier than the neon green and turquoise color morphs but is still somewhat affordable.
Hobbyists can expect to see prices between $25-50 for a Purple Candy Cane Coral.
Kevin Su/Queen City CoralsPurple Candy Cane Coral
Blue Candy Cane Coral
Similar to the Purple Candy Cane Coral, the Blue Candy Cane Coral is a rare color morph resulting in a higher price tag.
A 1-head frag can sell for anywhere between $30-$50.
Kevin Su/Queen City CoralsBlue Candy Cane Coral
Candy Cane Coral Care
Candy Cane Corals have a reputation for being the easiest to care for LPS (large polyp stony) coral species. Their tolerance for subtle increases in nitrate makes them great corals for beginners new to reef keeping.
If you’re considering adding one of these to your reef tank, you’ll want to be aware of their care requirements.
Candy Cane Corals should be kept in an aquarium that’s at least 75 gallons in size.
Okay, technically they’ll do well in an aquarium of any size. BUT – having a larger tank means more stable water parameters. If you’re new to reef keeping, having a larger tank will make your life a bit easier, and give you plenty of extra space if you plan on adding additional coral with sweeper tentacles.
However, if you’re experienced and up for the challenge of a nano tank, go with whatever size you’d like for a Candy Cane Coral.
Candy Cane Corals can tolerate small increases in nitrates and phosphates and small decreases in alkalinity and calcium. As with all corals, you’ll still want to provide the most optimal environment possible.
You’ll want to maintain the following water parameters:
Salinity: 1.023 – 1.025
Keeping these parameters stable will give you the best chance of success when keeping Candy Canes.
It’s important to carefully plan your tank layout ahead of time so that you won’t run into any territorial disputes when it comes to keeping different types of coral species.
You’ll need adequate lighting, proper flow, and correct placement to recreate the natural habitat of Caulastrea corals.
Candy Cane Corals can be placed almost anywhere in a reef tank, as long as they’re not too close to any neighboring corals and can receive moderate flow and lighting. Some placement options include the bottom of the tank on the sand bed or attached to a rock.
Although they don’t present themselves as frequently compared to other corals, candy cane corals do have stinging tentacles that can extend about 2 inches in length and attack neighboring corals. Keep this in mind when deciding on a location for your candy cane coral.
Candy Cane Corals can adapt to a wide range of light intensity. These corals can grow in low light environments (50-70 PAR) but can also adapt to more moderate and high light (150+ PAR) conditions.
If you’re planning on exposing these corals to higher light intensities, be sure to acclimate these corals over 2 weeks to prevent bleaching .
While Candy Canes can adapt to higher flow rates, they’ll show off their inflated appearance when kept in areas with low to moderate flow rates.
Aim for just enough flow so that detritus and other material in the tank do not accumulate on the flesh of the coral. An adjustable powerhead can be used to dial in the correct amount of flow.
We recommend directly feeding Candy Cane Corals at least 2-3 times per week.
Candy Cane Corals are aggressive feeders, and they’ll use their tentacles to catch and consume potential food sources. Mysis shrimp, krill, pellets, and liquid solutions such as Reef Roids can be directly fed to these corals.
While Candy Canes, similar to other LPS species, have a symbiotic relationship with Zooxanthellae, they’ll show off their best appearance and growth rates when supplemented with direct feeding.
Although not as aggressive as other coral species, such as torches, Candy Cane Corals do have sweeper tentacles and will attack neighboring corals.
From the Author: There have been some reports of hobbyists noticing more signs of aggression in the Purple and Blue color morphs, but your mileage may vary. Always consider the length of their sweeper tentacles (around 2 inches) when determining placement.
Luckily, candy cane corals will not attack their own species, so you can place different candy cane colonies next to each other, creating colorful coral displays.
One of the best parts about owning a Candy Cane Coral is that they are incredibly easy to frag. Using a pair of sharp pliers, all you need to do is cut through their stalks.
If you’re having trouble using pliers, a dremel or band saw can be used.
After fragging, you can glue the stalk to a frag plug, and place the coral on a frag rack or place it along the sandbed or rock in your display tank.
As long as your tank is large enough, you’ll have plenty of interesting tank mate options for these corals.
Avoid anemones, such as the black widow as these invertebrates are capable of moving around the tank and stinging your candy canes.
If you’re looking for livestock suggestions, you can’t go wrong with the following:
- Snowflake Clownfish
- Blue Chromis
- Pink Skunk Clownfish
- Blonde Naso Tang
- Cleaner Shrimp
- Orange Spotted Goby
Avoid butterflyfish and angelfish, as these fish will pick at and eat corals. Larger, aggressive fish such as the Tessalata Eel should also be avoided, as they can easily knock over and damage coral.
Candy Cane Corals are some of the best corals in the reef keeping hobby. They’re affordable, brightly colored, and easy to keep. It’s no wonder that they’re some of the best options for beginners. Even experienced hobbyists will appreciate their fast growth and ease of propagation.
Do you plan on adding one of these corals to your reef tank? Let us know by commenting below, and be sure to check out our marketplace where these corals are occasionally sold, and our community forum where you can connect with other hobbyists.
Candy Cane Coral (CPC) ni aina ya korali ya polyp ya mawe ya LPS, ambayo ni maarufu kwa sababu ya ubora wake, urahisi wa utunzaji, na polyps za mviringo. Matumbawe haya ya kukua kwa kasi hufanya chaguo bora kwa wapenzi wapya wa kuhifadhi matumbawe, au kwa wapenzi wenye uzoefu wanaotafuta kuongeza kipande cha kuvutia kwa mkusanyiko wao wa matumbawe. Kabla ya kuchagua matumbawe, ni muhimu kuwa na uelewa kamili wa mahitaji yake ya utunzaji. Katika chapisho hili, sisi ni kwenda kujadili candy cane matumbawe huduma, tofauti rangi morphs kwamba ni mara nyingi kuuzwa katika hobby, na mengi zaidi. Candy Cane Coral (jina la kisayansi: Caulastraea) ni jenasi ya matumbawe ya mawe, pia inajulikana kama Trumpet Coral. Matumbawe haya yanaingia chini ya familia ya Merulinidae, ambayo ina genera nyingine maarufu kama vile Trachyphyllia na Favites. Katika chapisho hili, tutakuwa tukirejelea matumbawe yote ya Caulastraea kama matumbawe ya Candy Cane kwa urahisi. Watendaji wanapaswa kujua kwamba kuna mvurugo fulani kuhusu majina ya matumbawe hayo. Wauzaji wengi wa Candy Cane Coral na Trumpet Coral hutumia jina hilo kwa kubadilishana, wakati wengine wanataja spishi moja tu, Caulastraea furcata kama Candy Cane Coral na Caulastraea echinulata kama Trumpet Coral. Korali hizo ni za asili ya Indo-Pacific na ziliorodheshwa kwa mara ya kwanza kisayansi mwaka 1846 na mtaalamu wa wanyama wa Marekani James Dwight Dana. Sean McGrath/Wikimedia CommonsA Candy Cane Coral (sp. Katika mazingira yao ya asili, koloni za Candy Cane Coral zinaweza kuwa na kipenyo cha futi nyingi, lakini matumbawe yanayouzwa kwa wapenzi watakuwa madogo zaidi, kwa kawaida inchi chache tu kwa ukubwa. Polyps za Candy Cane zinaweza kuwa ndogo sana, na polyps fulani huwa na kipenyo cha nusu inchi tu. Kwa kawaida, bidhaa hizo huuzwa kwa vipande vidogo vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande vya vipande. Candy Cane Corals ni kukua kwa kasi, na wakati kutolewa hali sahihi, inaweza kukua hadi 1⁄4 <unk> kwa mwezi. Kutoa mazingira safi na kulisha moja kwa moja mara mbili kwa juma kunaweza kusababisha viwango vya haraka zaidi vya ukuaji vilivyoonekana katika matumbawe haya. Si jambo lisilo la kweli kwenda kutoka polyp moja hadi 20 katika mwaka mmoja. Muonekano na Aina Candy Cane Corals kuonyesha baadhi ya neons mkali zaidi kuonekana katika hobby chini ya mwanga actinic. Pamoja na urahisi wao wa utunzaji, wao kutoa mengi kwa ajili ya wapya kuangalia kununua rangi mkali na nafuu matumbawe. Baadhi ya rangi za morph ni za kawaida zaidi kuliko nyingine. Neon greens huwa na kawaida zaidi na nafuu, wakati bluu nyeusi na zambarau kupata bei ya juu kutokana na upungufu wao. Neon Green Candy Cane Coral ni aina ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi. Kwa bei ya $ 10 hadi $ 30 kwa matumbawe ya ukubwa wa 3⁄4, rangi ya kijani ya chokaa hufanya nyongeza kubwa kwa tank yoyote ya matumbawe. Neon Green Candy Cane (Neon Green Candy Cane) ni aina ya candy ya kijani kibichi ambayo ina rangi ya kijani kibichi na ni rahisi kuhifadhi. Bei ya mawe ya matumbawe ni kati ya $ 15 hadi $ 30 kwa mawe ya matumbawe ya ukubwa wa 3⁄4. Kevin Su, Mtawala wa Jiji la Queen, Coral Candy Cane, Turquoise Candy Cane, na Candy Cane Kama vile Neon Green Candy Cane, Turquoise Candy Cane ni rangi ya bei nafuu ambayo inaonekana nzuri katika aquarium ya nyumbani. Vipande vidogo vya 3⁄4 vinaweza kugharimu dola 10 hadi 30. Kevin Su, mwandishi wa The Guardian, alisema kuwa kama watu wengi wanavyojua, nyangumi wa rangi ya turquoise ni nyangumi wa rangi ya zambarau, na kama watu wengi wanajua, nyangumi wa rangi ya zambarau ni nyangumi wa rangi ya zambarau. Kwa sababu ya rangi ya kijani-kibichi, na mviringo wa rangi ya zambarau, matumbawe haya ni ghali kuliko matumbawe ya rangi ya kijani-kibichi na rangi ya turquoise, lakini bado ni ya bei nafuu. Kwa wale wanaopenda sana, unaweza kupata bidhaa za aina ya Purple Candy Cane Coral kwa bei ya kati ya $ 25 na $ 50. "Kevin Su, mwandishi wa ""Purple Candy Cane Coral"" anasema: ""Kama vile Coral ya Purple Candy, Blue Candy Cane ni rangi isiyo ya kawaida ambayo inamaanisha bei ya juu." Kamba ya kichwa kimoja inaweza kuuzwa kwa karibu $ 30 hadi $ 50. Kwa mfano, kwa mfano, kwa ajili ya LPS (Large Polyp Stony Coral) aina ya matumbawe, ni rahisi zaidi kuhifadhi matumbawe ya aina ya LPS (Large Polyp Stony) na kuhifadhi matumbawe ya aina ya LPS (Large Polyp Stony). Uvumilivu wao kwa ongezeko dogo la nitrati huwafanya kuwa matumbawe mazuri kwa wapya katika utunzaji wa matumbawe. Ikiwa unafikiria kuongeza mojawapo ya hizi kwenye tangi lako la matumbawe, utataka kujua mahitaji yao ya utunzaji. Candy Cane Corals inapaswa kuhifadhiwa katika aquarium ambayo ni angalau 75 galoni kwa ukubwa. Ok, kiufundi wao watafanya vizuri katika aquarium ya ukubwa wowote. LIKIMA <unk> kuwa na tank kubwa ina maana ya vipimo vya maji imara zaidi. Kama wewe ni mpya kwa reef kuweka, kuwa na tank kubwa itafanya maisha yako kidogo rahisi, na kukupa mengi ya nafasi ya ziada kama wewe mpango wa kuongeza nyangumi ziada na tentacles sweeper. Hata hivyo, kama wewe ni uzoefu na juu ya changamoto ya tank nano, kwenda na ukubwa wowote ungependa kwa ajili ya Candy Cane Coral. Candy Cane Corals inaweza kuvumilia ongezeko dogo la nitrati na phosphates na kupungua kidogo kwa alkalinity na kalsiamu. Kama ilivyo na matumbawe yote, bado utataka kutoa mazingira bora zaidi iwezekanavyo. Kuhifadhi viwango vya maji vya chini: Salinity: 1.023 <unk> 1.025 Kuhifadhi viwango hivi vya kudumu kutakupa nafasi bora ya mafanikio wakati wa kuweka Candy Canes. Ni muhimu kwa makini kupanga mpangilio wa tank yako mapema ili wewe si kukimbia katika migogoro yoyote ya kikanda linapokuja suala la kuweka aina tofauti za spishi za matumbawe. Unahitaji taa ya kutosha, mtiririko unaofaa, na mahali panapofaa ili kuunda upya makao ya asili ya matumbawe ya Caulastrea. Candy Cane Corals inaweza kuwekwa karibu mahali popote katika tank reef, kwa muda mrefu kama wao si karibu sana na yoyote ya matumbawe jirani na inaweza kupokea mtiririko wa wastani na taa. Baadhi ya chaguzi za uwekaji ni pamoja na chini ya tangi juu ya kitanda cha mchanga au kushikamana na mwamba. Ingawa hawaonekani mara nyingi kama korali nyingine, korali wa miwa ya sukari wana miiba yenye kuuma ambayo inaweza kupanuka kwa urefu wa inchi mbili na kushambulia korali jirani. Kumbuka jambo hilo unapochagua mahali pa kuweka matumbawe yako ya miwa. Matumbawe ya Candy Cane yanaweza kukabiliana na mwangaza mbalimbali. Matofali haya yanaweza kukua katika mazingira ya mwanga wa chini (50-70 PAR) lakini pia yanaweza kukabiliana na hali ya mwanga wa wastani na wa juu (150 + PAR). Ikiwa una mpango wa kufunua matumbawe haya kwa mwangaza wa juu, hakikisha kuwa na matumbawe haya kwa wiki mbili ili kuzuia kupungua. Wakati Candy Canes inaweza kukabiliana na viwango vya juu vya mtiririko, wao <unk>ll kuonyesha muonekano wao inflated wakati uliohifadhiwa katika maeneo na chini ya wastani wa mtiririko. Jitahidi kutokeza maji ya kutosha ili visima na vitu vingine vilivyo katika tangi visikusanye kwenye nyama ya matumbawe. Powerhead adjustable inaweza kutumika kupiga simu katika kiasi sahihi cha mtiririko. Kwa hivyo, tunapendekeza kuwapa chakula mara moja kwa kila mara kwa Candy Cane Corals, angalau mara mbili kwa wiki. Candy Cane Corals ni wenye kula kwa jeuri, na watatumia miiba yao kukamata na kula vyanzo vya chakula vinavyowezekana. Mnyama anayeitwa mysis shrimp, krill, pellets, na suluhisho la kioevu kama vile Reef Roids zinaweza kutumiwa moja kwa moja kulisha matumbawe hayo. Wakati Candy Canes, sawa na spishi nyingine za LPS, zina uhusiano wa symbiotic na Zooxanthellae, wataonyesha muonekano wao bora na viwango vya ukuaji wakati wa kuongezwa na kulisha moja kwa moja. Ingawa si wenye jeuri kama aina nyingine za matumbawe, kama vile tochi, matumbawe ya Candy Cane yana vidole vinavyopenya na yatashambulia matumbawe jirani. Kuna ripoti za wapenzi wa michezo ya kubahatisha wanaona ishara zaidi za uhasama katika rangi za zambarau na bluu, lakini mileage yako inaweza kutofautiana. Wakati wote kuzingatia urefu wa tentacles yao sweeper (karibu inchi 2) wakati wa kuamua uwekaji. Kwa bahati nzuri, matumbawe ya miwa ya sukari hayashambuli spishi zao wenyewe, kwa hivyo unaweza kuweka makoloni tofauti ya miwa ya sukari kando ya kila mmoja, na kuunda maonyesho ya matumbawe yenye rangi. Moja ya sehemu bora kuhusu kumiliki Candy Cane Coral ni kwamba wao ni incredibly rahisi kwa frag. Kwa kutumia pini mbili kali, unahitaji tu kukata shina lake. Kama una matatizo ya kutumia pliers, dremel au bendi saw inaweza kutumika. Baada ya kuunganisha, unaweza kuunganisha shina kwenye plug ya frag, na kuweka matumbawe kwenye rack ya frag au kuiweka kando ya mchanga au mwamba katika tangi lako la kuonyesha. Maadamu tank yako ni kubwa ya kutosha, utakuwa na mengi ya chaguo ya tank mate ya kuvutia kwa ajili ya matumbawe haya. Kuepuka anemones, kama vile mjane mweusi kama hawa invertebrates ni uwezo wa kusonga kuzunguka tank na kuuma sukari yako vijiti. Kama wewe ni kuangalia kwa mapendekezo ya mifugo, huwezi kwenda vibaya na yafuatayo: - Snowflake Clownfish - Blue Chromis - Pink Skunk Clownfish - Blonde Naso Tang - Cleaner Shrimp - Orange Spotted Goby Kuepuka samaki kipeo na angelfish, kama samaki hawa kuchagua na kula matumbawe. Samaki wakubwa na wenye jeuri kama vile Eel wa Tessalata wanapaswa pia kuepukwa, kwa kuwa wanaweza kuangusha na kuharibu matumbawe kwa urahisi. Candy Cane Corals ni baadhi ya matumbawe bora katika reef kuweka hobby. Ni za bei nafuu, zina rangi nyangavu, na ni rahisi kuzitunza. Haishangazi kwamba wao ni baadhi ya chaguzi bora kwa ajili ya wapya. Hata wapenda-maisha wenye uzoefu watathamini ukuzi wao wa haraka na urahisi wa kuenezwa. Je, unapanga kuongeza mojawapo ya matumbawe hayo kwenye tangi lako la matumbawe? Tuambie kwa kutoa maoni hapa chini, na hakikisha kuangalia soko letu ambapo matumbawe haya huuzwa mara kwa mara, na jukwaa letu la jamii ambapo unaweza kuungana na wapenzi wengine.