Caulastraea furcata is the candy cane or trumpet coral, a large-polyp stony (LPS) coral of tubular stalks, each topped by a round polyp. Polyps are usually green, yellow or teal with brown and pale centres, and they stand out under blue light. It is hardy and a good first LPS coral. Placement: almost anywhere in the rockwork or on the sand bed, in moderate light and medium flow. Water: alkalinity dKH 8–12, pH 8.1–8.4, with calcium, strontium and trace elements kept up. Growth is moderate and new heads form by branching. Selling: this is a CITES Appendix II coral. Frags grown in the UK can be sold freely; wild-collected or imported pieces must have been legally imported with CITES paperwork. Aquacultured colonies are common. Sources: LiveAquaria (liveaquaria.com/products/candy-cane-coral-indonesia). Checked October 2026.
Diet
Photosynthetic, but it benefits from weekly feeds of mysis, brine shrimp or micro-plankton.
Breeding
Easy. Cut through a stalk below the head with bone cutters, glue the head to a plug with gel superglue or epoxy, and both pieces grow on. Colonies also branch naturally.
Compatibility and tank mates
Relatively peaceful, with very short sweeper tentacles; a few centimetres of space from neighbours is usually enough.
Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.
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