Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea, on shallow reefs
Water
saltwater
Temperature
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Hardness
dKH 8–12
Care level
intermediate
Reef safe
yes
Lighting
Moderate (LiveAquaria)
Flow
Moderate
Care
Leptastrea purpurea is an encrusting stony coral of small, tightly packed corallites. LiveAquaria sells captive-grown orange-eye pieces with rust-red tentacles and bronze-orange centres. LiveAquaria rates it moderate, for any level of the tank, with moderate light and medium flow. It encrusts the rock, so give it a spot where it can spread. Water: LiveAquaria gives dKH 8–12, pH 8.1–8.4 and 22–26 °C, with trace elements, calcium, strontium, magnesium and iodine. The genus's family placement is uncertain; it is traded under Faviidae. Growth is moderate. 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. Sources: LiveAquaria (liveaquaria.com/products/orange-eye-leptastrea-coral-3-wysiwyg-1). Checked October 2026.
Diet
Mainly photosynthetic. LiveAquaria recommends meaty foods such as micro-plankton or baby brine shrimp twice a week in the evening.
Breeding
Frag by cutting the encrusting plate with a saw or bone cutters and gluing pieces to plugs. LiveAquaria sells aquacultured pieces.
Compatibility and tank mates
Aggressive (LiveAquaria): sweeper tentacles extend well beyond the colony at night, so leave 7–10 cm around it.
Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.
About Aquatic-Auctions
Aquatic-Auctions (aquatic-auctions.com) is a UK online marketplace for aquarium and pond livestock and equipment: tropical and marine fish, corals, shrimp, snails and other invertebrates, aquatic plants, tanks, filtration, lighting and food.
Items are sold by auction, buy it now or classified advert, by hobbyist and business sellers in the UK.
Buyers pay sellers directly; Aquatic-Auctions does not hold the money. Hobbyist sellers must offer PayPal and may also take cash on collection. Business sellers take PayPal (required) or cash on collection, and bank transfer only once they have a seller rating of 50 out of 100, a company and pet-selling licence checked by Aquatic-Auctions, a bank account in the company's name, and bank details approved by Aquatic-Auctions.
Buyers are told to pay by PayPal Goods & Services, never PayPal Friends and Family, gift cards or crypto.
Live fish and other vertebrates must be sent by specialist live-animal couriers (for example APC Overnight or DX Express), never by Royal Mail. Some invertebrates and plants may go by Royal Mail Special Delivery or 1st Class within its rules.
Banned and invasive species (for example those on the GB invasive species lists) cannot be listed, and sellers must meet the site’s animal welfare standards.
Members must be 16 or over to buy (16 and 17-year-olds with a parent or guardian’s agreement); sellers must be 18 or over.
Business sellers show their address, company details and pet-selling licence to buyers. Seller ratings run from 0 to 100: +1 for each positive feedback, −1 for each negative.
The site includes a free community species wiki with care guides (water parameters, tank size, diet, temperament, breeding).
Aquatic-Auctions is run by Etavonni Tech Limited trading as Aquatic-Auctions (company number 10204188), Aldershot, Hampshire, UK. Contact: info@aquatic-auctions.com.