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Little Shop of Coral

Rainbow Cyphastrea Coral

Rainbow Cyphastrea Coral

$300.00 CAD
$300.00 CAD
Sale Sold out

Rainbow Cyphastrea is a hardy encrusting coral with layered colour that can show greens, oranges, reds, and warm highlights across a textured surface. Under blue reef lighting it fluoresces strongly and adds a ton of detail to rockwork without needing high light. Once it settles in, it will steadily spread over the plug and onto surrounding rock, forming a dense, colourful mat over time.

Why we love it

  • Multi-colour “rainbow” tones with strong fluorescence under reef lighting

  • Hardy, easy encrusting growth with excellent texture

  • Great mixed-reef coral that is simple to place and keep

Suggested parameters

  • Temperature: 24–26°C (75–79°F)

  • Salinity: 1.025–1.026 SG

  • pH: 8.1–8.4

  • Alkalinity: 8–9 dKH (keep it stable)

  • Calcium: 420–460 ppm

  • Magnesium: 1300–1400 ppm

  • Nitrate: 5–15 ppm

  • Phosphate: 0.03–0.10 ppm

Care and placement

  • Difficulty: Easy

  • Placement: Low to mid rockwork

  • Lighting: Low to moderate

  • Flow: Low to moderate, indirect (helps keep the surface clean)

Feeding

Not required. It benefits from a nutrient-balanced system and may show better growth with occasional fine coral foods, but it will do well without target feeding.

Compatibility and spacing

Cyphastrea is generally peaceful, but it can overgrow nearby corals as it spreads.

  • Leave 3–5 cm (1–2 in.) of space from slower growers if you want to keep it contained

  • Avoid placing directly next to delicate encrusters or small-polyp SPS bases

  • Generally compatible with reef safe fish and inverts

What you are buying (2 to 3" frag)

This listing is for a 2 to 3 inch frag, meaning you are purchasing one frag sized approximately 2 to 3 inches.

  • You will receive: 1 frag (2 to 3") of Rainbow Cyphastrea Coral

  • Mounted on a frag plug or small base (unless otherwise stated)

Colour and growth form can vary by system and may shift during acclimation due to lighting, flow, nutrient levels, and tank maturity.

View full details

LIGHT

LOW: Place coral at the bottom of the tank. Depending on the type, coral may need to be placed off sand and therefore mounted on a ceramic disc of piece of rock.

MEDIUM: Place coral at mid-range of the tank. Best placed/glued on top of a rock scape at mid-range height. 

HIGH: Place coral from mid range to just below water level. SPS coral are shallow growing so they require and are able to tolerate intense light.

FLOW

LOW: Most soft coral do well with a small, gentle pulse. There are certain corals that can even be placed in areas of indirect flow, meaning places aside a rock structure or set into a entrance to a cave style space.

MEDIUM: Many LPS types of coral prefer medium pulse current. Most Euphyllia or corals that have more tissue structure connected to their skeleton, don’t like to be in a high flow area like the direct flow of the wave pump.

HIGH: Similar to high light, SPS enjoy being in some heavy current. Most LPS and SPS that branch encrust or plate prefer high flow that simulates the top water waves.

SKILL

ENTRY: While some may say beginner level, "Entry" is a good term to be used when starting out in the world of corals and marine life. Prior to adding livestock, you want to ensure that your reef has the proper parameters including zero levels of ammonia and nitrite. Seeing traces of nitrate in your waters is a good sign - just keep them at a lower level of 2ppm to 10ppm. Maintaining correct temperature and salinity are a huge factor to stable parameters. Starting to monitor your PH, alkalinity, calcium and magnesium is a great habit to get into to keep a successful reef.

While some soft coral don’t require too much light, having a proper reef light that puts out the proper pars is very important. You'll also want to have a good amount of flow and protected rock areas, as placing corals in their happy spot is ideal for success.

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