Candy cane coral — Caulastrea, also sold as trumpet coral — grows round, striped polyps on individual branching stalks, like a handful of drumsticks. That branch structure is the identification: blastos wear a similar face but sit flush in a low dome, while every candy cane polyp stands on its own stalk. It is also the reason candy canes frag so cleanly — one polyp, one branch, one cut.
It earns the “first LPS” reputation honestly. The sweeper tentacles are short, so it will not murder its neighbors; it tolerates ordinary reef light and ordinary flow; and each polyp takes food directly, so you can watch it eat and know it is doing well.
Care at a glance
| Light (PAR) | 75–150 |
|---|---|
| Flow | Moderate |
| Placement | Lower to middle rock |
| Feeding | Beneficial — each polyp accepts meaty food |
| Aggression | Low — short sweepers, one of the most peaceful LPS |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
Feed in the evening when the feeder tentacles fringe each polyp, and growth visibly accelerates — polyps split down the middle and the colony doubles. If you are building a first LPS shelf, candy canes, duncans and favia are the trio we point beginners to; the full species directory has the rest.
Candy canes in stock now
3 in stock right now
One thing to know before you order: the $10 Box & Handling Fee is charged by the box, not by the coral, and UPS Next Day Air is one flat shipping charge per order. A box holds several corals for the same $10 Box & Handling Fee and the same overnight ride, Florida orders under 6 lb ship UPS Next Day Air for a flat $30, and livestock orders of $349 or more ship free. If this page puts one coral on your list, it is worth seeing what else belongs in the box — start with corals under $100 or the newest WYSIWYG pieces.
Our stony corals are either aquacultured at the shop in Key West under Florida Aquaculture Certificate #AQ0254072 or conditioned in our Key West systems before they ship, and the photo on a WYSIWYG listing is the exact animal that ships. Corals ship UPS Next Day Air every Tuesday and Wednesday. If you are ever in Key West, come see the raceways.