COMMON NAME(S): |
Capnella, Kenyan Tree Coral |
SCIENTIFIC NAME(S): |
Capnella spp. |
FAMILY: |
Nephtheidae |
ORIGIN: |
Indo-Pacific |
CAPTIVE LIFESPAN: |
Perpetual, will reproduce in captivity, dropping branchlets spontaneously. Individual colonies can live for decades. |
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: |
Easy |
REEF SAFE: |
Yes, but care must be taken to keep colonies confined to distinct areas. |
ADULT SIZE: |
Variable, lighting and flow will influance colony height and width, generall, 8-12 inches tall and wide for an individual colony in captivity. |
TANK SIZE: |
None, can be kept in very small (pico) aquariums. |
DIET REQUIREMENTS: |
Not very picky. A mature tank will certainly produce enough phyto-, bacterio-, and zooplankton to keep colonies fed. In immature tanks, dosing of phytoplankton may be directly and indirectly beneficial. This genus will receive much of its nutrition from zooxanthellae and can subsist and will reproduce readily without any additional feeding in mature systems. |
GENERAL INFORMATION: |
Capnella spp. are one of the better "beginner" corals. They tolerate a wide range of lighting schemes and flow patterns. Care should be taken not to keep them "stagnant", and in low-flow scenarios they will shed their mucous tunics more often and more readily. Can be placed just about anywhere, under almost any lighting, with acclimation. Large "mother" colonies will regularly drop branchlets, spontaneously "fragging" themselves. They can reach "weed" or "plague" proportions if not kept in check. Regular pruning will probably be necessary in smaller aquaria. This is one of the soft coral groups that tolerate Clownfish well and can be used as a surrogate host for most Clownfish species. Capnella spp. are not terribly allelopathic and most corals will tolerate their presence well. An exception to this will be when the Capnella spp. is shedding. If any part of the mucous tunic is noticed floating in the water column, it should be removed. However, because of the rapid growth rate, they can easily overgrow most hard and soft corals. |
