TankBud

Blue coral

Heliopora coerulea

Also known as Blue Ridge Coral, Ridge Coral, Heliopora

SaltwaterCoral

Blue coral (Heliopora coerulea)
Frédéric Ducarme · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
9.8 in
25 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Photosynthetic
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Rare
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Helioporidae
Origin
Red Sea and East Africa to the central Pacific

Overview

The blue coral is a sessile octocoral that grows slowly, adding to its solid skeleton rather than spreading as a soft mat. It suits a reef tank and a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

The blue coral's skeleton is blue all the way through. The color is so distinctive that geologists use it to pick out fossil Heliopora colonies in ancient reef rock.

Caring for the blue coral

Give the blue coral moderate to high light, roughly 50 to 150 PAR. Moderate flow keeps sediment from settling on its surface and supports its calcium demand. Place it mid to upper in the tank, where light and flow are both strong and steady.

Treat its calcium and alkalinity needs the way you would for a small polyp stony coral, and keep them stable. It does best in a mature, well established reef tank rather than a brand new setup. Keep the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C), with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4.

The blue coral is photosynthetic and benefits from occasional planktonic feeding. It is peaceful, with no sweeper tentacles, and it does not chemically compete with neighbors. You can place it close to other peaceful corals without trouble.

Good to know

Heliopora coerulea is the only living species in the family Helioporidae. It is classified as a soft coral relative, but it is the only octocoral known to build a massive reef skeleton like stony corals. The skeleton is fibrocrystalline aragonite, and its blue color is most often attributed to iron compounds bound into the structure. Researchers still debate the exact pigment chemistry. It is listed under CITES Appendix II, so international trade in wild colonies is regulated. Most blue coral in the hobby comes from aquacultured frags.

In the wild

The blue coral grows in shallow water from the Red Sea and East Africa across to the central Pacific. It forms large reef structures in the wild.

Common questions

What size tank does a blue coral need?

A blue coral needs at least 11 gal (40 L).

What temperature and pH does a blue coral need?

A blue coral is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a blue coral eat?

A blue coral is photosynthetic. It also benefits from occasional planktonic feeding.

How big does a blue coral get?

An adult blue coral reaches about 9.8 in (25 cm).

Related species