Sunset coral
Leptastrea
Also known as Sunset Leptastrea
SaltwaterCoral
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–81°F
- 24–27°C
- pH
- 8.1–8.4
- Adult size
- 7.9 in
- 20 cm
- Minimum tank
- 20 gal
- 75 L
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Breeding
- Easy
- Rarity
- Common
- Reef safe
- Reef safe
- Family
- Leptastreidae
- Origin
- Indo-Pacific reefs, commonly collected from Australia and Indonesia and occasionally arriving as a hitchhiker on rock or soft coral shipments from Vietnam
Overview
The sunset coral is a small-polyped stony coral for the lower rockwork of a reef tank. It is reef safe and easy enough for a beginner.
Did you know
Leptastrea used to be filed under the brain coral family Faviidae. DNA studies in the 2010s showed that family was a grab bag of unrelated corals, grouped by old skeletal comparisons. After a 2012 revision of stony coral phylogeny, Leptastrea moved into its own family, Leptastreidae, named for the genus itself.
Caring for the sunset coral
Keep the sunset coral under moderate light, around 100 PAR. Move it into brighter spots gradually, since intense light keeps the polyps retracted and they lose their fluffy look.
Give it gentle to moderate flow, not aimed straight at the colony. Its polyps pull in tight to the skeleton when it is disturbed or under strong flow. That gives you a quick check on whether it is happy where it sits. Place it low on the rockwork or on a rock face, where it has room to spread without touching a neighbor.
It needs a tank of at least 20 gal (75 L). Keep the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C), with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. It tolerates dirtier water and higher nutrients better than most stony corals.
It grows faster with small feedings of frozen or powdered zooplankton a couple of times a week. Turn the pumps off briefly while you feed, so the polyps have a chance to catch the food.
The sunset coral is mostly peaceful, but it is more territorial than it looks. It puts out sweeper tentacles at night. Keep it a few inches clear of Euphyllia and other corals with sweepers of their own.
Good to know
Leptastrea is a genus of small, massive reef-building corals. A colony starts as a thin encrusting sheet and thickens over the years into a low dome or boulder. Its polyps are only a few millimeters across and packed so closely that an extended colony looks almost fuzzy or velvety. The Sunset trade name describes color morphs in warm orange, yellow and red, edged in purple or green.
In the wild
The sunset coral comes from reefs across the Indo-Pacific. It is most often collected around Australia and Indonesia. It occasionally shows up as a hitchhiker on rock or soft coral shipments from Vietnam.
Common questions
What size tank does a sunset coral need?
A sunset coral needs at least 20 gal (75 L).
What temperature and pH does a sunset coral need?
A sunset coral is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.
What does a sunset coral eat?
A sunset coral takes small feedings of frozen or powdered zooplankton a couple of times a week, which help it grow faster. Turn the pumps off briefly so it can catch the food.
How big does a sunset coral get?
An adult sunset coral reaches about 7.9 in (20 cm).
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