It is extremely difficult to maintain in the reef aquarium, and should be housed in an established reef aquarium, by the more advanced marine aquarist. It requires low lighting combined with medium to strong water movement. It is necessary to have a constant current with an abundance of algal plankton. For continued good health, it will also require the addition of strontium, iodine, and other trace elements to the water.

It does not contain the symbiotic algae zooxanthellae. Therefore, its diet should include live, baby brine shrimp, micro-plankton, and other small foods designed for filter feeding invertebrates, in order to survive in the reef aquarium. These foods must be available almost constantly. Again, only expert aquarists should attempt to keep this coral.

It is normally shipped while attached to a small piece of live rock or coral rubble.

Approximate Purchase Size: Small: 2" to 3"; Medium: 3" to 5"; Large: 5" to 7"

Mark Delzer
Colorado Springs, CO

Red carnation corals are one of the most difficult soft corals to keep in captivity. If you have a well-maintained reef aquarium with the most intense lighting possible under normal fluorescent lights and are looking for a challenge, this is the coral for you. It is very pretty and stands out in any aquarium. It requires regular feeding of small particulate food such as baby brine shrimp.

Tom Gray
Douglasville, GA

I have a 8" Carnation in an established 55gal reef tank. I keep it under flourescent light and almost directly under the filter/skimmer return so it gets good water flow. I target feed it with live phytoplankton every other day along with frozen brine shrimp. I've had it for 6 months now. It is an active coral and it expands and contracts several times a day. It has grown about 1/2" since I got it and seems to be doing good. It takes a lot more care than the the rest of the tank but you have to give it the extra time because it is a challenging coral to keep.