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Home > Corals > LPS Hard Corals > Tube Coral, Black
Tube Coral, Black (Tubastrea micrantha)
Tube Coral, Black
Please Note: Due to variations within species, your item may not look identical to the image provided. Approximate size range may also vary between individual specimen.
Please Note: Due to variations within species, your item may not look identical to the image provided. Approximate size range may also vary between individual specimen.
Tube Coral, Black (Tubastrea micrantha)
Additional locales and sizes may be available!
Additional locales and sizes may be available!

Quick Stats

Care Level Moderate
Temperament Peaceful
Color Form Black
Water Conditions 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025
Family Dendrophylliidae
Lighting Low
Supplements Calcium, Strontium, Trace Elements
Waterflow Medium
Placement All
Compatibility View Chart
What do these Quick Stats mean? Click here for more information
Care Level Moderate
Temperament Peaceful
Color Form Black
Water Conditions 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025
Family Dendrophylliidae
Lighting Low
Supplements Calcium, Strontium, Trace Elements
Waterflow Medium
Placement All
Compatibility View Chart
What do these Quick Stats mean? Click here for more information

Overview

The Black Tube Coral is a large polyp stony (LPS) coral, also referred to as the Branched Black Tube or Tubastrea Black Sun Coral. It is a very dark olive green to black colonial coral, markedly different than others within the species. It is often found on reef ledges or steep reef slopes in the wild, where it feeds on drifting zooplankton. Its skeleton has tubes branching in all directions.

Be careful when handling the Tube Coral; it can be quite fragile and needs to be picked up by its underside when placing it in the aquarium. A moderate water current combined with low lighting levels will provide a good environment. Usually, it will only expand its polyps in the evening unless it is hungry, when it may expand its polyps during the day.

While it is a hardy coral for the reef aquarium, it is classified as moderately difficult to maintain because it has special dietary needs. It is one of the few corals that does not contain the symbiotic algae zooxanthellae. Instead, it must be regularly fed vitamin-enriched brine shrimp or micro-plankton from an eyedropper directly to each of its polyps to promote rapid polyp budding. It will also benefit from the addition of calcium, strontium, and other trace elements to the water.

Approximate Purchase Size: Small: 1" to 2"; Small/Medium: 2" to 2-1/2"; Medium: 2-1/2" to 3"; Medium/Large: 3" to 4" ; Large: 4" to 5-1/4" ; Extra Large: 5" to 6"

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