Honeycomb Lepastrea Frag (Row #24:B)

Lepastrea corals come in a wide variety of colourations with names such as Blueberry Fields, Polkaroo, Orange Eye and John Deere. The vast
majority of Leptastrea with these specific trade names are propagated in captivity or aquacultured.

Unlike many other LPS corals, they grow by encrusting over live rock and have small polyps as compared to other LPS corals such as Acans. Wild caught specimens are usually imported from Australia or Indonesia but much of what is available for sale has aquacultured. This has allowed for the proliferation of some of the amazing colour morphs currently available. In the wild they are reef building corals and are found at varying depths, although brighter specimens tend to be found at shallower depths. In a reef tank they should be placed on an exposed piece of rock where they will have room to expand and encrust.

Because they have no “off switch” careful initial placement is important so that they do not grow where they are not wanted. This is especially important because of their potent sting. For this reason some hobbyists choose to isolate them on rock islands. Leptastrea prefer moderate levels of both light and flow. A coral that is receiving too little light may lose its colour and begin to turn brown, whereas one that is receiving too much light may fade and the polyps may remain retracted. Flow should be sufficient to prevent the buildup of detritus.

Leptastrea, like all LPS corals, are photosynthetic but benefit from feeding once or twice a week with a zooplankton based food. We feed our coral beds reef roids. They are popular candidates for propagation and overhanging pieces
can be cut and glued to a frag plug, or a piece of rubble rock or plug can be placed next to them and removed once the coral encrusts. Like all LPS corals Leptastrea build their hard skeleton out of calcium carbonate. This means that the levels of alkalinity and calcium should be monitored and maintained to ensure healthy coral growth.

Photo example of Honeycomb Lepastrea

Photo example of a colony of Honeycomb Lepastrea