Colt Coral - Cladiella sp. - Medium/Large

Colt Corals (Cladiella sp.) are one of the easiest corals for beginners. Colors can vary from browns to pinks or yellows. Bushy polyps extend from tree-like trunks and are usually darker than the base color of the colony. The colony itself is slippery in texture compared to many other rougher corals with a similar appearance.

Colt Corals adapt well to most conditions, although they will have brighter colors under more intense lighting. They receive some of their nutrition from the photosynthetic algae in their tissues but will also filter-feed and absorb some nutrients and minerals from the water. The corals should be supplements with planktonic filter-feeder foods, especially under less intense lighting.

Colt Corals are one of the more aggressive leather corals. They should not be placed close to sensitive corals as they will "attack" and show aggression towards other corals by releasing slightly toxic chemicals into the surrounding water. They shed a mucus layer periodically that can irritate other corals and they can also grow fairly quickly, outcompeting and overgrowing neighboring colonies.

These corals are easy to propagate and "frag" in home aquariums. A piece of the colony can be cut off with a sharp blade or shears and allowed to re-attach to a hard base like a frag plug, piece of rubble rock or shell. Reduce the flow around the new frag until it attaches or use a piece of netting or fishing line to help the new piece stay in place.