Stylocoeniella sp.
| Care Level | Easy to moderate |
| Lighting | Moderate to high |
| Water Flow | Moderate to strong |
| Placement | Rock, encrusting, mid tank |
| Aggression | Peaceful |
| Coloration | Neon green, orange, red |
Color Variations
Stylocoeniella is available in several designer color morphs. The coloration is purely cosmetic — every one takes the same care described above.
Overview
Stylocoeniella is an encrusting small-polyp stony coral studded with tiny, evenly-spaced star-shaped corallites, often in electric neon greens, oranges, and reds that fluoresce hard under blue light. Sometimes sold as a “star coral,” it is a colorful, hardy encruster that spreads a living carpet of color over rock — an easy entry into the brighter SPS-type corals.
Care & Placement
Easy to moderate for an encrusting stony. Give it moderate to high light and moderate to strong flow, mounted on rock where it can encrust outward. It is more forgiving than branching SPS and colors up beautifully, holding its neon tones under good light and clean, stable water.
Feeding
Photosynthetic and largely self-sufficient on light. Its tiny polyps will capture fine planktonic foods, and light occasional feeding can support growth and color, but it is not required.
Propagation
Easy: cut or snap off an encrusted piece of rock and glue it to a plug. It readily encrusts and spreads across new surfaces once healed.
Cautions
Peaceful and undemanding, with no significant aggression. Its main quirk is that, like other encrusters, it will slowly grow over adjacent rock and can reach the bases of nearby corals, so give it room to spread.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Stylocoeniella an easy SPS?
It is one of the easier SPS-type corals — an encrusting stony that is more forgiving than branching Acropora, wanting good light, good flow, and stable water. It is a nice first step into brighter, small-polyp stonies.
Why is my Stylocoeniella losing its neon color?
Usually light, flow, or water-quality related. Give it moderate-to-high light, good flow to keep it clean, and stable, low-nutrient water, and its neon greens, oranges, and reds will hold.
Does Stylocoeniella sting other corals?
No — it is peaceful. The only thing to watch is that it encrusts outward over time and can grow onto adjacent rock or the bases of neighbors, so give it space to spread.