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Clove Polyp Care Guide - Clavulariidae
Last updated on June 8th, 2023
Clove Polyp Care Guide - Clavulariidae
There are a few different types of clove polyps coral out there. There are pests such as the Blue Clove Polyps, and then there are the beautiful long stalk variety that you can find in many aquariums and the Reef Stable Store. There are a variety of brightly colored clove polyps, and they all add a beautiful sense of movement and color to your reef!
What are Clove Polyps
Clove Polyp coral are a star shaped soft coral that grows on longer stalks known as calyces. The star shape flows with the current and adds a beautiful movement factor along with the bright colors clove polyps offer. These clove polyps are part of the Clavulariidae family and are not the same as Green Star Polyps (GSP).
Clove Polyps grow small root-like shoots called stolons that will weave into the rock work and grow new polyp stalks along these shoots. The shoots will weave within each-other but is removable, unlike that of Blue Clove Polyps.
How Fast do Clove Polyps Grow?
Clove Polyp coral are considered a fast growing coral. At first, you may not see your clove polyps growing much, but once they do, these coral will grow quickly. It's best to keep clove polyps on a rock that does not touch the main rock work of your reef tank. This will prevent the clove polyps from spreading to your main reef and taking over the tank. While they can be removed from the rock, it is far easier to prevent them from spreading in the first place.
Clove Polyp Care - Flow
While not necessarily required, clove polyps can handle relatively strong flow once they have a hold on the rock. Clove polyp coral enjoy a flow similar to that of Zoanthids where they can pull food from the water, but not be hit so hard that they cannot open.
Clove Polyps Coral Care - Lighting
Clove Polyps are photosynthetic coral, however they do not demand nearly as much light as many other corals. Anywhere from 50 to 100 PAR is sufficient for clove polyp coral growth. Ideally aiming for 8 - 10 hours of full light, and 2 - 4 hours of ramping up/down.
For more about the different types of lighting, see the Reef Stable Saltwater Aquarium Lighting Guide.
Clove Polyp Placement and Aggression
Clove polyps are not aggressive, but you should take their placement into consideration. While lighting and flow are not big deals, clove polyps grow relatively fast. Any rock that they can reach, they will grow on. However, they can't grip on sand. Your best bet for placement is to put the clove polyps on their own island. A rock in the sand that doesn't touch the main rock structure. That way, you can enjoy the movement and the color without worrying about overgrowing their space.
Feeding Clove Polyps
Clove Polyps are photosynthetic, and don't need any special feeding. The clove polyp coral may eat foods such as Reef Roids or Red Sea AB+, but they are not required.
Clove Polyp Care - Temperature
The commonly agreed upon temperature for clove polyp coral is the same as most corals, averaging at 78 degrees F. clove polyps can survive in a range of temperatures, however 78 is the average. The best bet is to keep the temperature stable, within 1 degree F, for the best results!
Clove Polyp Care - Alkalinity, Calcium, and Magnesium
For Clove Polyp Coral, there is very little that needs to be done for alkalinity, calcium, or magnesium levels because these coral don't have calcium skeletons like LSP or SPS coral. Maintaining a stable alkalinity and calcium level is all you really need to do. While Clove Polyps may not depend on these parameters, they can cause other changes to parameters within the reef and cause an instable environment.
Clove Polyp Care - Nitrates and Phosphates
As a soft coral, Clove Polyps do care about Nitrates and Phosphates! As Nitrate and Phosphate (usually Phosphate causes the problems) rise, you may see the clove polyp retract and eventually die off. For clove polyps, Nitrate and Phosphate are some of the more important parameters to monitor.
Nitrates and Phosphates
Though you don't want to be absolutely zero on Nitrates or Phosphates, you also don't want to be too high either. The ideal levels for Nitrates is between 1 and 10 ppm. Phosphates should be roughly 0.01 - 0.05ppm.
The reason for having some nitrate and phosphates in your tank is due to research showing that coral need nutrients to enhance their growth and coloration. Too much of either, however, will slow growth and reduce coloration.
If you are looking to lower your Nitrate and Phosphate, read through the Saltwater Aquarium Filtration Guide, and specifically pay attention to the biological filtration.
Other Resources
- Saltwater Aquarium Filtration Guide
- Reef Tank Nitrate Removal
- Saltwater Refugiums - What are they and do I need one?
- Carbon Dosing for Reef Tanks
Clove Polyp Coral Care Tips from Tidal Gardens
Clove Polyp Care Guide - Clavulariidae - Cheet Sheet
Temperature
- Clove Polyps Prefer to be at roughly 78 degrees F.
Alkalinity
- Focus on stability, maintaining within 0.5 dKh
- Clove Polyps do not tend to rely on alkalinity, anywhere between 7-12 dKh is okay as long as it is stable.
Calcium
- Focus on stability, within 25ppm.
- Clove Polyps do not tend to rely on calcium as much. Any values in the safe range should be fine.
Magnesium
- Clove Polyps do not tend to rely on magnesium as much. Any values in the safe range should be fine.
Nitrates and Phosphates
- Nitrates: 1-10pm
- Phosphates: 0.01 - 0.05ppm
Lighting
- Clove Polyps are not overly picky on lighting. Provided the PAR is roughly 50-100, you should be fine.
- Blue and Actinic spectrum are best for color and growth.
Additional Coral Care Reading:
- Reef Stable - Acropora Care Guide
- Reef Stable - Montipora Care Guide
- Reef Stable - Euphillia Care Guide
- Reef Stable - Clove Polyp Care Guide - Clavulariidae
Conclusion
Clove Polyps are one of the easiest coral for beginners, and are also one of the most beautiful! Between the flow and the colors, it's hard not to want these coral in your reef tank.
About the Author
John Krenzer
John is a Software Engineer with a passion for saltwater aquariums, as well as the founder and president of Reef Stable. He started in the aquarium hobby as a child with a 20 gallon freshwater aquarium. His interest in aquarium life grew and in 2008, John set up his first saltwater aquarium.
Today, John maintains a 120 gallon mixed reef aquarium as well as a 210 gallon aggressive species aquarium. These large tanks are contained within the same system, sharing a sump as a means to reduce total maintenance and increase total water volume.
John writes articles for the blog as a means to learn about more reef aquarium topics. These articles act as a reference for the readers as well as himself. John updates these articles frequently to provide additional information or make corrections as new information becomes available.
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