How much light and flow does Green star polyps need?

Soft coral, medium light at roughly 80–150 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ PAR, with medium flow. Light and flow must match: high light with weak flow burns tips, strong flow with weak light thins the tissue.

Will Green star polyps attack neighbouring corals?

It shows no real aggression and can sit close to neighbours, though it still must not be shaded from above.

Does Green star polyps need feeding?

No. It gets its energy from its symbiotic algae, and extra food only raises nutrients.

What water parameters does Green star polyps need?

24–26 °C, specific gravity 1.023–1.026, 7–9 dKH, 400–450 mg/L calcium, 1250–1350 mg/L magnesium. That is only 2 dKH wide, so stability matters more than hitting a particular number.

Is Green star polyps a good beginner coral?

Difficulty: beginner. Growth: fast. Place it in the foreground / midground. Spacing: it spreads fast and is hard to remove, so isolate it on its own rock island before it climbs onto the main coral.

G-03 / 22Marine

Green star polyps草皮珊瑚

Briareum violaceum · Briareidae

Green star polyps: a mat of green stars that can cover an entire rock — tough, fast growing and the most forgiving carpeting soft coral for a new tank.

Illustration to come

G-03 / 22 · Green star polyps Briareum violaceum

SpecificationsCoral atlas

Name: 草皮珊瑚
Scientific name: Briareum violaceum
Family: Briareidae
Origin: Reefs of the Indo-Pacific, including Indonesia, the Philippines and the Great Barrier Reef
Type: Soft coral
Light: Medium light
PAR: 80–150
Flow: Medium flow
Aggression: No aggression
Feeding: No feeding needed
Alkalinity: 7–9 dKH
Calcium: 400–450 mg/L
Magnesium: 1250–1350 mg/L
Salinity: 1.023–1.026 SG
Growth: Fast
Placement: Foreground / Midground
Level: Beginner

Water requirementsMarine

Temp.24–26 °C

pH8.1–8.4

Salinity1.023–1.026 SG

Alkalinity7–9 dKH

Units: temperature in °C, hardness in German degrees (dGH / dKH), marine salinity as specific gravity at 25 °C, volume in litres. These are the values recorded for the species and do not follow the site unit switcher.

Keeping notes

1Spacing: it spreads fast and is hard to remove, so isolate it on its own rock island before it climbs onto the main coral.
2Flow: medium to strong; the stars pack tighter in strong flow, while weak flow lets detritus collect and blacken the mat.
3Feeding: none needed.
4Water tolerance: extremely high and it lives through high nutrients, spreading fastest when salinity and temperature hold steady.
5Growth form: a purple or brown mat creeps across the rock, with new polyps appearing along its edge.

Frequently asked questions

How much light and flow does Green star polyps need?: Soft coral, medium light at roughly 80–150 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ PAR, with medium flow. Light and flow must match: high light with weak flow burns tips, strong flow with weak light thins the tissue.
Will Green star polyps attack neighbouring corals?: It shows no real aggression and can sit close to neighbours, though it still must not be shaded from above.
Does Green star polyps need feeding?: No. It gets its energy from its symbiotic algae, and extra food only raises nutrients.
What water parameters does Green star polyps need?: 24–26 °C, specific gravity 1.023–1.026, 7–9 dKH, 400–450 mg/L calcium, 1250–1350 mg/L magnesium. That is only 2 dKH wide, so stability matters more than hitting a particular number.
Is Green star polyps a good beginner coral?: Difficulty: beginner. Growth: fast. Place it in the foreground / midground. Spacing: it spreads fast and is hard to remove, so isolate it on its own rock island before it climbs onto the main coral.