Green Star Polyps
Pachyclavularia violacea
Fast-encrusting mat of neon green polyps over a purple mat. Beginner-friendly and perfect for filling in rockwork with movement and color.
- Lighting
- Medium
- Flow
- Medium
- Placement
- Rock or frag plug, encrusting
- Temperament
- Peaceful but can spread quickly
40 in stock · ships overnight, live arrival guaranteed
Care guide
Keeping Pachyclavularia in a reef tank
Green star polyps grow as a violet encrusting mat studded with brilliant green polyps. Pachyclavularia violacea is close to unkillable and among the fastest-spreading corals in the hobby — the husbandry question is never how to keep it alive but how to stop it colonising the rest of the tank.
Lighting for Green Star Polyps
Adaptable to almost anything. Polyp extension and colour are good across a wide range, and lighting is rarely the limiting factor for this coral. This particular frag is rated for medium light — roughly 100–200 PAR, around the middle of the rockwork.
Water flow
Moderate flow produces the best polyp extension, with the polyps waving continuously in good movement. It tolerates both gentler and stronger conditions without complaint. Flow for this frag should be moderate and variable.
Placement and tank mates
Rock or frag plug, encrusting. Peaceful but can spread quickly.
What to watch for
Containment is the real husbandry task. The mat will encrust across rock, up the glass and over the powerheads, smothering slower corals as it goes. Start it on an isolated island of rock separated by open sand, and scrape the perimeter before it bridges to the main rockwork.