Tree Coral

About

Tree Coral (Dendrophyllia californica) is one of those corals that flips the usual reef-keeping script. While most corals in the hobby depend on intense lighting and symbiotic algae to thrive, this species is azooxanthellate, meaning it gets all its nutrition by actively capturing food from the water column rather than relying on photosynthesis. That single trait changes everything about how you keep it. Low-light areas of the tank that would starve most corals are exactly where this one feels at home, making it an interesting option for shaded rockwork or deeper placements that might otherwise go unused. In the wild it's found across parts of the Eastern Pacific and Western Central Atlantic, typically in areas where water movement delivers a steady supply of planktonic food. In the aquarium, that translates to a need for regular target feeding with small meaty foods. Skip the feeding regimen and the colony will slowly decline no matter how good your water quality is. It's sessile once placed, so choose its spot thoughtfully. Rated as intermediate in care, it's not the right starting point for a brand-new reef keeper, but for someone comfortable with a feeding-focused maintenance routine, it's a genuinely rewarding coral to keep.