{"product_id":"leptastrea-coral","title":"Leptastrea Coral","description":"\u003cp\u003eLeptastrea is an encrusting coral from the Faviidae family, a familiar sight in home aquariums. This LPS species grows as a thin, living layer over the rockwork, eventually forming a colourful plate. Leptastrea is known for its hardiness and wide range of colours, typically seen in greens, oranges, and browns, often with brightly contrasting polyp mouths.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the aquarium, Leptastrea forms a bumpy, textured colony as its small, individual polyps grow tightly packed together. It will follow the contours of whatever it is placed on, making it a great choice for covering oddly shaped rocks or bare areas of the reef structure. While its feeding tentacles are very short and rarely seen, the coral surface has a subtle shimmer under good lighting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLeptastrea is quite adaptable. It prefers moderate lighting, somewhere in the 100 to 200 PAR range, making it suitable for lower to mid-tank placements. Water flow should be moderate and indirect, enough to keep the surface clear of detritus without blasting the polyps directly. It appreciates stable water conditions, with calcium between 420-440 ppm and alkalinity at 8-9 dKH. For best colour and growth, direct feeding once or twice a week with a quality coral food or small mysis shrimp is recommended. Give it space, as it will encrust over anything in its path.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003egreat coral for adding a splash of colour to the lower third of the aquascape. Its encrusting nature means it won't shade out corals below it, and it can be placed on an isolated piece of rock to create a contained feature. It coexists well with most other reef inhabitants and is not known for aggressive sweeper tentacles, making it a peaceful addition to a community reef.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a WYSIWYG item, so you'll receive the exact specimen pictured.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Eastern Marine Aquariums","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42285621641271,"sku":"EMA-SPS-20260626-9EXO","price":130.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1849\/1739\/files\/a288ca4e-856a-4405-bd0c-b3f640ac8bad-_MG_4043.png?v=1782493586","url":"https:\/\/easternmarineaquariums.co.nz\/products\/leptastrea-coral","provider":"EasternMarine Aquariums","version":"1.0","type":"link"}