QUICK STATS

Care Level: Easy to Moderate
Coral Type: SPS / Encrusting Plating Coral
Temperament: Peaceful to Semi-Aggressive by Growth
Photosynthetic: Yes
Placement: Lower to Middle / Shaded Areas
Lighting: Low to Moderate
Water Flow: Low to Moderate
Approximate Purchase Size: Varies by Frag Size
Approximate Max Size: Encrusting Colony Growth Depends on Stability, Space, and Lighting

BLOOD ORANGE LEPTOSERIS

The Blood Orange Leptoseris is a bright encrusting coral known for its intense orange to reddish-orange coloration, thin plating growth, and glowing fluorescence under blue-heavy reef lighting. It has the kind of radioactive-looking color that makes reef keepers stare at a rock and somehow call that entertainment. The bar is low, but the coral is pretty.

Leptoseris corals are often called Wrinkle Corals, though most hobbyists simply call them Leptoseris or Leptos. They typically grow as thin encrusting or plating sheets over rockwork, creating a bright textured mat that can spread across shaded ledges, lower rock structures, and lower-light areas where many other corals may not look their best.

The Blood Orange Leptoseris is photosynthetic and receives much of its energy from reef lighting, but it can also capture fine particles from the water column. It generally does best with stable water parameters, low to moderate lighting, and enough flow to keep debris from settling on its surface.

This coral is usually considered peaceful, but it can grow over nearby rockwork and compete for space if allowed to spread unchecked. It may not have dramatic sweeper tentacles like some LPS corals, but it can still quietly claim territory like a glowing orange carpet with expansion plans.

Note: Image is a representation of what to expect. The coral you receive may vary slightly in size, color intensity, growth edge, texture, encrusting shape, and overall appearance.

AQUARIUM REQUIREMENTS

AQUARIUM SIZE

A minimum aquarium size of 10-20 gallons or larger can work for Blood Orange Leptoseris, provided the aquarium is mature and stable. Larger systems provide better water stability and more flexibility with placement.

This coral does not need a large aquarium, but it does need stable chemistry and appropriate placement. Small tanks can work beautifully, but they also turn small mistakes into full-blown reef drama because apparently water volume is the closest thing this hobby has to mercy.

PLACEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

Blood Orange Leptoseris is best placed in the lower to middle areas of the aquarium, especially in lower-light zones, shaded ledges, angled rock faces, or areas with indirect lighting. It can adapt to different placements, but sudden exposure to strong light can cause stress or bleaching.

Rock Placement: Place on stable rockwork where the coral has room to encrust outward. This coral can spread over rock surfaces over time.

Sandbed Placement: Temporary sandbed placement can work during acclimation, especially if the coral is newly shipped or coming from lower lighting. Long-term placement is usually better on rock or a secured frag mount.

Shaded Areas: Leptoseris often does well in lower-light areas where brighter SPS or LPS may not thrive. It can be useful for adding color under ledges or along darker portions of the aquascape.

Spacing: Leave space between Blood Orange Leptoseris and nearby corals. It may grow outward and eventually contact neighbors. It is not the loudest coral in the tank, but it can still slowly expand like an orange HOA.

WATER PARAMETERS

Blood Orange Leptoseris does best in clean, stable reef conditions. Stability is more important than chasing perfect numbers. Sudden swings in alkalinity, salinity, nutrients, or temperature can cause fading, tissue stress, recession, or stalled growth.

Temperature: 75-79°F
pH Level: 8.1-8.4
Salinity: 1.024-1.026 specific gravity
Alkalinity: 8-10 dKH
Calcium: 400-450 ppm
Magnesium: 1250-1350 ppm
Nitrate: 2-15 ppm
Phosphate: 0.03-0.10 ppm

Avoid ultra-low nutrient systems. Leptoseris can do well in clean aquariums, but a completely stripped reef may cause pale coloration, poor growth, or reduced vibrancy. “Pristine” and “starved” are not the same thing, despite what reef equipment marketing sometimes implies.

LIGHTING

Blood Orange Leptoseris generally prefers low to moderate lighting. It is often a strong choice for lower-light areas, shaded zones, and deeper-looking reef setups.

LIGHTING RECOMMENDATIONS

Low to Moderate PAR: A general target range of 50-150 PAR works well for many Leptoseris corals. Some specimens may adapt higher, but lower to moderate lighting is usually safer.

Light Acclimation: New frags should be acclimated gradually to your lighting. Start lower or in indirect light, then adjust slowly based on coloration and growth.

Color Display: Blood Orange Leptoseris often shows its best glow under blue-heavy reef lighting, especially actinic-heavy spectrums.

Too Much Light: Signs may include bleaching, fading, pale tissue, tissue recession, or reduced growth.

Too Little Light: Signs may include dull coloration, slow growth, browning, or weak tissue over time.

Do not place a fresh Blood Orange Leptoseris directly under high-output lighting just because the orange looks powerful. It is a coral, not a traffic cone.

WATER FLOW

Blood Orange Leptoseris prefers low to moderate water flow. Flow should be strong enough to prevent detritus from settling on the coral’s surface, but not so strong that the tissue becomes irritated.

FLOW RECOMMENDATIONS

Ideal Flow: Low to moderate, indirect flow that keeps the surface clean without blasting the coral.

Avoid Direct Flow: Strong direct flow can stress the coral or prevent normal feeding response.

Avoid Dead Spots: Too little flow can allow detritus to collect on the coral’s thin tissue and growth ridges.

Surface Cleanliness: Because Leptoseris grows as a thin encrusting or plating coral, debris settling on the surface can irritate tissue over time.

If detritus is collecting on the coral, increase gentle indirect flow or adjust placement. If the coral fades, recedes, or looks irritated in strong flow, reduce intensity. Annoyingly, the coral expects you to observe it. A bold demand from an orange crust, but here we are.

DIET

Blood Orange Leptoseris is photosynthetic, meaning it receives much of its energy from light through its symbiotic zooxanthellae. It may also benefit from dissolved nutrients and fine particulate foods in the water column.

PRIMARY DIET

Photosynthesis: Proper lighting provides much of the coral’s energy.

Broadcast Feeding: The coral may capture very fine particles from the water column during regular fish and coral feeding.

Fine Coral Foods: Powdered coral foods, phytoplankton-style blends, amino acids, and very fine suspended foods may be used carefully in established systems.

Dissolved Nutrients: Moderate detectable nitrate and phosphate can help support color and growth. Avoid stripping the aquarium too aggressively.

FEEDING FREQUENCY

Direct target feeding is usually not necessary. Broadcast feeding or general reef feeding 1-2 times per week can be beneficial if nutrients are not already high.

Avoid heavy feeding in small tanks. The coral does not need a snowstorm of powdered food because someone wanted to “boost growth.” That is how nutrients file a hostile takeover.

COMPATIBILITY

Blood Orange Leptoseris works well in many mixed reef aquariums, especially when placed with enough room to encrust and spread. It is generally not as aggressive as many LPS corals, but spacing still matters.

COMMON TANK MATES

Fish: Reef-safe fish such as clownfish, gobies, blennies, wrasses, tangs, cardinalfish, firefish, and other peaceful to semi-peaceful community fish.

Avoid: Fish known to nip at SPS or encrusting corals, such as some angelfish, butterflyfish, filefish, puffers, and certain triggers.

Invertebrates: Generally safe with cleaner shrimp, snails, hermit crabs, urchins, and most common reef invertebrates. Large urchins or bulldozing snails may move unsecured frags.

Coral: Keep away from aggressive neighbors with strong stings, including torches, hammers, frogspawn, galaxea, favias, chalices, acans, and mushrooms unless spacing is carefully managed.

Encrusting Competition: Blood Orange Leptoseris can spread over rockwork and may compete with other encrusting corals such as cyphastrea, montipora, psammocora, favites, or other leptoseris varieties if placed too close.

BEHAVIORAL NOTES

Temperament: Generally peaceful, but can compete for space as it encrusts.

Growth Pattern: Encrusting to thin plating growth. It may spread over rock, plugs, rubble, or shaded ledges over time.

Coloration: Typically bright orange to reddish-orange, often with strong fluorescence under blue or actinic lighting. Color intensity may vary with light, nutrients, stress, and photography conditions.

Texture: Leptoseris often has a wrinkled, ridged, or textured surface, giving it a unique look compared with smoother encrusting corals.

Lighting Flexibility: Excellent choice for lower-light areas of the reef where many higher-light corals may not be ideal.

Flow Sensitivity: Likes enough flow to stay clean, but not harsh direct flow.

Growth Speed: Can grow steadily once established, especially in stable systems with appropriate lighting and nutrients.

Frag Handling: Handle by the plug, rock, or dead skeleton edge when possible. Avoid scraping or damaging the living tissue.

Dipping: Coral dipping before introduction is recommended to reduce pests and contaminants. Use coral-safe dips according to product directions.

Pest Awareness: Inspect for nuisance algae, flatworms, nudibranchs, vermetid snails, or other hitchhikers before placing into the display.

Placement Reality: This coral can be a great way to add bright color to shaded rockwork. Just remember that “encrusting” means it may eventually claim more territory than expected, because apparently even the low-profile coral has ambition.

ACCLIMATION PROCESS

This acclimation method helps reduce stress by gradually introducing the coral to your aquarium’s temperature, lighting, and water chemistry.

1. DIM THE LIGHTS

Turn down aquarium lights or place the coral in a shaded lower area at first. This helps reduce stress while the coral adjusts.

2. FLOAT THE BAG

Float the sealed bag in the aquarium for 15-20 minutes to allow the temperature in the bag to equalize with the tank.

3. OPEN BAG, ADD CORAL TO CONTAINER

Carefully open the bag and transfer the coral and shipping water into a clean container. Handle the coral by the plug, rock, or skeleton edge rather than scraping the living tissue.

4. ACCLIMATE USING TANK WATER

Add small amounts of tank water to the container every few minutes for 20-30 minutes. Avoid exposing the coral tissue to air longer than necessary.

5. CORAL DIP

Use a coral-safe dip according to the product instructions. This can help reduce pests and contaminants before the coral enters your aquarium.

6. TRANSFER CORAL TO AQUARIUM

Place the coral in a lower to middle area with low to moderate indirect flow. Discard the shipping and dip water. Do not pour shipping water or dip water into your aquarium.

7. LIGHT ACCLIMATE

Allow the coral to adjust gradually over several days to weeks before moving it into brighter light. Watch for coloration, tissue health, and growth edge before making major placement changes.