Meteor Shower Cyphastrea is a hardy, eye-catching encrusting coral that’s perfect for adding pops of neon color to your reef. Its turquoise base with bright orange or red polyps looks incredible under blue LEDs and is surprisingly forgiving for newer hobbyists.

Placement, Flow, and Lighting

Cyphastrea is happiest in the lower half of the tank, away from intense light. Too much PAR will wash out colors and cause tissue recession.

• Placement: Rockwork ledges, vertical faces, or shaded lower areas are ideal.
• Lighting: Moderate to low (50–150 PAR). If colors fade, move it slightly shadier.
• Flow: Moderate, indirect flow to keep detritus off the surface without blasting the polyps.

Tip: Start Meteor Shower Cyphastrea in lower light and slowly move it brighter over 1–2 weeks if needed.

Feeding, Growth, and Care

While Meteor Shower Cyphastrea can live on light and nutrients alone, targeted feeding helps it grow and encrust faster.

• Feeding: 1–2 times per week with fine particulate foods (reef roids, powdered coral foods) broadcast into the flow.
• Parameters: Keep stable: alkalinity 8–9.5 dKH, calcium 400–450 ppm, magnesium 1300–1400 ppm, nitrates 5–15 ppm, phosphates 0.03–0.1 ppm.
• Space: It’s not overly aggressive, but give it room—once it takes off, it will encrust rock and can grow around neighboring frags.
• Maintenance: Gently turkey-baste the colony weekly to remove detritus and prevent algae from settling.

If you notice receding edges or dull colors, check for swings in alkalinity or sudden lighting changes. Correct the issue, then leave the coral alone—it often bounces back quickly when conditions stabilize.