Blue and Green Sympodium

 Quick Care Facts

• Care Level: Easy   • Temperament: Peaceful   • Waterflow: Moderate to Strong
• Placement: Middle to High   • Lighting: Medium to High   • Color Form: Blue, Green, Red
 • Supplements: Calcium, Magnesium, Strontium, Iodine, Trace Elements   • Water Conditions: 72-80° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025
• Origin: Indo-Pacific   • Family: Zoanthidae   • Species: Polyp Corals

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Blue and Green Sympodium (Sympodium sp.) grows throughout the reefs and shallow lagoons of the Indo-Pacific ocean. Blue and Green Sympodium is a fast growing species that will colonize or encrust the rocks or shells on which it grows. The growth rate and aquarium behavior of Blue and Green Symodium is very similar to that of the various Xenia species; however, Sympodium sp. is a member of the Zoanthidae family of encrusting polyp corals.

Despite only being introduced into the aquarium hobby in the 2010 time frame, Blue and Green Sympodium has become widely available due to its ease of growth and adaptability to the aquarium environment. Given proper aquarium conditions, Blue and Green Sympodium will quickly spread over areas of the reef that it has access too.

For this reason it is recommended that hobbyists isolate the coral on rocky formations that are placed at least a few inches from other portions of the reef. This will allow the hobbyist to both get a feel for the rapid growth of the coral and allow its growth to be controlled since it requires a hard surface to grow on and will not grow onto a sandy substrate.

Hobbyists will want to maintain Blue and Green Sympodium in reef aquariums that have moderate to high lighting and moderate water flow. Average reef aquariums with typical power compact fluorescent or T-5 fluorescent lighting systems and a tank height of up to 30 inches will require the Blue and Green Sympodium to be place in an upper area on the reef.

Reef aquariums with metal halide lighting or high intensity LED lighting systems and a tank height of up to 30 inches will allow for Blue and Green Sympodium to be placed in either an upper or middle location on the reef. The overall height of the aquarium and lighting placement greatly affects how much PAR or (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) is available to the coral, thus coral placement will vary depending on the overall tank conditions. Ideal water flow will be a moderate intensity laminar water flow or wave style water flow provided by either a wave box or multiple power heads positioned to create varied flow.

Mature reef aquariums or reef aquariums connected to mature refugiums are ideal as they provide supplemental feeding opportunities via phytoplankton and other micro-organisms present in the water column. Lastly, hobbyists will want to place the Blue and Green Sympodium (Sympodium sp.) coral in an area where its growth can be controlled, as it will spread to neighboring portions of the reef rapidly under ideal conditions.

Blue and Green Sympodium polyps receive the majority of their nutrition through the symbiotic algae zooxanthellae contained within the coral. However, they thrive when they receive additional nutrients from phyto-plankton that they filter from the water currents. They will benefit from the addition of reef supplements containing calcium, strontium and trace elements. They can also be periodically offered meaty foods like micro-plankton, cyclop-eeze, marine snow, baby brine shrimp and other similar foods.