WYSIWYG Peppermint Cyphastrea (Approx. 2.5″)

You are buying the exact coral in the photo. This Peppermint Cyphastrea is approximately 2.5″ across. Under blue spectrum reef lighting the tissue is a deep purple-red, and it is covered in small white polyps striped with red, like a peppermint candy. Conditioned in our Key West systems.

About Cyphastrea (Cyphastrea sp.)

Cyphastrea is a small-polyp stony coral that grows as a crust over rock, spreading outward and building low mounds as it ages. It is one of the hardier stony corals in the hobby, which makes it a good next step for reefers moving past soft corals. Its polyps open during the day and give the colony a fuzzy, textured look. The tight, high-contrast polyp pattern on this piece is what earns the Peppermint name.

Care Guide

Easy to moderate care. Steady water and medium light keep the color strong.

Lighting: Medium — PAR 100–200. It adapts to a range of light, but medium keeps the purple deepest.
Flow: Medium — steady flow keeps detritus off the surface.
Placement: Lower to mid rockwork, where it has room to encrust and spread.
Feeding: Low — mostly photosynthetic. It will also catch fine foods like coral powders and phytoplankton.
Aggression: Low — it has short sweepers, so leave a little space between it and its neighbors.
Water Parameters: Temp 76–78°F, salinity 1.025–1.026, Alk 8–9 dKH, Ca 420–440, Mg 1300–1400. Stability matters more than exact numbers.

Shipping & Live Arrival Guarantee

Livestock ships Tuesday or Wednesday by UPS Next Day Air from Key West, Florida. Packed in an insulated box with a heat or cold pack matched to current conditions, and secured so the specimen cannot move in transit.

Qualifying Florida livestock shipments under 6 lb: $30.
All other eligible lower-48 livestock shipments: $50.
Box & handling: $10 per livestock box, in addition to the transportation charge above.
Maximum estimated packed weight is 6 lb (96 oz) per box. Orders that pack heavier ship in additional boxes, and each additional box carries its own $10 box & handling charge.
Free livestock transportation begins at $349 in qualifying livestock subtotal. WYSIWYG livestock counts toward that subtotal; dry goods do not.
The $10-per-box charge still applies on free-transportation orders unless checkout explicitly waives it.
We do not ship orders of any kind to Alaska or Hawaii.

Live arrival is guaranteed. If your animal arrives DOA, photograph it inside the unopened bag within four (4) hours of delivery confirmation and contact us right away with those photos. We will work with you on a resolution.