A clove polyp (Clavularia sp.) is a soft coral, not an anemone, and one of the easier corals to keep. Each polyp carries eight feathery tentacles, and the polyps rise from a creeping mat that spreads over whatever rock it is glued to. Moderate light suits it, roughly 100 to 150 PAR, PAR being the measure of usable light reaching the coral. Moderately strong flow keeps detritus out of the mat, and it feeds mostly through photosynthesis while taking fine foods such as rotifers. Firework cloves grow into a waving lawn of green, gold and cream.
Give it a rock island of its own, because a happy colony creeps over neighbours that cannot defend themselves. Air freight orders are covered by our Arrive Alive Guarantee, and our delivery information sets out every shipping option plus the Western Australia and Tasmania rules.