Birdsnest Corals

30 birdsnest corals for sale, including Ponape, Bird of Paradise and pink morphs
Shop aquacultured birdsnest coral for sale, including ORA Ponape, Bird of Paradise, and pink, green, and teal morphs. Seriatopora hystrix grows a dense tangle of fine, needle-tipped branches that reads as delicate but grows faster than almost any other smal... Read more Show less

Shop aquacultured birdsnest coral for sale, including ORA Ponape, Bird of Paradise, and pink, green, and teal morphs. Seriatopora hystrix grows a dense tangle of fine, needle-tipped branches that reads as delicate but grows faster than almost any other small polyp stony coral. It is widely considered the best first SPS coral, tolerating a broader range of conditions than acropora while giving the same rapid branching growth. Every birdsnest frag here is grown in our own systems and ships with a live arrival guarantee.

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  • TSA Nightmare Birdsnest Coral
    9% OFF

    TSA Nightmare Birdsnest Coral

    TSA Nightmare Birdsnest Coral
    $49.99 $54.99

    Almost WYSIWYG

    Care Level Moderate
    Lighting Moderate–High
    Flow Moderate–High
    Placement Mid–High
  • Neon Green and Bird of Paradise Birdsnest Coral
    10% OFF

    Neon Green and Bird of Paradise Birdsnest Coral

    Neon Green and Bird of Paradise Birdsnest Coral
    $174.99 $194.99

    WYSIWYG

    Care Level Moderate
    Lighting Moderate–High
    Flow Moderate–High
    Placement High
  • TSA Dragon Claw Birdsnest Colony Coral
    10% OFF

    TSA Dragon Claw Birdsnest Colony Coral

    TSA Dragon Claw Birdsnest Colony Coral
    $224.99 $249.99

    WYSIWYG

    Care Level Moderate
    Lighting Moderate–High
    Flow Moderate–High
    Placement High
  • TSA Jade Dragon Combo Birdsnest XL Frag Coral
    10% OFF

    TSA Jade Dragon Combo Birdsnest XL Frag Coral

    TSA Jade Dragon Combo Birdsnest XL Frag Coral
    $174.99 $194.99

    WYSIWYG

    Care Level Moderate
    Lighting Moderate–High
    Flow Moderate–High
    Placement High
  • TSA Pink Birdsnest Colony Coral
    9% OFF

    TSA Pink Birdsnest Colony Coral

    TSA Pink Birdsnest Colony Coral
    $199.99 $219.99

    WYSIWYG

    Care Level Moderate
    Lighting Moderate–High
    Flow Moderate–High
    Placement High
  • TSA Jade Dragon Birdsnest XL Frag Coral
    11% OFF

    TSA Jade Dragon Birdsnest XL Frag Coral

    TSA Jade Dragon Birdsnest XL Frag Coral
    $124.99 $139.99

    WYSIWYG

    Care Level Moderate
    Lighting Moderate–High
    Flow Moderate–High
    Placement High

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Compare Birdsnest Corals

Compare our most popular live corals by care level, lighting, flow, growth, placement, and temperament — from beginner-friendly softies to advanced SPS.

Answers

Birdsnest Coral Care FAQ

Are birdsnest corals easy to keep?
Birdsnest is the SPS most often recommended as a first attempt. It adapts to a wider range of light and flow than acropora, grows fast enough to show you quickly whether conditions suit it, and is inexpensive enough that a mistake is not costly. It still needs stable alkalinity and calcium like any stony coral, and it wants a matured tank rather than a new one, but it is considerably more forgiving than the SPS that usually follow it.

Do birdsnest corals like high flow?
They like moderate to strong flow, ideally turbulent rather than a direct stream. The dense branching structure traps detritus easily, and stagnant pockets inside the colony lead to tissue loss at the base that spreads outward before it is noticed. Random or alternating flow that shifts through the branches is ideal. Very strong direct current can snap the fine tips, so aim for vigorous water movement rather than a powerhead aimed straight at the colony.

Where should birdsnest corals be placed?
Middle to upper rockwork under moderate to high light, with good water movement through the branches. Give the colony open space on all sides, since birdsnest grows outward in every direction and a frag becomes a fist-sized ball surprisingly quickly. Avoid placing it where branches will grow into rock or into a neighbor, since contact points shade and abrade the tissue.

How fast does birdsnest coral grow?
Very fast for an SPS. In stable conditions a small frag can become a colony several inches across within a year, branching repeatedly as it goes. That speed is a large part of its appeal for aquascaping and for fragging practice, since the branches snap cleanly and each piece will grow into a new colony. It also means you should plan placement for the mature size rather than the frag.

Why is my birdsnest coral losing color or tissue?
Rapid tissue necrosis at the base spreading up the branches is the classic birdsnest failure, and it usually follows poor flow through the colony, an alkalinity swing, or detritus accumulating at the center. Pale or browning color more often points to a lighting mismatch or excess nutrients. Check flow through the branches first, confirm alkalinity has been steady, and if tissue is actively receding, frag healthy tips off immediately rather than waiting for the colony to recover.

Live coral buying guide

How to Choose Live Corals for Your Reef Aquarium

What is birdsnest coral?

Birdsnest coral is Seriatopora hystrix, a small polyp stony coral that grows a dense, interlocking tangle of thin branches tapering to fine needle-like tips. The common name comes from that structure, which really does resemble a woven nest. Colonies come in pink, green, teal, and purple, with the polyps often contrasting against the branch color. It is the most approachable of the commonly kept SPS corals and the usual first step beyond LPS.

Birdsnest morphs and named lineages

Birdsnest are traded by color and by the farm that established the line:

  • ORA Ponape — a long-established aquacultured line with pink to salmon branches and contrasting polyps. One of the most reliably hardy birdsnest available.
  • Bird of Paradise — green branches with purple polyps and tips, producing strong two-tone contrast as the colony fills in.
  • Pink and classic morphs — the standard hobby birdsnest, fast growing and the best value entry into the group.
  • Teal, jade, and fuzzy morphs — selected lines with unusual coloration or heavier polyp extension, which gives the colony a softer, fuzzier outline.

Birdsnest care: light, flow, and alkalinity

Moderate to high light and moderate to strong turbulent flow suit birdsnest best. Flow matters more here than with most SPS, because the dense branching traps detritus and stagnant centers rot from the inside. As a stony coral building skeleton continuously, it needs alkalinity and calcium held steady rather than merely high: track them with reliable water testing equipment and review your reef lighting coverage if branches brown out or pale. No feeding is required.

Fragging and aquascaping with birdsnest

Birdsnest is the easiest SPS to frag and one of the most useful for filling an aquascape. Branches snap cleanly with bone cutters or even by hand, and a broken tip glued to a plug will start encrusting within a week or two. Because colonies grow fast in every direction, most keepers prune regularly rather than letting a single colony dominate a rock. Use the trimmings to seed other areas of the tank or to practice fragging technique before working on more valuable corals.

Moving from LPS into SPS

Birdsnest and Cyphastrea are the two corals most worth trying first when stepping into SPS, since both tolerate the conditions a mixed reef actually runs at. Compare cyphastrea corals and montipora corals as companions, see the full group in SPS corals, or browse all live corals for sale.