Klyxum is a genus of soft coral trees. Normally the so-called slimy soft coral Klyxum simplex is the one found in marine aquariums, although the classification of soft corals is always problematic and requires an examination of the sclerites (calcareous needles embedded in the tissue of soft corals) as a specimen under the microscope.
Altogether 16 species are assigned to the genus. The distribution extends over the entire Indo-Pacific. The name is what you get, because the tissue of the soft coral has only little firmness and therefore appears wobbly and slimy. Together with the closely related genus Cladiella, Klyxum are also called broccoli coral or colt coral. The color is usually cream-brown to gray-purple, and especially on badly edited photos also sometimes slightly reddish.
They are fast growing corals, which absorb nutrients well and bring dynamics movement into the aquarium when they sway in the current.
This makes them predestined especially for beginners of the marine aquarium hobby and for the initial tank setup. Due to the soft structure, it can be a challenge to get frags to attach. We have had the best success with the toothpick method, where the stem is pierced with a toothpick, and the coral is then placed over a frag rock or plug so that only the toothpick is in contact with the stone. It is then fixed in place with a rubber band, so that the tissue rests loosely in a crevice or hollow with no pressure applied to it.
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