Database

Corals

Light, flow and placement requirements for reef corals.

Type

Difficulty

Light

Flow

Placement

Aquarium Style

48 results

Intermediate🌊 saltwater

Acan Lord

Acanthastrea lordhowensis

A popular LPS coral with vivid, fleshy polyps. Available in many colors. Moderate care requirements.

Intermediate🌊 saltwater

Alveopora Coral

Alveopora spp.

Alveopora is a flower pot coral similar to Goniopora but with fewer tentacle pairs. A popular LPS coral for reef aquariums.

Intermediate

Bird’s Nest Coral

Seriatopora hystrix

Delicate thin branches that grow into a bird’s nest shape; strong sweeper tentacles at night.

Intermediate

Blastomussa

Blastomussa wellsi

A low-light LPS with bubble-like polyps, suited to shaded areas.

Intermediate🌊 saltwater

Bubble Coral

Plerogyra sinuosa

An LPS coral with distinctive grape-like vesicles that inflate during the day and retract at night. Elegant and unique, suitable for intermediate reef keepers.

Beginner

Candy Cane Coral

Caulastrea furcata

Distinctive fleshy polyps on a branching skeleton; great first LPS.

Intermediate🌊 saltwater

Cat's Paw Coral

Stylophora pistillata

A branching SPS coral with rounded tips. Hardy and fast-growing for an SPS. Available in pink, purple, and green.

Intermediate

Cauliflower Coral

Pocillopora damicornis

A branching SPS that is hardy by acropora standards; brown bases with pink tips.

Intermediate

Chalice Coral

Echinophyllia spp.

An LPS coral with a distinctive plating or encrusting growth pattern and vibrant contrasting mouth and ridge colors. A highly prized collector coral.

Expert🌊 saltwater

Dendronephthya

Dendronephthya sp.

Non-photosynthetic soft coral. Extremely challenging.

Advanced🌊 saltwater

Dendrophyllia Coral

Dendrophyllia spp.

A non-photosynthetic (NPS) LPS coral that must be target-fed. Produces beautiful translucent polyps in orange, yellow, or white. A showcase species for advanced reef keepers.

Beginner

Discosoma Mushroom

Discosoma spp.

A flat, disc-shaped mushroom coral available in a stunning array of colors including blue, green, red, and purple. One of the hardiest and easiest corals to keep, perfect for beginners.

Beginner

Duncan Coral

Duncanopsammia axifuga

Long green tentacles with daisy-like tips; a hardy beginner LPS.

Advanced🌊 saltwater

Elegance Coral

Catalaphyllia jardinei

Flamboyant tentacles with vivid tips; sensitive to water quality swings.

Beginner

Favia Brain Coral

Favia favus

A classic brain coral with a distinctive honeycomb pattern. Hardy LPS coral available in green, red, and purple. Night-feeding tentacles extend to capture food.

Intermediate

Frogspawn Coral

Euphyllia divisa

A branching LPS coral with clusters of tentacles that resemble frog eggs. Available in green, pink, and purple color morphs. Moderate care requirements make it popular with intermediate reefers.

Intermediate🌊 saltwater

Fungia Coral

Fungia spp.

Fungia, also known as Plate Coral or Mushroom Coral, is a free-living LPS coral. A beautiful addition to reef tanks placed on the sand bed.

Intermediate🌊 saltwater

Galaxea

Galaxea fascicularis

Long, glassy tentacles with stinging power — give it plenty of distance from neighbors.

Advanced

Goniopora

Goniopora stokesi

The flower pot coral — challenging to keep long-term without diligent feeding.

Advanced

Gorgonian

Eunicella cavolini

A non-photosynthetic sea fan requiring frequent target feeding.

Beginner🌊 saltwater

Green Star Polyps

Briareum asbestinum

A encrusting soft coral that forms a bright green mat of polyps that wave in the current. Fast-growing and very hardy, but can become invasive if not managed.

Intermediate

Hammer Coral

Euphyllia ancora

Has sweeping tentacles that can sting neighbors — give it space.

Beginner🌊 saltwater

Honeycomb Brain Coral

Favia favus

A hardy massive LPS with maze-like grooves; tolerant of less stable conditions.

Beginner

Kenya Tree Coral

Capnella imbricata

A fast-growing soft coral with tree-like branching structure. Known for its ability to shed its skin and relocate in the tank. Very hardy and beginner-friendly.

Intermediate🌊 saltwater

Lobo Coral

Lobophyllia spp.

A large, fleshy LPS coral with a distinctive brain-like pattern. Available in vibrant reds, greens, and purples. Hardy and tolerant of varying conditions.

Beginner

Lobophytum Leather

Lobophytum sp.

A hardy soft coral with a thick leather-like body and short polyps.

Intermediate

Montipora Capricornis

Montipora capricornis

Plate-forming SPS that grows quickly once established.

Beginner🌊 saltwater

Montipora Digitata

Montipora digitata

A branching SPS coral that is one of the easiest Acroporidae to keep. Fast-growing and available in orange, purple, and green. Great entry point for SPS keeping.

Beginner🌊 saltwater

Open Brain Coral

Trachyphyllia geoffroyi

A fleshy, colorful LPS that stays on the sand bed and tolerates feeding.

Beginner🌊 saltwater

Palythoa

Palythoa spp.

A colonial polyp coral closely related to Zoanthids, forming dense mats of brownish polyps. Very hardy and fast-growing, but some species contain palytoxin — handle with care.

Beginner

Pavona Coral

Pavona cactusis

A hardy SPS coral with distinctive leaf-like or encrusting growth forms. Tolerates a wide range of conditions, making it a good beginner SPS coral. Available in green and brown.

Intermediate🌊 saltwater

Pocillopora

Pocillopora damicornis

A branching SPS coral also known as Cauliflower Coral. Relatively hardy for an SPS. Good for beginner SPS keepers.

Intermediate

Porites

Porites lobata

A massive boulder coral with a calm growth form.

Beginner

Rhodactis Mushroom

Rhodactis spp.

A large, textured mushroom coral with distinctive bumpy or ridged surface. Hardy and fast-spreading. Available in green, blue, and purple. Great for beginner reef tanks.

Beginner

Ricordea Mushroom

Ricordea florida

Wavy, colorful mushrooms that are extremely hardy.

Intermediate🌊 saltwater

Scolymia

Scolymia lacera

A large, solitary LPS coral with vivid fleshy polyps. One polyp per skeleton. Popular for its vibrant colors.

Beginner🌊 saltwater

Sinularia Leather

Sinularia sp.

A leather coral with finger-like projections. Hardy and fast-growing. Can release terpenes that irritate other corals.

Advanced

Staghorn Acropora

Acropora millepora

A demanding SPS coral requiring pristine water and stable parameters.

Intermediate🌊 saltwater

Stylophora Coral

Stylophora pistillata

A branching SPS coral with a distinctive fuzzy appearance from extended polyps. Hardy for an SPS coral, making it a good first Acropora-family species. Available in pink, purple, and brown.

Advanced

Sun Coral

Tubastraea faulkneri

Non-photosynthetic coral. Needs direct feeding.

Advanced

Table Acropora

Acropora hyacinthus

A classic table-shaped SPS coral forming wide flat colonies.

Beginner

Toadstool Leather

Sarcophyton spp.

Soft coral that sheds skin and releases chemical warfare when stressed.

Intermediate🌊 saltwater

Torch Coral

Euphyllia glabrescens

One of the most sought-after LPS corals, featuring long flowing tentacles with bright tips that sway elegantly in the current. A centerpiece coral for reef tanks.

Beginner

Trumpet Coral

Caulastrea furcata

An LPS coral with trumpet-shaped polyps that extend feeding tentacles at night. Hardy and tolerant, making it suitable for beginners. Available in green, brown, and purple morphs.

Advanced

Tubing Coral

Tubastraea coccinea

Orange non-photosynthetic coral. Needs regular feeding.

Intermediate

Turbinaria

Turbinaria reniformis

A plate-shaped LPS coral that thrives in lower light conditions.

Beginner

Xenia Coral

Xenia spp.

A soft coral famous for its pulsing polyps that open and close rhythmically. One of the few corals that can be propagated easily by fragments. Excellent beginner reef coral.

Beginner

Zoanthids

Zoanthus spp.

Colorful colonial polyps that are very forgiving for new reef keepers.

Corals

Acan Lord

Alveopora Coral

Bird’s Nest Coral

Blastomussa

Bubble Coral

Candy Cane Coral

Cat's Paw Coral

Cauliflower Coral

Chalice Coral

Dendronephthya

Dendrophyllia Coral

Discosoma Mushroom

Duncan Coral

Elegance Coral

Favia Brain Coral

Frogspawn Coral

Fungia Coral

Galaxea

Goniopora

Gorgonian

Green Star Polyps

Hammer Coral

Honeycomb Brain Coral

Kenya Tree Coral

Lobo Coral

Lobophytum Leather

Montipora Capricornis

Montipora Digitata

Open Brain Coral

Palythoa

Pavona Coral

Pocillopora

Porites

Rhodactis Mushroom

Ricordea Mushroom

Scolymia

Sinularia Leather

Staghorn Acropora

Stylophora Coral

Sun Coral

Table Acropora

Toadstool Leather

Torch Coral

Trumpet Coral

Tubing Coral

Turbinaria

Xenia Coral

Zoanthids

Cookie Preferences

Corals

Acan Lord

Alveopora Coral

Bird’s Nest Coral

Blastomussa

Bubble Coral

Candy Cane Coral

Cat's Paw Coral

Cauliflower Coral

Chalice Coral

Dendronephthya

Dendrophyllia Coral

Discosoma Mushroom

Duncan Coral

Elegance Coral

Favia Brain Coral

Frogspawn Coral

Fungia Coral

Galaxea

Goniopora

Gorgonian

Green Star Polyps

Hammer Coral

Honeycomb Brain Coral

Kenya Tree Coral

Lobo Coral

Lobophytum Leather

Montipora Capricornis

Montipora Digitata

Open Brain Coral