War coral
Favites
Also known as Moon Coral, Pineapple Coral, Star Coral
SaltwaterCoral
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–81°F
- 24–27°C
- pH
- 8.1–8.4
- Adult size
- 9.8 in
- 25 cm
- Minimum tank
- 20 gal
- 75 L
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Medium
- Rarity
- Common
- Reef safe
- Reef safe
- Family
- Merulinidae
- Origin
- Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea through the Indian Ocean to Japan and the central Pacific
Overview
The war coral is an aggressive stony coral for the lower part of a reef tank. Its water chemistry and light needs suit a beginner, though overall it is best with a little reef experience.
Did you know
Time-lapse footage of a war coral at night shows neighboring corals visibly recoil or bleach along the edge nearest to it. This slow-motion territorial fight plays out every night but is almost invisible during the day.
Caring for the war coral
Give the war coral low to moderate light, roughly 100 to 200 PAR. Moderate indirect flow keeps its many mouths clear of debris. Place it in the lower two-thirds of a tank of at least 20 gal (75 L), with generous room on all sides.
Keep the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. It is photosynthetic but hunts actively after dark. Feed it minced meaty foods or brine shrimp two to three times a week. Time each feeding for just before the lights go down, so the tentacles are already extending.
Every night the war coral extends sweeper tentacles well past its base to sting and kill the tissue of anything nearby. Leave a genuine gap of 4 to 6 inches, and more with delicate SPS or soft corals downstream of it. The sweepers are the main thing to manage, rather than any special water quality need. It frags well by cutting the skeleton between heads, similar to Favia and Platygyra.
Good to know
Favites is a large polyp stony coral in the family Merulinidae, closely related to and easily confused with Favia. Favites corallites typically share a common wall with their neighbors, while Favia corallites each keep a separate wall. Its long sweeper tentacles are tipped with a dense concentration of stinging cells. The nickname war coral comes from the visible territorial battles it wages with neighboring corals for space.
In the wild
The war coral ranges across the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea through the Indian Ocean to Japan and the Line and Tuamotu Islands. It forms massive dome-shaped colonies on reef flats and slopes.
Common questions
What size tank does a war coral need?
A war coral needs at least 20 gal (75 L).
What temperature and pH does a war coral need?
A war coral is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.
What does a war coral eat?
A war coral is photosynthetic but hunts actively after dark. Feed it minced meaty foods or brine shrimp two to three times a week, just before the lights go down.
How big does a war coral get?
An adult war coral reaches about 9.8 in (25 cm).
Related species
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