TankBud

Flowerpot coral

Goniopora

Also known as Daisy Coral, Sunflower Coral, Ball Coral

SaltwaterCoral

Flowerpot coral (Goniopora)
Peter Young Cho, MD · CC BY-SA 3.0

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
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Poritidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, East Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, and Japan

Overview

The flowerpot coral is a peaceful large polyp stony coral for the lower part of a reef tank. It is a step up from the easiest corals.

Did you know

The flowerpot coral got the grim nickname coffin coral because wild colonies so often wasted away. They looked fine at first, then declined over six months to a year. Aquacultured strains, especially the deep red morphs bred for the trade, are far easier to keep with a real feeding routine.

Caring for the flowerpot coral

Give the flowerpot coral moderate light, around 75 to 125 PAR, and low to medium flow that is gentle and slightly random. Tentacles that thrash around rather than sway gently are a sign of too much current. Place it low in the tank, on the sandbed or lower rockwork, well away from any direct powerhead output. It has no sweeper tentacles worth worrying about and will not bother neighboring corals.

It needs a tank of at least 11 gal (40 L). Keep the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4.

Feeding is the make-or-break part of its care, so plan on regular target feeding with phytoplankton, fine zooplankton and liquid amino acids. Consider pausing the flow for 15 to 20 minutes afterward, so the polyps have a real chance to catch the food. A colony that is not fed on a real schedule will slowly starve, even under the right lighting.

Good to know

The flowerpot coral belongs to the genus Goniopora, in the family Poritidae, the same family as Porites. Each polyp carries 24 tentacles around its mouth, twice the 12 that Alveopora carries. It draws energy from symbiotic zooxanthellae, but it is also an active feeder. Those tentacles capture zooplankton and fine particulate food, so it does not live on light alone. It is also called the daisy coral, sunflower coral or ball coral.

In the wild

The flowerpot coral lives on lagoon patch reefs and reef flats across the Indo-Pacific. Its range includes the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, East Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia and Japan. It is usually rooted in sand or rubble, in water with a steady but gentle current. Colonies form rounded heads covered in long, fleshy polyps that stay extended through most of the day. The whole colony takes on a fuzzy, flower-bed look, and that is where the common name comes from.

Common questions

What size tank does a flowerpot coral need?

A flowerpot coral needs at least 11 gal (40 L).

What temperature and pH does a flowerpot coral need?

A flowerpot coral is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a flowerpot coral eat?

A flowerpot coral needs regular target feeding with phytoplankton, fine zooplankton and liquid amino acids. A colony that is not fed on a real schedule slowly starves, even under the right lighting.

How big does a flowerpot coral get?

An adult flowerpot coral reaches about 9.8 in (25 cm).

Related species