TankBud

Plate coral

Fungia

Also known as Disc Coral, Mushroom Coral, Fungid Coral

SaltwaterCoral

Plate coral (Fungia)
Stickpen · Public domain

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
7.9 in
20 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Photosynthetic
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Fungiidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific

Overview

The plate coral is a solitary disc coral that lives loose on the sand, and an aggressive neighbor despite its calm look. It is a step up from beginner corals.

Did you know

A plate coral can slowly walk across the sandbed by inflating and deflating its tissue. If it gets flipped upside down, it can right itself over a day or two.

Caring for the plate coral

Keep plate corals on open sand, not on rock, where their fleshy tissue and underside cannot be scraped. Give them moderate light, around 80 to 150 PAR, with gentle to moderate indirect flow. They cannot anchor and will tumble in strong current. Leave each one enough open sand that it is not crowded.

A plate coral needs a tank of at least 11 gal (40 L). Keep the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Plate corals are photosynthetic but feed well at night, when their tentacles extend. Feed meaty foods one to three times a week at night to boost growth and color.

Plate corals release toxic slime and can sting nearby corals. Keep 3 to 4 inches of clearance around them, and place them away from torches, chalices and Galaxea.

Good to know

Fungia is a genus of solitary large polyp stony corals in the family Fungiidae. Most of them live as a single free disc rather than a colony.

In the wild

Fungia plate corals rest unattached on the sandy or rubble bottom of Indo-Pacific reefs.

Common questions

What size tank does a plate coral need?

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

What temperature and pH does a plate coral need?

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

What does a plate coral eat?

A plate coral is photosynthetic but feeds well at night, when its tentacles extend. Give it meaty foods one to three times a week at night to boost growth and color.

How big does a plate coral get?

An adult plate coral reaches about 7.9 in (20 cm).

Related species