TankBud

Red flowerpot coral

Bernardpora stutchburyi

Also known as Goniopora stutchburyi, Micro Goniopora, Red Bernardpora

SaltwaterCoral

Red flowerpot coral (Bernardpora stutchburyi)
(c) portioid, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY

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
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Poritidae
Origin
Widespread Indo-Pacific, Indian Ocean to the western Pacific

Overview

The red flowerpot coral is the flowerpot coral for people burned by other flowerpot corals. It is hardy, adaptable and easy to keep.

Did you know

Reefkeepers noticed for years that the red flowerpot coral always outlived the rest of the flowerpots. Taxonomy eventually agreed, splitting it out of Goniopora entirely.

Caring for the red flowerpot coral

Give the red flowerpot coral low to medium light and gentle to moderate flow. Acclimate it to new lighting slowly, and it asks for little else.

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. Regular feedings of fine powdered coral foods noticeably speed up its growth.

It encrusts steadily across nearby rock rather than ballooning upward. It stays peaceful with everything around it.

Good to know

The red flowerpot coral was long known as Goniopora stutchburyi. It moved into its own genus in 2014, after molecular work showed it was not a true Goniopora. Bernardpora holds just this single species. It remains in the family Poritidae, and the old Goniopora name still dominates shop labels. Its short polyps and encrusting habit are the quickest way to tell it from its longer-polyped relatives. Red is the cultivated color the trade knows best.

In the wild

The red flowerpot coral is widespread across the Indo-Pacific, from the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific. It lives on reef flats and slopes, including turbid inshore water, where it encrusts rock in thin sheets and low mounds. By day its polyps extend as a dense, even fuzz that gives the colony a velvet look.

Common questions

What size tank does a red flowerpot coral need?

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

What temperature and pH does a red flowerpot coral need?

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

What does a red flowerpot coral eat?

A red flowerpot coral takes regular feedings of fine powdered coral foods, which noticeably speed up its growth.

How big does a red flowerpot coral get?

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

Related species