Sandpaper coral
Psammocora contigua
Also known as Psammocora, Branched Sandpaper Coral, Stony Pillar 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
- 29 gal
- 110 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Diet
- Photosynthetic
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Medium
- Rarity
- Rare
- Reef safe
- Reef safe
- Family
- Psammocoridae
- Origin
- Indo-Pacific reefs, including Fiji, Tonga, the Solomon Islands, and Australia's Great Barrier Reef
Overview
The sandpaper coral is an underrated pick for a keeper after an SPS coral with an unusual texture. It is one of the easier stony corals to keep, and a reasonable step into SPS for someone coming from LPS.
Did you know
The sandpaper coral's nickname comes from touch as much as looks. A retracted colony has a genuinely gritty surface instead of the smooth texture most people expect from coral. Thousands of tightly packed, fused corallites build that surface.
Caring for the sandpaper coral
Give the sandpaper coral medium to high light, around 100 to 200 PAR, and moderate to strong flow. Set it on the mid to upper rockwork.
It needs a tank of at least 29 gal (110 L). Keep the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. By SPS standards it is not especially picky about water quality.
It draws most of its energy from photosynthesis. Despite its small polyps, it will also take small mysis or similar foods. Some keepers see better growth after adding aminos to the water.
It is a peaceful stony coral with no sweeper tentacles of its own. Normal SPS spacing to prevent direct tissue contact is enough.
Good to know
The sandpaper coral belongs to Psammocora, a genus that sits in its own family, Psammocoridae. Psammocora is separate from the similarly grainy Siderastrea and Coscinaraea, though older references sometimes lump them together. Psammocora contigua grows in low branches or short columns rather than the flatter encrusting form some other Psammocora species take. It tends to hold a steady color instead of shifting the way Acropora or Montipora do under different lighting. It is not heavily collected for the trade and shows up far less often than Acropora or Montipora.
In the wild
The sandpaper coral grows across the Indo-Pacific, from Fiji and Tonga to the Solomon Islands and the Great Barrier Reef. It lives on reef slopes and flats, in reef zones with plenty of water movement.
Common questions
What size tank does a sandpaper coral need?
A sandpaper coral needs at least 29 gal (110 L).
What temperature and pH does a sandpaper coral need?
A sandpaper coral is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.
What does a sandpaper coral eat?
A sandpaper coral draws most of its energy from photosynthesis. Despite its small polyps, it will also take small mysis or similar foods.
How big does a sandpaper coral get?
An adult sandpaper coral reaches about 9.8 in (25 cm).
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