Turbinaria cup coral
Turbinaria
Also known as Cup Coral, Pagoda Coral, Scroll Coral, Vase Coral
SaltwaterCoral
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–81°F
- 24–27°C
- pH
- 8.1–8.4
- Adult size
- 13.8 in
- 35 cm
- Minimum tank
- 20 gal
- 75 L
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Diet
- Photosynthetic
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Breeding
- Medium
- Rarity
- Common
- Reef safe
- Reef safe
- Family
- Dendrophylliidae
- Origin
- Indo-Pacific reefs and the Red Sea, from East Africa to Japan, the Great Barrier Reef and Tonga
Overview
The Turbinaria cup coral is a tough, adaptable coral and an easy first plating coral for a reef tank. It tolerates a wider swing of light and flow than most LPS or SPS.
Did you know
A single Turbinaria colony can take on very different shapes depending on where it grows. It opens into a flat plate in calm water, cups upward in brighter spots and curls into a tight, whorled scroll under strong current. All of these shapes can come from the same genus, and sometimes from the same species.
Caring for the Turbinaria cup coral
Give the Turbinaria cup coral fairly bright light, roughly 150 to 250 PAR. Run moderate to strong flow, turbulent if you can, to keep its folded surfaces free of detritus. Give it a mid-tank spot rather than the brightest shelf, which is better saved for SPS. It needs a tank of at least 20 gal (75 L).
Keep the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. It gets most of its energy from its zooxanthellae and does not need to be fed. Occasional offerings of baby brine shrimp or other small zooplankton can help it grow faster.
It carries mild sweeper tentacles that come out at night. Give neighboring corals a few inches of clearance rather than crowding them against it. You can propagate it by cutting a piece of skeleton, which is a fairly straightforward frag job.
Good to know
Turbinaria is a large polyp stony coral in the family Dendrophylliidae. That family is made up mostly of non-photosynthetic corals, so its close relatives include the sun coral, which lives the opposite lifestyle. It builds a calcified skeleton in cup, plate or scroll shapes. Most Turbinaria close their polyps by day and open more fully after dark to feed.
In the wild
Turbinaria grows on reef flats and slopes across the Indo-Pacific and the Red Sea. Its range runs from East Africa to Japan, the Great Barrier Reef and Tonga.
Common questions
What size tank does a Turbinaria cup coral need?
A Turbinaria cup coral needs at least 20 gal (75 L).
What temperature and pH does a Turbinaria cup coral need?
A Turbinaria cup coral is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.
What does a Turbinaria cup coral eat?
A Turbinaria cup coral gets most of its energy from its zooxanthellae, so it does not need to be fed. Occasional baby brine shrimp or other small zooplankton can help it grow faster.
How big does a Turbinaria cup coral get?
An adult Turbinaria cup coral reaches about 13.8 in (35 cm).
Related species
11.8 in (30 cm)40 gal (150 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Pagoda cup coral
Turbinaria peltata
11.8 in (30 cm) · 40 gal (150 L)
11.8 in (30 cm)40 gal (150 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Ruffled disc coral
Turbinaria mesenterina
11.8 in (30 cm) · 40 gal (150 L)
11.8 in (30 cm)40 gal (150 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Yellow scroll coral
Turbinaria reniformis
11.8 in (30 cm) · 40 gal (150 L)
7.9 in (20 cm)11 gal (40 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Duncan coral
Duncanopsammia axifuga
7.9 in (20 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)
7.9 in (20 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Sun coral
Tubastraea
7.9 in (20 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)
13.8 in (35 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Chalice coral
Echinophyllia
13.8 in (35 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)