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Sun Coral
Tubastrea aurea
Animalia›Cnidaria›Anthozoa›Dendrophylliidae
📍 Indo-Pacific caves and overhangs
Spectacular non-photosynthetic coral with bright orange or yellow star-like polyps. Does not need light but requires target-fed mysis or brine shrimp every few days. Challenging but visually stunning — a showpiece coral.
Tank Mates
Peaceful reef fish that won't disturb corals and thrive in similar low-light cave environments
Non-aggressive invertebrates that help maintain water quality without harming delicate polyps
Peaceful burrowing shrimp that occupy different tank zones and won't compete for food
Nocturnal, peaceful fish that avoid daytime interaction with corals
Small, non-aggressive fish that benefit from similar low-light conditions
Common Diseases
Polyp Recession
Polyps fail to extend, shrink inward, or disappear entirely over days to weeks
Check water parameters (salinity, pH, nitrate levels), increase feeding frequency, ensure low-flow placement, and perform partial water changes. Verify feeding is reaching the coral.
Tissue Necrosis
Darkening, sloughing, or death of polyp tissue; visible bare skeleton
Isolate coral if possible, check for predatory fish or crustaceans, maintain pristine water quality, and ensure adequate nutrition. May indicate poor acclimation or incompatible tank mates.
Bacterial Infection
Cloudy polyps, mucus coating, foul odor, rapid tissue loss
Perform large water changes, reduce feeding temporarily, improve water circulation without direct flow on coral, and consider antibiotic dips if severe. Maintain stable salinity and temperature.
Starvation
Polyps remain retracted, gradual shrinking, loss of color vibrancy
Increase feeding frequency to 4-5 times weekly with appropriately-sized frozen mysis or brine shrimp. Ensure food reaches polyps directly via pipette.
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Tips from the community 💡
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Quick Facts
- flow
- low to medium
- placement
- cave or shaded rockwork
- difficulty
- advanced
- lightLevel
- none required