Flora & Fauna

Colourful LPS coral with large fleshy polyps available in virtually every colour combination. Aggressive — maintain space between it and neighbouring corals. Beginner-friendly.

Chunky, encrusting LPS with fleshy, colourful polyps in virtually every colour combination imaginable. Extremely hardy and popular among collectors. One of the best beginner LPS corals.

Acropora is the largest and most diverse genus of stony corals on earth, encompassing hundreds of species forming branching, table, and bushy morphologies in nearly every colour imaginable. They are the primary reef-building corals and are the benchmark for advanced reef aquariums — demanding pristine, stable water chemistry, very high light, moderate to high flow, and expert-level nutrient management. In well-maintained SPS tanks they reward with breathtaking growth and colouration.

Delicate branching SPS with thin, pointed branches arranged like a bird's nest. One of the fastest-growing SPS corals — ideal for fragging. Available in pink, purple, green, and yellow morphs.

Blastomussa are large-polyp stony corals with fleshy, round polyps that inflate dramatically at night. They are tolerant of lower light and moderate nutrients, making them a good LPS choice for mid-level placement. They feed readily on meaty foods at night.

Bubble coral is a distinctive LPS coral whose fleshy, bubble-like vesicles inflate during the day to maximise light capture and deflate at night to reveal feeding tentacles. It is a vigorous feeder and responds well to regular target feeding. Its delicate inflated tissue can be punctured by sharp rockwork, so placement must be considered carefully.

Candy Cane Coral (also called Trumpet Coral) is a hardy LPS coral with distinctly separate, trumpet-shaped corallites in green, teal, or cream coloration — often with contrasting stripe or dot patterns reminiscent of candy canes. It is one of the most forgiving LPS corals for new reef keepers, tolerating a wider range of light and flow conditions than most Euphyllia species. New heads bud readily with regular target feeding.

Encrusting LPS coral with eye patterns in vivid colour combinations. Moderately aggressive. Grows flat plates over rock. One of the most collectible coral genres.

Delicate, daisy-like polyps arranged in a mat — each has eight feathery tentacles. Green, white, or brown morphs with attractive pink stems. Spreads readily over rock and creates a lush carpet effect. Great flow indicator coral.

Fast-growing soft coral with branching, finger-like lobes covered in feathery polyps. Sways gracefully in the current and grows rapidly — ideal for new reef tanks needing quick visual impact. Releases chemicals that may irritate nearby corals.

Unique scrolling, cup-shaped SPS that grows in convoluted plates rather than branches. More tolerant of lower light and flow than most SPS — a good entry point into stony corals. Yellow-green to brown.

Duncan corals are LPS corals with large, fleshy polyps that extend dramatically during the day and retract at night. They are peaceful, fast-growing, and feed readily on meaty foods. Colonies branch and multiply quickly under good conditions.

Elegance coral was once considered easy but is now classified as demanding due to a syndrome ('elegance coral decline') that causes rapid tissue recession in many captive specimens, the cause of which is still debated. Specimens sourced from Australia's Great Barrier Reef tend to fare better than Indo-Pacific stock. It requires low light, minimal flow, and sandy substrate — placing it on rock causes tissue damage and death.

Dome-shaped brain coral with clearly delineated round polyps in greens, browns, and reds. One of the most common and adaptable LPS corals. Sends out sweeper tentacles at night — space accordingly.

Favites (war coral / closed brain coral) are encrusting SPS corals with a brain-like maze pattern. They are moderately demanding and aggressive, extending sweeper tentacles at night to sting neighbours. Available in a wide range of vivid colour morphs.

A hydrozoan rather than a true coral — branching, blade-like, or encrusting forms in mustard-yellow. Delivers a potent sting, even to humans. Fast-growing and found on shallow, high-flow reef crests.

Frogspawn Coral is a popular LPS coral whose branching skeleton terminates in clusters of rounded, grape-like polyp tips that sway mesmerisingly in gentle water movement — resembling a mass of frog eggs. It is one of the three classic Euphyllia corals (alongside Hammer and Torch) and shares their care requirements. It has potent sweeper tentacles that can sting corals placed nearby, so adequate spacing within the reef aquarium is essential.

Fungia plate corals are unusual free-living LPS corals that rest on the sandbed and can slowly move to find better conditions. They have a single large mouth surrounded by numerous short tentacles and come in a range of colours. They are sensitive to being placed on rough substrates.

Galaxea is a large-polyp stony coral with star-shaped polyps that extend long sweeper tentacles at night, capable of stinging corals several centimetres away. It is a fast grower under good conditions but requires significant space between it and neighbours.

Beautiful coral with long flowing polyps resembling a field of flowers. Historically difficult to keep long-term. Requires stable, high-quality water and moderate flow.

Hammer coral is a large polyp stony (LPS) coral with distinctive T-shaped or hammer-shaped tentacles that sweep rhythmically in current. It is photosynthetic via its zooxanthellae but also benefits from target feeding with meaty foods two or three times weekly. It can sting neighbouring corals, so adequate spacing is essential.

Soft coral that grows into a branching tree shape. Prolific grower and propagator — commonly frags itself. Peaceful but its natural chemicals can inhibit nearby coral growth.

Leather corals (toadstool corals) are large, robust soft corals with a mushroom-like form. They are extremely hardy and grow quickly, making them popular with beginners. They periodically shed a waxy coating and close up temporarily — this is normal behaviour.

Large, fleshy-polyped LPS with smooth round corallites and vivid colouration. Extremely hardy and popular in mixed reef tanks. Inflates dramatically after lights-out to capture food. Accepts a wide range of conditions.

Iconic labyrinthine-patterned brain coral — the classic reef centrepiece. Hardy, slow-growing, and tolerant of moderate conditions. Green fluorescent under actinic lighting. A timeless display piece.

Montipora is a diverse SPS coral genus second only to Acropora in species diversity, available in plating, branching, and encrusting growth forms in a wide array of colours. It is considered the entry-level SPS coral, more forgiving than Acropora but still demanding stable water parameters, high light, and good flow. Plating Montipora varieties are particularly popular for adding mid-level horizontal structure and bold colour to reef aquariums.

Mushroom corals (discosoma) are flat, fleshy soft corals available in a huge range of colours including green, blue, red, and metallic. They are excellent beginner corals, requiring low to medium light and tolerating nutrient-rich water better than SPS corals.

Free-living LPS with dramatic maze-like ridges and vivid colours — green, red, blue, and multicolour morphs. Placed directly on sand; inflates impressively at night to feed. One of the most beautiful reef centrepieces.

Large-polyped cousins of Zoanthids — drab tan-brown in the wild but cultivated morphs include greens, yellows, and reds. Hardy and fast-spreading. Contain palytoxin — handle with gloves. Excellent beginner coral.

Unique soft coral with a rigid, blood-red calcium carbonate skeleton and vivid green polyps. The skeleton resembles organ pipes — stunning when visible at the base. More demanding than most soft corals but worth the effort.

Pocillopora is a branching SPS coral with densely packed round polyp heads giving it a cauliflower-like appearance. It is one of the more forgiving SPS corals for beginners to reef keeping, growing quickly under stable conditions. Available in green, pink, and purple morphs.

Massively important reef-builder — slow-growing mounds and columns covered in tiny polyps. Host to Christmas Tree Worms and boring clams. Hardy for SPS; tolerates a wider range of conditions than Acropora.

Pulsing xenia is one of the most fascinating soft corals, rhythmically opening and closing its feathery polyps in a hypnotic pulse. It grows rapidly and can spread across rockwork quickly, so placement should be deliberate. Thrives in stable reef conditions.

The iconic purple fan-shaped gorgonian found throughout the Caribbean. Non-photosynthetic — requires regular target feeding with coral foods or phytoplankton. Grows in the plane perpendicular to current flow. A dramatic display piece.

Colourful mushroom coral covered in bumpy vesicles in shades of green, orange, and blue. Slower-growing than regular mushrooms. Hardy and great for beginners.

The Indo-Pacific cousin of Ricordea florida — single-polyp mushroom with vivid nodular texture. Some of the most wildly colourful colourations in the hobby: electric blue, neon orange, purple, and multicolour. Highly collectible.