Poccilopora 1” frag

Pocillopora care guide

Pocillopora, often called cauliflower or brush coral, is a beginner-friendly SPS, but it still needs stable reef conditions. It is usually easier than Acropora and often more forgiving than many SPS, but unstable alkalinity, low flow, or sudden lighting changes can still burn it fast.

Lighting: medium to high light. A good target is around 150 to 300 PAR, but start lower and acclimate upward if it came from weaker light. Too much light too fast can bleach it, while too little light can brown it out.

Flow: moderate to strong, random/turbulent flow. Do not blast one side with a direct jet, but the polyps should move. In the wild, some Pocillopora live in shallow, high-energy reef zones with strong wave action.

Placement: middle to upper rockwork is usually best. Give it room, because it can grow into a dense branching colony and shade nearby corals. It is not as aggressive as many LPS, but it can still irritate neighbors by contact.

Water parameters:

Parameter

Target

Salinity

1.025 to 1.026

Temperature

76 to 79°F

Alkalinity

8 to 9 dKH, keep stable

Calcium

420 to 450 ppm

Magnesium

1300 to 1400 ppm

Nitrate

5 to 15 ppm

Phosphate

0.03 to 0.12 ppm

Feeding: mostly photosynthetic. You do not need to target feed it, but it can benefit from fine coral foods, amino acids, or broadcast feeding in a nutrient-stable system. Do not overfeed trying to “help” it, because dirty swings hurt SPS more than hunger.

Growth: fast when happy. It encrusts, branches, and can become a good starter SPS colony. One thing to know: when stressed, Pocillopora can do polyp bailout, where polyps detach and potentially grow elsewhere in the tank. That is cool, but also annoying if it starts popping up in places you do not want.

Signs it is happy: good polyp extension, firm tissue, bright color, pale growth tips, slow encrusting at the base.

Signs something is wrong: bleaching, browning, no polyp extension for days, tissue peeling from the base, or white tips that are not normal growth.

Brutally honest: Pocillopora is one of the better “first SPS” corals, but it is not a magic coral. If alkalinity swings, phosphate crashes, or you move it straight into high light, it can still go downhill quickly.