How much light and flow does Cauliflower coral need?

Stony coral · SPS, high light at roughly 200–300 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ PAR, with high flow. Light and flow must match: high light with weak flow burns tips, strong flow with weak light thins the tissue.

Will Cauliflower coral attack neighbouring corals?

It shows no real aggression and can sit close to neighbours, though it still must not be shaded from above.

Does Cauliflower coral need feeding?

No. It gets its energy from its symbiotic algae, and extra food only raises nutrients.

What water parameters does Cauliflower coral need?

24–26 °C, specific gravity 1.024–1.026, 7–9 dKH, 400–450 mg/L calcium, 1250–1350 mg/L magnesium. That is only 2 dKH wide, so stability matters more than hitting a particular number.

Is Cauliflower coral a good beginner coral?

Difficulty: moderate. Growth: fast. Place it in the midground / specimen. Spacing: branches are dense and growth is fast — keep 8 cm or more, or colonies shade each other in no time.

G-03 / 03Marine

Cauliflower coral鹿角杯形珊瑚

Pocillopora damicornis · Pocilloporidae

Cauliflower coral: a beginner-friendly SPS that frags easily, grows fast, and is often picked by clownfish as a spawning site.

Illustration to come

G-03 / 03 · Cauliflower coral Pocillopora damicornis

SpecificationsCoral atlas

Name: 鹿角杯形珊瑚
Scientific name: Pocillopora damicornis
Family: Pocilloporidae
Origin: Shallow reefs of the Indo-Pacific and the eastern Pacific, from the Red Sea to Panama
Type: Stony coral · SPS
Light: High light
PAR: 200–300
Flow: High flow
Aggression: No aggression
Feeding: No feeding needed
Alkalinity: 7–9 dKH
Calcium: 400–450 mg/L
Magnesium: 1250–1350 mg/L
Salinity: 1.024–1.026 SG
Growth: Fast
Placement: Midground / Specimen
Level: Moderate

Water requirementsMarine

Temp.24–26 °C

pH8.1–8.4

Salinity1.024–1.026 SG

Alkalinity7–9 dKH

Units: temperature in °C, hardness in German degrees (dGH / dKH), marine salinity as specific gravity at 25 °C, volume in litres. These are the values recorded for the species and do not follow the site unit switcher.

Keeping notes

1Spacing: branches are dense and growth is fast — keep 8 cm or more, or colonies shade each other in no time.
2Flow: strong and chaotic; it looks best placed in the path of a wavemaker outlet.
3Water tolerance: tolerates slightly high nutrients, but a sudden dKH jump or drop makes the branch tips bleach back.
4Feeding: none needed; light and suspended organics cover it.
5Growth form: new buds keep appearing along the branches, and broken tips that land on the bottom can reattach and grow on their own.

Frequently asked questions

How much light and flow does Cauliflower coral need?: Stony coral · SPS, high light at roughly 200–300 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ PAR, with high flow. Light and flow must match: high light with weak flow burns tips, strong flow with weak light thins the tissue.
Will Cauliflower coral attack neighbouring corals?: It shows no real aggression and can sit close to neighbours, though it still must not be shaded from above.
Does Cauliflower coral need feeding?: No. It gets its energy from its symbiotic algae, and extra food only raises nutrients.
What water parameters does Cauliflower coral need?: 24–26 °C, specific gravity 1.024–1.026, 7–9 dKH, 400–450 mg/L calcium, 1250–1350 mg/L magnesium. That is only 2 dKH wide, so stability matters more than hitting a particular number.
Is Cauliflower coral a good beginner coral?: Difficulty: moderate. Growth: fast. Place it in the midground / specimen. Spacing: branches are dense and growth is fast — keep 8 cm or more, or colonies shade each other in no time.