How much light and flow does Smooth 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 Smooth 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 Smooth cauliflower coral need feeding?

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

What water parameters does Smooth 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 Smooth cauliflower coral a good beginner coral?

Difficulty: moderate. Growth: medium. Place it in the midground. Spacing: keep 8-10 cm from other SPS; as the columns rise they shade whatever sits downstream.

G-03 / 05Marine

Smooth cauliflower coral柱状珊瑚

Stylophora pistillata · Pocilloporidae

Smooth cauliflower coral: chunkier and tougher than a bird’s nest, with above-average tolerance of water swings among SPS.

Illustration to come

G-03 / 05 · Smooth cauliflower coral Stylophora pistillata

SpecificationsCoral atlas

Name: 柱状珊瑚
Scientific name: Stylophora pistillata
Family: Pocilloporidae
Origin: Reefs of the Indo-Pacific and the Red Sea, from East Africa to the Great Barrier Reef
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: Medium
Placement: Midground
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: keep 8-10 cm from other SPS; as the columns rise they shade whatever sits downstream.
2Flow: strong; the gaps between columns trap detritus, and no new polyps grow where debris settles.
3Water tolerance: copes with swings better than Seriatopora, but chronically high nutrients turn it dark brown and stop growth.
4Feeding: no target feeding needed.
5Growth form: blunt columns growing upward with few branches, reaching over 15 cm in the tank.

Frequently asked questions

How much light and flow does Smooth 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 Smooth 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 Smooth cauliflower coral need feeding?: No. It gets its energy from its symbiotic algae, and extra food only raises nutrients.
What water parameters does Smooth 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 Smooth cauliflower coral a good beginner coral?: Difficulty: moderate. Growth: medium. Place it in the midground. Spacing: keep 8-10 cm from other SPS; as the columns rise they shade whatever sits downstream.